3 Indians & 2 Pakistanis in ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2022

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the Men’s T20I Team of the Year for 2022, recognizing the top performers in the shortest format of the game over the past 12 months.

This year’s team features a mix of established stars and exciting young talents who have all made significant impacts in the world of T20 cricket.

The team is as follows:

Jos Buttler (England, captain/wicketkeeper)
Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
Virat Kohli (India)
Suryakumar Yadav (India)
Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
Hardik Pandya (India)
Sam Curran (England)
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
Haris Rauf (Pakistan)
Josh Little (Ireland)

ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year 2022 Breakdown

1. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler, the dynamic English wicketkeeper-batsman, has been named captain of the team after leading his country to the T20 World Cup title in Australia. He was also their top run-scorer in the tournament, making 225 runs and striking out at 144.23.

Overall, he concluded 2022 with 462 runs at a staggering strike rate of 160.41.

2. Muhammad Rizwan

Alongside Buttler, we have Muhammad Rizwan again. The Pakistani anchor fell just four runs short of another 1000 calendar-year runs.

With 10 fifties to his name and two runner-up trophies in 2022, Rizwan gets himself into the T20I Team of the Year for 2022.

3. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is far from being finished. He announced his comeback by smashing a hundred against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup and finishing as the second-highest run-getter with 276 runs.

On top of that, he finished on top of the leaderboard for most runs in the ICC World Twenty20 2022 with 296 runs.

4. Suryakumar Yadav

The middle order starts with the Indian phenomenon, Suryakumar Yadav. SKY hit two centuries in T20Is last year and made 1164 runs, becoming only the second batsman to make 1000+ T20I runs in a calendar year.

The best thing about him above all else was his strike rate. Yadav maintained a strike rate of 187.43, which is more than one can ask for. He is currently the number one T20I batsman and is just 7 points away from becoming the highest-rated T20I player of all time.

5. Glenn Phillips

Another powerhouse player is in the middle. Phillips was in his purple patch during 2022, making over 700 runs across 21 matches at a strike rate of 156.33.

Not only was he an important part of New Zealand’s batting unit, but his fielding was extraordinary as well. Who doesn’t remember his otherworldly catch against Australia in the WT20?

6. Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza has been inspiring the Zimbabwean youth to take up cricket. He has been magnificent with the bat and ball for his country as of late. With his all-round capabilities, Sikandar Raza is evidently a perfect fit for the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year.

Raza was in the form of his life in 2022, making 735 runs and taking 25 wickets at a low economy rate of just 6.13. As a result, he became both the top run-scorer and wicket-taker for Zimbabwe and deserved a spot in TOTY.

7. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya was an important part of the Indian T20I team throughout 2022. His contributions in the Asia Cup and the World Cup gave India a chance to take the trophy home; however, they eventually couldn’t go all the way through.

Nevertheless, Hardik had a fine year, accumulating 607 runs and getting 20 scalps with the ball.

8. Sam Curran

Sam Curran, the most expensive IPL pick ever, was the tournament MVP in the ICC WT20 2022. He took 13 wickets in six games, including three in the final against Pakistan.

Apart from the fiery batting lineup of England, the Sam Curran-led bowling unit helped them become double World Champions. Apart from his bowling skills, he was handy with the bat too.

9. Wanindu Hasaranga

Wanindu has indeed been an excellent find for Sri Lanka. He is the all-rounder many teams look for. Not only is he a class act with the ball, but his batting cameos have helped Sri Lanka in many ways. The best one came against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, where he made a 27-ball 37 to put a respectable total on the board.

But he wasn’t finished there. In the second half of the game, he picked up 3 wickets for 27 and bent the back of the Pakistani batting lineup. Sri Lanka eventually became the Asian champions, with Hasaranga picking up nine wickets in six games.

He was in the spotlight in the WT20 as well, with 15 wickets to his name in eight games.

10. Haris Rauf

Besides being one of the fastest pacers in the circuit, Haris has been an important part of Pakistan’s bowling unit. He was their leading wicket-taker during 2022 in T20Is with 31 dismissals.

He bowled his heart out in the WT20 final against England and eventually sent an in-form Jos Buttler back to the pavilion. Unfortunately, Shaheen Shah got injured during the last quarter of the game, and Pakistan couldn’t get the crown.

11. Josh Little

Josh Little was the second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is in 2022, with 39. In addition, he saved his best for the T20 World Cup, where he sent 11 batsmen packing.

Those 11 wickets include his 4-for against New Zealand, which also featured a hat-trick.

Conclusion

To sum up, this team is a perfect blend of experience and youth. These players have not only performed exceptionally well on the field but have also brought new dimensions to the game.

Moreover, this team is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the players, and it is a great achievement for them to be a part of the T20I team of the year.

They have set the bar high for the upcoming years, and we can certainly expect some great performances from them in the future.