Suryakumar named captain of ICC T20I team of the year; Jaiswal, Bishnoi, Arshdeep included

New Delhi: India’s middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav was named the captain of ICC Men’s T20I team of the year, which also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi, and Arshdeep Singh. In the ICC Women’s T20I team of the Year, all-rounder Deepti Sharma is the only Indian player to be included.

Suryakumar has been named in the Men’s T20I team of the year for a second straight year and is currently in the running for T20I Men’s Cricketer of the Year. His first innings of 2023 was just seven against Sri Lanka.

He bounced back with scores of 51 (36) and 112 not out (51) in the next two matches. Consistent scoring in 20s to 40s continued, before an innings of 83 (44) against the West Indies in Providence reminded everyone of his capabilities in the shortest format. He ended the series against the West Indies with a knock of 61 (45) in Florida.

Suryakumar also took the India T20I captaincy, with Rohit Sharma on break from the format and Hardik Pandya being injured. He made half-centuries against Australia (80 off 42 balls) and South Africa (56 from 36 balls) in the 4-1 series win, before posting an even 100 against the Proteas off just 56 balls in their final T20I of the year in Johannesburg, as India won the series 2-1.

Joining him in the ICC Men’s T20I team of the year is Jaiswal, who made his T20I debut for India in 2023. The left-handed aggressive opener has made 430 runs in 14 knocks at a strike rate of 159.

After a blip on debut against the West Indies, Jaiswal hit back with a 51-ball 84 not out in Florida, before moving his attention to the Asian Games, making an even 100 off just 49 balls against Nepal in India’s gold-medal winning campaign.

The young left-hander then made a 25-ball 53 against Australia in their home T20I series late in the year, before finishing with a knock of 60 from 41 balls against South Africa in Johannesburg, proving that he can give those big, aggressive starts to the team in power-play.

Leg-spinner Bishnoi took 18 wickets in just 44 overs across the year, and was even ranked at the top of the ICC Men’s T20I bowler rankings. Bishnoi travelled on India’s tour of Ireland, taking four wickets across two matches, before being picked in the Asian Games squad to compete in Hangzhou, taking five wickets, including 3/24 against Nepal.

He then claimed a wicket in every match against the Aussies, with back-to-back spells of 3/32 and 2/32 hammering his name into the team and also taking the Player of the Series award.

Left-arm fast-bowler Arshdeep continued to excel in 2023 despite struggling for rhythm at times, taking 26 wickets in 21 T20I appearances for India. A spell of 3/20 against Sri Lanka in was followed by a pair of two-wicket hauls against New Zealand at the start of the year.

Arshdeep returned to the team in August for the tour of the USA and the Caribbean with a performance of 3/38 in Lauderhill against the West Indies, before taking four wickets in Hangzhou at the Asian Games in October.

Other players who made the cut in Men’s T20I team of the year include England opener Phil Salt, West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran, New Zealand batter Mark Chapman, Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza, Uganda spinner Alpesh Ramjani, Ireland pacer Mark Adair and Zimbabwe fast-bowler Richard Ngarava.

In the Women’s T20I team of the year, Deepti is the only Indian to have made the cut. The off-spinner claimed 21 wickets in 17 outings, including four three-wicket hauls early in the year.

She also bowled an important spell of 3/15 in four overs against the West Indies, as the spinner helped her country reach the knockout stages of the tournament. Deepti also chipped in with the bat when required, making 106 runs at a rate of better than a run a ball.

Other players who made the cut in Women’s T20I team of the year includes Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, Australia wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney, as well as pacer Megan Schutt and all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner, South Africa batter Laura Wolvaardt, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, England vice-captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr.