The Indian government has proposed to the BCCI to organize a match between the Indian squad and the rest of the world. The proposed match, if held, will take place on August 22nd at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence.
Although nothing has been confirmed, the match may pit some of the biggest names in international cricket against a full-strength Indian team. Matches involving World XI teams are mainly held for charity events to raise money and were a global draw for fans prior to the introduction of domestic T20 leagues.
While the international pool of players is full of superstars, and in this article, we are going to talk about 5 players who must be picked for the World XI side to face India.
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Number 1. Jos Buttler
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Image Source – Twitter.
Jos Buttler, England’s freshly anointed white ball skipper, is one of the game’s most dangerous openers. After the retirement of influential Eoin Morgan from international cricket, the wicket-keeper batter has taken over as captain.
Buttler’s batting prowess is well known throughout the world, but the recently concluded IPL 2022, in which he finished as the tournament’s highest run-getter with a record-breaking four centuries to his name, was followed by a mind-boggling century against the Netherlands, cemented his status as one of the best-limited overs batters in the world right now.
The Englishman is well-versed in Indian conditions and enjoys attacking bowlers from the start on the country’s slower surfaces.
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Number 2. Babar Azam
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Image Source – Twitter.
Babar Azam, arguably the best batsman in all formats at the moment, is one of cricket’s most sought-after players. The Pakistani captain’s meteoric ascension to the top of the cricketing rankings has been spectacular, as he has repeatedly proven himself against top-tier opponents.
The graceful batter has a soothing influence on his teammates and has thrived in the role of leader. Although he is only in the early stages of his cricket career, the batsman has been tipped to break a slew of records if he maintains his hot streak.
It will be incredible to see Pakistan’s most gifted and accomplished batting great lead a side against India on Indian soil, adding a little more spice to this massive showdown.
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Number 3. Liam Livingstone
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Image Source – Twitter.
Liam Livingstone of England has only played a few games for his country, but he has already established himself as a fixture in the white ball team. The 28-year-old has outstanding power-hitting talents and is one of the most feared batsmen in limited-overs cricket.
This season, the hard-hitting all-rounder made his IPL debut, amassing 437 runs for Punjab while striking the ball at an astounding 182.08. His 117m six against the Gujarat Titans was one of the tournament’s highlights this year. Following his outstanding performance in the IPL, he hit the fastest fifty by an England player in the ODI series against the Netherlands.
Livingstone has struggled for form in the ongoing white ball series against India and would welcome the opportunity to play in front of Indian supporters who would be hoping for a repeat of his IPL heroics.
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Number 4. Rashid Khan
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Image Source – Twitter.
Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s globetrotting bowling sensation, has been a mainstay of the world’s most popular domestic T20 tournaments. Despite being only 23 years old, the bowling all-rounder is the third-highest wicket-taker in T20Is and the fastest to 100 in the format.
With the ball in hand, the leggie is an absolute treat, and he has made some of the finest batsmen seem average against his excellent spin bowling. Known for his skill with the ball, the teenager is no slouch with the bat and is capable of making an impact in cameo appearances, as shown in IPL 2022.
Rashid Khan, a stalwart of the IPL, lifted his maiden IPL crown with Gujarat Titans this year and will relish playing in front of the Indian fans, who adore the Afghani cricketer, once more.
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Number 5. Wanindu Hasaranga
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Image Source – Twitter.
Wanindu Hasaranaga, the most recent addition to Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner contingent, has been at the peak of his form in the last year. The leg-break bowler has been outstanding for the islands, and he was the joint highest wicket-taker in T20Is in 2021, with 36 wickets.
After a shaky start, Hasaranga improved his reputation in the IPL this year with an amazing total of 26 wickets for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, only one shy of Yuzvendra Chahal’s 27 wickets, which earned him the Purple cap this season.
The 24-year-old was key in Sri Lanka’s historic ODI series victory last month, continuing his excellent bowling and making a couple of crucial cameos with the bat.
