No Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli! Chris Lynn’s all-time T20 XI sparks massive debate during T20 World Cup 2026

Big Bash League legend Chris Lynn has named his all-time T20 playing XI during the ongoing 2026 World Cup, and his selections have sparked debate. In an interaction with CricTracker, the former Australian opener left out Indian stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, which surprised many fans across the world.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are among the most consistent performers in T20 cricket. They are the second and third leading run-scorers in overall T20Is. Kohli is the leading run-getter in T20 World Cup history. He played a key role in the T20 World Cup 2024 win, earning the Player of the Match award in 2024.

Chris Lynn Names All-Time T20 XI, Leaves Out Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Chris Lynn picked Chris Gayle and David Warner as the opening pair in his all-time T20 XI. Gayle is the leading run-getter in T20 cricket with 14,562 runs in 463 matches, including 22 centuries. Warner, who was Player of the Tournament in Australia’s T20 World Cup win in 2021, has scored 14,028 runs in 432 games.

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At No. 3, Lynn picked former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, stating that he shaped modern T20 cricket. He also recalled McCullum’s memorable innings in the first IPL match for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

For the middle order, Lynn went with AB de Villiers and Kieron Pollard. De Villiers scored over 9,000 runs in 340 games at an average of 37.24 and a strike rate of 150.13. Pollard is the second-highest run-scorer in T20s with 14,482 runs and has also taken 333 wickets.

Lynn included MS Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo to complete his top seven. Dhoni led India to their first T20 World Cup title in 2007 and guided Chennai Super Kings to five IPL trophies, recording 136 wins in 235 matches as captain. Bravo has taken 631 wickets in 582 T20 matches, the second-most in the format.

Chris Lynn Includes Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc in His Bowling Attack

Chris Lynn completed his all-time T20 XI with a strong bowling attack. He selected Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, and Lasith Malinga as his three fast bowlers. Starc has taken 217 wickets in 158 T20 matches. Starc's left-arm angle troubles batters with both the new ball and at the death.

Malinga played a key role in Sri Lanka’s only T20 World Cup win in 2014. He ended his T20 career with 390 wickets in 295 matches. Malinga claimed 107 wickets in 84 T20Is, while Starc finished with 79 wickets in 65 matches before retiring from the format.

Bumrah has helped Mumbai Indians win five titles. He was also the Player of the Tournament in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory, taking 15 wickets at an economy rate of 4.17. In T20Is, Bumrah has 107 wickets in 87 matches.

Lynn chose Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan as the sole spinner in the XI. Rashid is the all-time T20 wicket-taker with 697 wickets in 516 matches and has also taken 188 wickets in T20Is.

Chris Lynn's all-time T20 playing 11

Chris Gayle, David Warner, Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Starc

12th man: Shane Warne/Andrew Symonds

Also read: Quinton de Kock surpasses AB de Villiers to become South Africa’s best batter in T20 World Cups