Mohammad Rizwan Among ICC T20I Player Of The Year Nominees

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have released the list of nominees for the ICC T20I Player of the Year Award – Mohammad Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Mitchell Marsh and Wanindu Hasaranga. These players have had sensational performances in the 2021 T20 World Cup as well as in other T20Is around the year and deservedly make this list

Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan has been simply sensational for Pakistan ever since he has started opening the batting. Both him and Babar Azam have been a formidable opening combination and the duo has been one of the main reasons why Pakistan have dominated T20 cricket in 2021.

Rizwan ended up as the highest run-scorer in the T20I format in 2021 with 1326 runs to his name from just 29 games at an outstanding average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89. He scored a century against South Africa at Lahore earlier this year and also scored a number of half-centuries that helped Pakistan win games of cricket.

Jos Buttler

Another wicketkeeper-batsman whose game has been transformed ever since he started opening the batting, Jos Buttler has been England’s premier T20 batsman for a while now. He has been simply sensational at the top of the order and has got England off to quickfire starts.

Buttler had a sublime 2021 T20 World Cup. He scored a hundred against Sri Lanka and also amassed 269 runs, the highest for England in the tournament and was instrumental in their run to the semifinal. Buttler has been one of the most dangerous batsmen in modern-day T20I cricket and is certainly worth the nomination.

Mitchell Marsh

Australia as a team had a tough start to T20Is in 2021 as they lost series against West Indies and Bangladesh. However, Mitchell Marsh had taken to life at No.3 like a duck to water.

After impressing in the tours to West Indies and Bangladesh, Mitchell Marsh succeeded in the biggest test, by having a successful T20 World Cup. In six games, he scored 185 runs at a sensational average of 61.66. His best knock came at the biggest of the stages in the final of the T20 World Cup against New Zealand. Chasing a tricky target of 173 to win the game, Marsh scored an unbeaten 77 off 50 deliveries with four sixes and six fours to his name.

Wanindu Hasaranga

Wanindu Hasaranga has been a revelation for Sri Lanka in the spin department, especially in the shortest format. He had a stunning T20 World Cup individually, being the highest wicket-taker with 16 scalps to his name and also picked up a hattrick against South Africa.

Hasaranga also showed that he had the capability to contribute consistently with the bat, scoring a fine 71 against Ireland. Although Sri Lanka couldn’t make it to the semifinal of the event, Hasaranga stamped his authority as one of the best spinning all-rounders in the shortest format.

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