Best XI of the Zimbabwe v India T20I series

The recently concluded T20I series between India and Zimbabwe was a breath of fresh air with new talents occupying the center stage and for once in a long time, Zimbabwe put up an equally fierce fight against a Test playing nation. Many of the players were rewarded at the end of the series but who are the ones who make it to the best 11 of the series?: Mandeep Singh: India batsman Mandeep Singh. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) The top scorer of the series, Mandeep Singh makes straight entry into our best eleven squad thanks to his fifty in the second game and a good outing in the first. It took some quality catching in the covers by Maruma to hand him his first failure in the series but despite that he easily ended on top. Also check out – Zimbabwe v India, 3rd T20I: Memorable moments of the day KL Rahul: India batsman KL Rahul. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) With a new killer intent and aggressive mindset, Rahul first surprised the cricketing world in the IPL and then carried on his good form on the Zimbabwe tour. After a highly successful ODI series where he was named Man of the Match twice, Rahul played well in the T20Is as well. Chamu Chibhabha: Zimbabwe batsman Chamu Chibhabha. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images) Despite having a poor series with the bat, Chibhabha drops in at number 3 for our list. Let us admit, none of the number 3s in the series had an outright wonderful series and that’s why Chibhabha gets the nod ahead of Manish Pandey, Ambati Rayudu due to his bowling skills which won Zimbabwe the first T20I. Also check out – Zimbabwe v India T20I series: Zimbabwe Player Ratings Peter Moor: Zimbabwe batsman Peter Joseph Moor plays a ball during the third and final T20. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) Our “Stylish Player of the Series” Peter Moor looked in good touch throughout the series. He got decent stars in both the games and outperformed most of the batsmen despite featuring in one less game. A quality middle order batsman, Moor is a treat to watch when he is on song and that’s why he takes the number 4 spot in our team. Kedar Jadhav: India’s batsman Kedar Jadhav plays a shot during the third and final T20 cricket match. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) The Maharashtra batsman was a revelation for India in the third game. Most often used as a dasher in domestic cricket, Jadhav showed his mettle and stood up when the chips were down, scoring a series defining 40-ball 58. He was also useful in accelerating the chase in the first match but got out at the wrong time. Elton Chigumbura: Zimbabwe’s batsman Elton Chigumbura hits the ball during the first T20 cricket match. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) How often do we see 7 sixes from a single batsman in any format of the game? What could be a normal day in the office for the likes of Brendon McCullum or Chris Gayle, may turn out to be the most valuable effort ever for a batsman from Zimbabwe. Elton Chigumbura smashed the Indian bowlers all around the Harare Sports Club during the course of his 26-ball 54. That Zimbabwe ended up winning by just 2 runs, shows the worth of each and every maximum he scored that day. Also check out – Awards galore at the conclusion of the Zimbabwe v India T20I series MS Dhoni: India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) With only one dismissal from three matches, MS Dhoni was still our best bet for the wicket keeper over Peter Moor or Malcolm Waller. Another below par series with the bat may have hurt his credibility as a batsman, but more importantly its his leadership skills that leaves the others miles behind. Dhoni was instrumental in leading the young Indian side to series victory despite being 0-1 behind. Axar Patel: India batsman Axar Patel. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) Axar Patel did his job of not leaking runs in the middle overs perfectly well. His series figures were 1/18, 0/23 and 1/18 from his full quota each time. Along with his miserly bowling, Axar chipped in with the bat lower down the order almost winning the first game and helping India reach a competitive total in the series decider as well. Donald Tiripano: Zimbabwe’s players Malcolm Waller (C) and Donald Tiripano (R) shake hands with India’s captain MS Dhoni. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) It was Tiripano’s three timely wickets in the third T20 which hurt India the most and halted their progress towards a better total. He picked up 4 wickets from 3 matches conceding just 6 runs an over. Easily the pick of the bowlers, Tiripano was the go-to man for captain Graeme Cremer. Barinder Sran: Zimbabwe’s batsman Sikandar Raza Butt loses his wicket to India’s bowler Barinder Sran. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) Barinder Sran is certainly having the time of his life. After winning the IPL with the underdogs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sran was drafted in the national T20 squad, a move which paid the selectors rich dividends. After a stellar T20 debut where he scalped 4 victims, Sran was spot on in the third game as well until that eventful last over where he regained his calm midway and finished the game off for India. Jasprit Bumrah: India bowler Jasprit Bhumra. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) This man has grown leaps and bounds in the last one year. His sudden rise in International cricket and a coinciding injury for Ashish Nehra has seen him become the number 1 fast bowler for India now. And the best thing about him is the yorkers he nails at the death. Though he received a healthy beating from when Chigumbura was on a killing spree, Bumrah still finished with 5 wickets and the best economy rate in the series at 4.83. Also check out – Zimbabwe v India T20I series: India Player Ratings