Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah feature in Wisden's T20I team of the decade
Indian skipper, Virat Kohli and star bowler Jasprit Bumrah are the only two Indians that were able to make it to Wisden's T20I team of the decade. Additionally, the former has made it to Wisden's team of the decade in all three formats and has also been named among the top five players of the decade by the publication.
In the initial phases of his career, Kohli showed a lot of promise but it was only after the 2012 IPL that he turned into a consistent batsman by concentrating more on his fitness regime and trusting his basic strokes in the shortest format of the game. He began to rely more on timing rather than trying to muscle the ball and has since been piling runs in all three formats of the game. Talking about his inclusion, Wisden said,
While Kohli's record in domestic T20 cricket is patchy, the same cannot be said of T20Is. Kohli's average of 53 was the best in the decade, and while his consistency compromises his strike-rate slightly, he is still able to score at a good rate, even if not exceptional. Strong against pace and spin, and rapid between the wickets, Kohli is an ideal player at No. 3, able to fight fires when an early wicket is lost and stabilise the innings, but also accelerate when a platform is set. Following a huge first-wicket partnership, Kohli will slide down the order in this XI
Bumrah, meanwhile has probably become the best T20 bowler in the world and has honed his skills with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. The fast bowler has been Kohli's go-to man in tough situations and his ability to take wickets at the right moments makes him an even better T20 bowler. He has also taken giant strides in the other two forms of the game and is set to become one of the greatest fast bowlers India has ever produced by the end of his career. On his inclusion, Wisden opined,
Bumrah's overall economy rate of 6.71 is the second best in the world among quick bowlers, behind Dale Steyn. This statistic is more impressive when you consider he did the majority of his bowling in the death overs, where his economy rate of 7.27 was the seventh best in the world, and comfortably the best by a quick bowler. Bumrah is likely to bowl three overs at the death for this side.
Here is a look at the complete T20I team of the decade released by Wisden.
Wisden's T20I team of the decade: Aaron Finch (c), Colin Munro, Virat Kohli, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Jos Buttler, Mohammad Nabi, David Willey, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga