Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has revealed his dream T20 International (T20I) World XI, displaying a blend of explosive talent from six top cricketing nations— Pakistan, India, England, South Africa, Australia, and Afghanistan.
However, his selection raised eyebrows as he notably excluded himself and Indian batting legend Virat Kohli, the third-highest run-scorer in T20I history.
Babar made the revelation during an appearance on the Off Topic Zalmi Podcast, where he was asked to form a T20I World XI with a twist: no more than two players could be selected from a single country.
To open the innings, Babar chose India’s Rohit Sharma and Pakistan’s own Mohammad Rizwan.
Rohit, the all-time leading T20I run-scorer, has amassed 4,231 runs in 159 matches, including five centuries and 32 fifties.
Rizwan, known for his consistency and adaptability, has also been a mainstay in Pakistan’s T20 setup.
At no 03, he picked the dynamic left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman. Babar has opted for India’s Mr Dependable in T20I cricket, Suryakumar Yadav, for the No. 4 position.
For the No. 5 spot, Babar Azam went with England’s hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, followed by the South African duo of David Miller and Marco Jansen, both capable of hitting the long ball in the last phase of the innings.
At No. 8 came Afghanistan’s spin wizard Rashid Khan, who is known for his magical spin bowling.
Babar Azam opted for a heavy pace attack featuring the likes of Australia’s Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, along with England speedster Mark Wood.
Babar Azam’s T20I World XI:
Rohit Sharma (India), Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan), Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan), Suryakumar Yadav (India), Jos Buttler (England), David Miller (South Africa), Marco Jansen (South Africa) Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Pat Cummins (Australia), Mitchell Starc (Australia), and Mark Wood (England).