With Team India’s unceremonious exit from the ICC World T20 2021, former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria has opted to snub several household names from the Indian white-ball side while dishing out his T20I playing XI of the year 2021. Kaneria, who had a bitter-sweet career with the Green Army in the international arena, only picked three players from the current Indian side in his T20I playing XI of 2021.
The 2021 edition of the ICC World T20 also marked the end of Kohli’s captaincy stint in the shortest format. Team India failed to clear the Super12 phase in Kohli’s final ICC tournament as the white-ball captain of the Asian giants. While India had a forgetful campaign in the T20 World Cup, traditional rivals Pakistan made it to the semi-finals of the elite tournament under the leadership of Babar Azam.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Pakistani spinner Kaneria lauded Pakistani openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam for recording a remarkable 2021 season with the Green Army in the shortest format. “Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are my openers as performed really well throughout 2021. They were outstanding in the T20 World Cup (2021) and they played well in the recently concluded series against West Indies as well,” Kaneria said.
The former Pakistan spinner then picked Jos Buttler over Team India skipper Rohit for the No.3 position. Kaneria also named Liam Livingstone and Mitchell Marsh in his T20I playing XI of the year. “People will say at one down it should be Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul or Virat Kohli but no I have a different opinion, I will go with Jos Buttler. He (Buttler) played really well and he had also scored a hundred in World Cup. So, he deserves the spot,” Kaneria explained.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and speed merchant Jasprit Bumrah were the only three Indian players who featured in Kaneria’s T20I playing XI. Kaneria picked Team India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant as the 12th man of his T20I starting XI of 2021.
Danish Kaneria’s T20 XI of 2021:
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Marsh, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Adam Zampa; Rishabh Pant (12th Man).
