4 Debutants that dazzled in the 2021 T20 World Cup
16 teams battled it out for T20 supremacy as the biggest international T20 tournament came upon us after 5 long years. The tournament started out being extremely bowler-friendly, as low scores were the norm.
However, the last few games of the group stages reversed the trend as batsmen have gotten used to the conditions. It truly has been a fantastic tournament and worth the 5-year wait.
We have a few days to go before we crown the best T20 team in the world, but we have already seen quite a few players make their mark. Given the 5 year gap between the two editions, there have been many players for whom this was the first T20 World Cup.
Here’s looking at 4 of the best debutants in the 2021 T20 World Cup –
Wanindu Hasranga
He is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament thus far, and by a wide margin. Hasranga has picked up 16 wickets in the tournament, at 9.75 apiece, and giving runs at only 5.20. He has been close to impossible to attack, as teams have chosen to play him off. He also scored 119 runs, including a match-winning 71 against Ireland, that pulled Sri Lanka from a sub-100 total. Aged 24, Wanindu Hasranga is sure to be a multi-format superstar for Sri Lanka over the coming years.
Babar Azam
Babar's blistering form continues 🔥
#T20WorldCup | #PAKvSCO | bit.ly/3qcsSsv https://t.co/znRcD4kQ5q
Babar Azam was picked for the 2016 World Cup squad by Pakistan before being withdrawn. Appearing in his first tournament and as a captain, Babar has been consistency personified. Striking 4 50s in 5 group matches (and perhaps more to come?), he has ensured that Pakistan have gotten a strong start in every single match. He is the tournament’s leading run scorer and has laid claim to being the best T20I batsman around at the moment. Can he lead Pakistan to ultimate glory? Time will tell.
Dwaine Pretorius
South Africa’s bowler of choice to bowl tough overs at the death. And Pretorius delivered every single time. The joint leading wicket taker for South Africa, along with Anrich Nortje, he was extremely clever with his cutters and pace changes, making it tough for the opposition to get away. His 9 wickets came at just 11.22 apiece, and he gave runs at only 6.88. It is a remarkable achievement given that most of his overs came after the 10-over mark. Pretorius was one of the key reasons for South Africa’s incredible run in the tournament.
Charith Asalanka
20+ scores in all the group stage matches, an unbeaten 80 in a tough chase against Bangladesh, and a stroke-filled 68 against West Indies. Charith Asalanka had a spectacular run in the T20 World Cup. He was the player-of-the-match in both matches that Sri Lanka won in Group 1. He scored his runs at a strike rate of 147.13, and at a healthy average of 46.20. Aged 24, he is yet another superstar that Sri Lanka will be looking to mold their team around in the upcoming decade. Sri Lanka’s future sure looks to be in safe hands.