World Cup 2019: Ashish Nehra picks his best XI

The 12th edition of the cricket World Cup witnessed its final game on Sunday when hosts England took on the 2015 finalists New Zealand in the title clash at Lord’s. This year, the cricketing world will see a new champion as neither the Three Lions nor the Black Caps have ever won a World Cup. The two teams beat the two top sides of the tournament – India and Australia – in the semi-finals earlier this week.

Former India left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra picked his best eleven of the 2019 World Cup and comprised, besides five Indians, two Australians, two Englishmen, one Kiwi and one Bangladeshi. Nehra picked former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the captain of the side. Dhoni, 38, featured in the Indian squad as the main wicket-keeper-batsman and had taken India close to making the final with a timely fifty in the semi-final.

Five Indians in Nehra’s XI

Nehra, who had played in the 2003 and 2011 World Cups under two different captains, picked Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah besides Dhoni as the Indian players in his World Cup 2019 XI. Among others, he chose Australia’s David Warner and Mitchell Starc while the two Englishmen who found a place in his XI are Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been a sensation in this World Cup, was also preferred by Nehra. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was the only Black Caps representative in the former cricketer’s team. In terms of the order, Nehra picked Rohit and Warner as the openers with Kohli coming in at No.3. Kane Williamson was picked at No.4 followed by Shakib, Dhoni and Ben Stokes. The final four slots were occupied by Chahal, Archer, Starc and Bumrah.

Rohit was in a great form in this World Cup as he amassed 648 runs in nine games with five centuries, setting up a new world record. Starc, on the other hand, picked 27 wickets in the edition to better the 12-year-old record established by his predecessor Glenn McGrath. Batters like Warner and Williamson have also been in good form in this World Cup while in bowling, Bumrah did excellently. Chahal was more on and off but yet proved handy while Archer generated some serious pace that rattled quite a few batsmen in the opposition ranks.

Nehra’s best XI: Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Shakib Al Hasan, MS Dhoni (c, wk), Ben Stokes, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jofra Archer, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah.