The ICC Team of the Year recognizes 11 outstanding individuals who have impressed one and all – be it with the bat, ball or their all-round exploits in a calendar year. Here, we take a look at 11 players who made it to the shortest format of the game, men’s cricket.
Jos Buttler (England)(c, wk)
Jos Buttler had an incredible year both as a player and captain. In 15 matches, Buttler accumulated 462 runs at an explosive strike rate of 160.41, often taking the opposition batting out of the game in the opening exchanges. Following the retirement of Eoin Morgan in June 2022, Jos Buttler was appointed limited-overs captain of England and in his very first ICC tournament, he tried his hand at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
He was the highest run-scorer for England in the tournament, scoring 225 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 144.23. Butler cemented England’s white-ball supremacy by winning the T20 World Cup, thus holding both the men’s senior World Cup titles at the same time.
Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
Mohammad Rizwan continued his form from 2021 to 2022, scoring 996 runs in the year, second only to India’s dynamo Suryakumar Yadav in the list of most runs in men’s T20Is. Rizwan scored 10 half-centuries for the year in the shortest format and finished as the joint-highest scorer for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup with 175 runs. Adding to his reputation as a high-quality anchor at the top, Rizwan holds the opening slot alongside Buttler in the ICC T20I Team of the Year for the second year in a row.
Virat Kohli (India)
Virat Kohli once again showed glimpses of Virat Kohli of the old era in the year 2022. He gave a stormy performance in the Asia Cup as the second highest run-scorer with 276 runs in five matches. He also ended his century drought of nearly three years with a brilliant hundred against Afghanistan.
The form carried over to the T20 World Cup, where Kohli played one of the greatest T20I innings against Pakistan in Melbourne. An unbeaten 82 set the tone for the rest of the tournament, where he scored three more fifties and finished as the highest run-scorer with 296 runs.
Suryakumar Yadav (India)
Suryakumar Yadav had a sensational year 2022 in T20Is, becoming only the second batsman to score over 1000 runs in a calendar year in the format. He ended the year as the highest run-scorer, scoring 1164 runs with the help of two centuries and nine half-centuries, while he averaged an impressive 187.43.
SKY showed his prowess in the T20 World Cup as well, scoring 239 runs at a strike rate of 189.68. He finished the year as the No. 1 batsman in the MRF Tires ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings.
Josh Little (Ireland)
Josh Little, who became the second highest wicket-taker in the last year, leads the Ireland attack in 2022 with an impressive pedigree. Josh The left-arm pacer took 39 wickets during the last calendar year, of which 11 came in the T20 World Cup.
Although his most memorable performance was his four-wicket haul against New Zealand in Belfast in July 2022, his opening spell proved to be a match-winner in Ireland’s clash against neighbors England in the T20 World Cup as they emerged victorious by DLS method.
Hardik Pandya (India)
Hardik Pandya came into his own as the all-rounder India wanted him to contribute heavily with both bat and ball and he delivered in 2022. He enjoyed his best year in terms of numbers in Indian colours, scoring 607 runs and also taking 20 wickets.
While Virat Kohli’s innings against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup will be remembered for ages, Pandya helped rebuild at the other end. Later in the tournament, he also displayed his incredible hitting, with his 33-ball 63 guiding India to a respectable total against England in the semi-finals, although the knock went in vain in the end.
Sam Curran (England)
Player of the tournament for the 2022 T20 World Cup, Sam Curran took his bowling to the next level during England’s championship run, developing into a reliable death-over specialist. In the absence of several key bowlers, he stepped up and took 13 wickets in six matches.
The first five an England bowler in men’s T20Is came during the tournament when he registered figures of 5/10 against Afghanistan. Curran left the best for last, tearing apart the Pakistani batting order with a closing spell of 3/12.
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga became Sri Lanka’s top player in a year where they reigned supreme as champions of the Asia Cup. Hasaranga took nine crucial wickets in six matches during the Asia Cup tournament, but showed he could do damage with the bat by scoring a brilliant 37 off 27 balls in the final against Pakistan to rescue his team. The spinner also worked his magic in the T20 World Cup, taking 15 wickets in eight matches.
Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
Glenn Phillips Batsman wicket-keeper Batting, bowling, fielding, there is nothing that he cannot do on the cricket field. The 26-year-old once again displayed remarkable consistency in the shortest format, scoring 716 runs in 21 matches at a strike rate of 156.33.
In the T20 World Cup, he set the tone with a gravity-defying catch in the opening game against Australia and then scored a century against Sri Lanka. He was instrumental in New Zealand’s run to the last four, scoring a crucial 201 runs while striking at 158.26.
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
Pakistani all-rounder cricketer Sikandar Raza gave a stellar performance with his bat last year. Also made significant contributions with the ball in T20Is. He was at the center of all the good things that happened to Zimbabwe cricket during the year, with the all-rounder showcasing one fine form after another in the shortest format.
Not only was he the leading scorer for Zimbabwe with 735 runs, but he also led the wicket charts for them with 25 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 6.13.
He was Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup Qualifier B in July and continued his form at the marquee event, winning Player of the Match three times, including in Zimbabwe’s epic victory over Pakistan in Perth.
Haris Rauf (Pakistan)
Pakistani all-rounder cricketer Sikandar Raza gave a stellar performance with his bat last year. Made important contributions to the team with the ball in T20Is as well. He was at the center of all the good things that happened to Zimbabwe cricket during the year, with the all-rounder producing one brilliant performance after another in the shortest format.
He was the leading scorer for Zimbabwe with 735 runs, but also led the wicket charts for them with 25 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 6.13. Raza was Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup Qualifier B in July and continued his form at the marquee event, winning Player of the Match three times, including in Zimbabwe’s epic victory over Pakistan in Perth.
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