Best XI of current big-match players

Cricket has witnessed atrociously talented cricketers over the years. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, AB de Villiers, Rahul Dravid and Glenn McGrath are some of them who hung their boots in the 21st century. The baton was passed on to the players like Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins who are entertaining the audience with their exceptional skills.

When it comes to temperament, very few match these kind of cricketers in modern cricket. However, there are some players who click when it matters the most. Yes, some usually bring the best out of them in the big matches like finals and knockout games. Pressure gets to certain players in these kind of matches and unfortunately South Africa (wth all due respect to them and their cricketers) are at the receiving end of it as they are termed as the ‘big chokers’ in cricket.

Here we bring you the best XI of the current big match players:

1. Jason Roy

Jason Roy‘s approach of batting has changed England’s fortunes in the limited overs format. No one can forget the way he had pummelled India in the must-win game in the World Cup last year. His quickfire 66-run knock helped the hosts start off well in a crucial encounter. Roy, on his comeback from injury, literally took on each and every bowler India dished out at him and added 160 runs with Jonny Bairstow in less than 23 overs for England.

Another such knock from Roy came in the semi-final against arch-rivals Australia. Chasing a tricky total of 224 runs, it was due to his whirlwind innings of 85 runs off just 65 deliveries literally blew away the Aussies. His free-flowing batting never allowed the opposition to put England under the pressure in the chase.

And by the time he got out, England were just 77 runs away from victory and the outcome of the match was out of the question with no pressure of the required run-rate. Roy is certainly a big match player for England and his teammate would love to see him notch more such knocks in the future.

2. Babar Azam

This could be a surprising name for many. But Babar Azam has that composure to click when his team needs him the most. His scintillating century against New Zealand in the World Cup last year, which was also the must-win game for Pakistan, was certainly the best knock of his career.

New Zealand were building pressure with some tight bowling. But Babar stuck it out and scored an unbeaten 101 to help his team chase down 238 runs in the final over of the innings. This victory also helped Pakistan stay alive in the World Cup.

Babar is only in the fifth year of his international career at the moment and certainly, he will be crucial for Pakistan in the future if they are to win World titles.

3. Steve Smith

Steve Smith, apart from the ball-tampering controversy, has had an amazing career so far at the international level. Put him under extreme pressure and every time, literally every time, he will come out on top. And it was witnessed for the first time in the World Cup 2015 final against New Zealand.

Chasing down 184, Australia lost Aaron Finch in the second over itself. And this is where Steve Smith’s steely nerves were on display. The new ball was swinging with Trent Boult and Tim Southee posing all the problems but he didn’t deter. Though he got only 56 runs in the chase, he remained unbeaten through out holding one end while the likes of David Warner and Micheal Clarke played their shots.

While he has bailed Australia out of trouble numerous times in Tests as well, Smith did it twice or thrice in the World Cup last year. Rather they posted 223 runs on the board in the semi-final courtesy Smith’s 85-run knock. The defending champions were reeling at 14/3 in the 7th over but then Smith held one end and made sure the Aussies didn’t give up so early in the game.

4. Kane Williamson (C)

Very few will argue over this man’s inclusion in this XI. Kane Williamson is arguably the best player to have in your team under pressure. He will soak in all the pressure and make sure that his team wins in the end. He has done it numerous times for New Zealand at the international level.

During the World Cup last year and even during the 2015 edition, Williamson was the one who made sure his team was in the hunt every time. His understanding of conditions played a huge role in the Kiwis making it to the final and almost winning the World Cup last year.

Very few must have forgotten the six he hit off Pat Cummins in the World Cup 2015 during the thrilling group game. Chasing 152, New Zealand were nine down and still needed six runs to win. And what Kane Williamson did in that tense situation was absolutely unthinkable. He backed off a bit and slammed Cummins for a six down the ground to win the game for his team.

And he is the skipper of this team for the same reason. His composure in tense situations and his ability to bring the best out of his mates. Also, the way he handled his team during the controversial final last year was impeccable.

5. Ben Stokes

Big matches and Ben Stokes go hand in hand, probably since the 2016 World T20 final. The young man was shattered when Carlos Brathwaite had smacked him for four consecutive sixes to win the snatch the World Cup from England’s grasp. But boy hasn’t he redeemed himself!  That knock in the World Cup final was literally the best of his career.

England were done and dusted in the final and then appears Stokes, like destiny wanted him to create history on the day. Everything was going in his favour. Trent Boult stepping on the boundary lines taking his catch and then that controversial moment when the ball went for four after hitting his bat. It was due to him that the match went into the super over and England sneaked through in the controversial way again.

Well, that wasn’t it in 2019 for Ben Stokes. He was at it again when the Ashes were on the line for England. The third Test match of the series with England needing 70-odd runs and they had only 1 wicket in hand. Stokes threw his hand at everything, and even the best crumbled under pressure. Again, it was his day and the all-rounder created history again. His heroic knock made him the legend of England cricket for the second time in a year.

6. Jos Buttler (WK)

Jos Buttler was at the heart of England’s revival in the limited-overs cricket. He was in the 2015 World Cup squad and then helped Eoin Morgan redeem the country’s reputation in the 50-over format. No wonder he is in this line-up. The cricketer who was hurt in 2015 WC debacle, to come up and play one of the calmest knocks of his career in the World Cup 2019 final was impeccable.

The pressure was piling on England at 86/4 in the 24th over in the chase and this is where their two big-match players joined hands. After a slow start initially, Buttler took the aggressor’s role in the partnership and rotated the strike when needed.

It was their 107-run partnership that brought England back in the game and eventually the game as tied. Moreover, the way Buttler collected a relatively wide throw in the super over and scripted a historic winning moment was the one for the ages.

7. Hardik Pandya

Again this might surprise everyone. But Hardik Pandya has been at the centre of some must-win games for India and the all-rounder has stood up for India when no one did. It all started with MS Dhoni handing over the last over to him in the must-win game against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup in 2016. With the opposition needing two runs off three balls, Hardik delivered perfect deliveries to help India win the game by 1 run.

Not only that, the swashbuckler had scored 15 off just 7 balls earlier with two fours and a six to propel the team’s score to 146. Fast forward to the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan and India were down and out in the mammoth chase. Pandya comes in to bat at 54/5 which soon becomes 72/6 and what followed later was never expected.

Hardik Pandya decided to unleash the beast in him and backed him to clear the boundary every time. He took the special liking to Shadab Khan smashing sixes off him for fun. Pandya scored 76 off just 43 deliveries with four fours and six sixes. Out of nowhere, he had given hope to the Indians. Though India didn’t win the game, it was clear that Pandya was the man for the big occasions.

8. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja is probably the only cricketer in the world who will make it to any playing XI on the back of his fielding. He was not even in India’s World Cup plans until the Asia Cup 2019 when Hardik Pandya got injured. And then the left-hander came into the picture. He had added an extra dimension to his batting which was staying calm under pressure.

And it was on display in the final against Bangladesh when he scored runs in tense situations in the chase. Jadeja shepherded the chase with the tail to help India win the Asia Cup. Now, who can forget that knock against New Zealand in the semi-final. India were literally in a hopeless situation at 92/6 in the 31st over and Jadeja came out and slogged the ball at will making the batting look so easy.

He scored 77 runs off just 59 balls to take India close to the victory. Unfortunately, he couldn’t win the match for his country on the day but it was clearly the second coming for Jadeja, the all-rounder.

9. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc’s ability to deliver yorkers when it needs the most is impeccable. He had single-handedly stunned New Zealand in the World Cup 2015 group game defending 151. To deliver such a performance against the trans-tasman rivals in their own den takes a special talent and Starc had almost won the game for Australia only for a certain Williamson to keep his calm.

But then, Starc is not the one who gives it up easily. He brought the best out of him in the final against the same opponents, this time at the iconic MCG. He sent back New Zealand’s best batsman Brendon McCullum in the very first over to demoralise the Kiwis and returned with the figures of 2/20 in his 8 overs. New Zealand were bundled out for just 183 in the final and half of the credit should go to Starc.

He was clearly on song once again in the World Cup last year as well. However, unfortunately, England got the better of him in the semi-final. Apart from that game, the left-arm seamer was on target every time he bowled and has still left a lot of cricket in him to deliver for Australia.

10. Jasprit Bumrah

India have found a diamond in Jasprit Bumrah. The man whose action was questioned at the start of his career was India’s best bowler at the World Cup last year. Prior to it, very few have given credit to Bumrah for his exceptional bowling in the penultimate over in the game against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup in 2016 which paved the way for the historic victory for India.

It was Bumrah’s 19th over which left Hardik Pandya 11 for the final over to defend. The pacer conceded only six runs and kept India’s hopes alive in a must-win game. And then comes his unplayable bowling in the World Cup last year.

Everytime India needed a wicket, Bumrah was putting his hand up. This didn’t change in the semi-final as well. He was the main reason why India restricted New Zealand for just 239 runs. Bumrah had conceded only 39 runs in his 10 overs picking a crucial early wicket of Martin Guptill. Surely, India need to preserve him well and keep him injury-free to deliver in crunch moments.

11. Lasith Malinga

This man is an absolute legend. Lasith Malinga is always there for Sri Lanka and also for Mumbai Indians. He delivered a perfect final ball last year to win them the IPL for the record fourth time. The best players bring the best out themselves when it matters the most and the same is the case with Malinga.

Rewind back to 2014 when India and Sri Lanka had met in the final of the T20 World Cup in Dhaka. India’s two of the best limited-overs batsmen, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were in the middle and it was Malinga who came up with a stunning effort in the death overs to restrict the opposition.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept bowling the yorker length wide of the batsmen and Indian batsmen could never hit the ball to the boundary. Malinga was at the centrestage of all the action as his variations were even tougher to pick. Players like Malinga are once in a generation and Sri Lanka should look to get the best out of him before he hangs his boots.