ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Top 5 performers who won’t be playing in the semi-finals
The semi-finalists of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 have been decided. Hosts England will take on Pakistan in the first semi-final while India will take on Bangladesh in the second semi-final at Edgbaston. The leading run-scorer in the tournament, Shikhar Dhawan, is through, along with some of the other top performers.
But the No. 1 ranked ODI side in the world along with the two finalists of the 2015 World Cup will play no further part in the tournament. That means that the leading wicket-taker in the tournament will not be playing in the semi-finals. Much like him, there are other top performers who are unlucky not to go through to the latter stages of the competition.
Here are the top 5 performers who won’t be playing in the semi-finals:
#5 Nuwan Pradeep
Sri Lanka missed out on an opportunity to make it through to the semi-final in heart-breaking fashion as they lost to Pakistan in the final group game of the tournament. That also means that their leading wicket-taker, Nuwan Pradeep, will play no further part in the tournament.
While the inclusion of Lasith Malinga might have made all the headlines before the start of the tournament, it was Pradeep who made the most impact in the UK. He picked up a wicket in every match that he played, including three in the crucial clash against Pakistan but poor fielding in that game cost him dear as Sri Lanka were knocked out.
Only three bowlers picked up more wickets than the 30-year-old and he is unlucky not to be playing in the semi-final of the eighth edition of the tournament.