ICC T20I Teams, 2021: Mandhana lone Indian across both genders
Elegant opener Smriti Mandhana is the lone Indian in the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year for 2021. England have the most number of players in the team (5). England all-rounder Nat Sciver has been named as skipper while her counterpart Amy Jones is picked as the wicket-keeper batter. Notably, in the men's team, there are no Indian players.
Why does it matter?
Interestingly, despite leading ICC's T20I rankings, no Australian players made it to their 2021 Team of the Year. New Zealand players also failed to make the cut. South Africa have three representation in form of Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp and, Shabnim Ismail. Ireland's Gaby Lewis and Loryn Phiri of Zimbabwe are also part of ICC's T20 XI for 2021.
ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year
ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year: Smriti Mandhana (India), Tammy Beaumont (England), Danni Wyatt (England), Gaby Lewis (Ireland), Nat Sciver (c) (England), Amy Jones (England), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Loryn Phiri (Zimbabwe), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa)
Mandhana present in women's team
Smriti Mandhana in T20Is last year
The Indian women's team had a terrible run last year in the shortest format of the game. India won only two of the nine T20Is games they played in 2021. However, Mandhana enjoyed a stellar campaign as she amassed 255 runs in nine matches. She averaged 31.87 and her strike rate was 131.44. She also struck two half-centuries with the highest score of 70.
Smriti Mandhana's career highlights
Mandhana has played 84 T20Is and scored 1,971 runs at 25.93. She has smashed 14 fifties and her highest score is 86. She has managed 2,377 runs in 62 ODIs at 41.70. She has notched up 19 fifties and four hundreds in ODIs. She donned the whites for India on four occasions, scoring 325 runs with the help of two half-centuries and one hundred.
Babar captains men's T20I team
Indian players failed to make the cut for the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year. Babar Azam has been named captain of the side, which has three Pakistani players. Azam enjoyed a stellar campaign in 2021, scoring 939 runs at 37.56 (100s: 1, 50s: 9). Mohammad Rizwan (1,326 runs in 29 games), who stole the show last year, is also present.
Men's T20I Team of the Year
Jos Buttler lone Englishman in the team
Buttler (589 runs in 14 matches) is the lone pick from England's squad in the XI. Australia's Mitchell Marsh (627 runs in 21 matches and 8 wickets) and Josh Hazlewood (23 wickets in 15 games) have also made it to the team of the year in the shortest format. Shaheen Afridi is also part of the team after claiming 23 scalps.
Here is Men's T20I Team of the Year
Have a look at Men's T20I Team of the Year: Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (captain), Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Shah Afridi
