Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22: Best playing XI of the tournament
The 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy is in the history books. Himachal Pradesh became champions for the first time in the competition's history.
Playing under Rishi Dhawan's leadership, Himachal Pradesh beat six-time champions Tamil Nadu in the final to win the trophy.
The tournament was very closely contested. Players from across the country participated in the 50-over tournament. Now that the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 has ended, here's a look at the best playing XI of the tournament.
Openers - Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prashant Chopra
Ruturaj Gaikwad was the leading run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22. Playing for Maharashtra, the IPL 2021 Orange Cap winner scored 603 runs in just five innings at a strike rate of 112.92. He recorded four tons in the tournament.
Opening the innings with Gaikwad will be Himachal Pradesh's opener Prashant Chopra. The 29-year-old played a pivotal role in his team's triumph, scoring 456 runs in eight innings at an average of 57.
Middle Order - Shubham Sharma, KS Bharat (wk) and Shahrukh Khan
Madhya Pradesh's top-order batter Shubham Sharma will bat in the No.3 position. Sharma was the fourth-highest run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22, aggregating 418 runs in six innings. His highest score was 108.
Sharma will have the back of Andhra skipper KS Bharat and Tamil Nadu's finisher Shahrukh Khan in the middle order. Both players performed exceptionally well with the willow in the competition.
While Bharat smashed back-to-back 150+ scores for Andhra, Shahrukh scored 253 runs for Tamil Nadu at a fantastic strike rate of 186.02.
All Rounders - Venkatesh Iyer, Rishi Dhawan (C) and Washington Sundar
Madhya Pradesh's all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer batted in the middle order and scored 379 runs for his team at an average of 63.16. Iyer smashed two centuries and one fifty in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 besides taking nine wickets.
Another pace-bowling all-rounder who was at his best in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 was Himachal Pradesh skipper Rishi Dhawan.
The former Mumbai Indians star was the second-highest run-getter (458 runs) and the second-highest wicket-taker (17 wickets) in the tournament. He led his team from the front in their historic campaign.
Tamil Nadu star Washington Sundar returned to action in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 after an injury break. The off-spin bowling all-rounder scored 148 runs and picked up 16 wickets for his state.
Bowlers - Yuzvendra Chahal, Ragupathy Silambarasan and Shivam Mavi
Yuzvendra Chahal was the most successful bowler from the Haryana squad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22. The leg-spinner returned with 14 wickets in five matches at an average of 15.
Uttar Pradesh's Shivam Mavi and Tamil Nadu's Ragupathy Silambarasan complete the XI. Mavi picked up 15 wickets in seven matches for UP at an economy rate of 4.38.
He took two four-wicket hauls in the tournament, while Silambarasan brought his 'A' game to the table in the knockout games and ended the competition with 15 wickets in seven matches.
Best XI of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prashanth Chopra, Shubham Sharma, KS Bharat (WK), Shahrukh Khan, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishi Dhawan (C), Washington Sundar, Ragupathy Silambarasan, Yuzvendra Chahal and Shivam Mavi.