Five Aussies, four English players in team of T20 World Cup; Poonam sole Indian in the XI

As many as five players from Australia and four players from England have been included in the team of the T20 World Cup 2020. Rampant Australia clinched their fifth T20 title by trouncing India by 85 runs in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday (March 8).

Openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, having amassed 236 and 259 runs respectively, are the openers in the side. The pair often provided brisk starts upfront which laid the platform for the middle-order batters to play freely. The duo notched two century-run stands and were by far the best openers in the competition.

England's talismanic allrounder Natalie Sciver comes in at number three. She scored 202 runs, often coming in before the power play at an average of 67.33. She also had a couple of wickets to show. Heather Knight occupies the number four slot. The English skipper scored a stunning century - becoming the only woman to score a century in each format - against Thailand and followed it up a vital fifty against Pakistan, scoring 193 runs in the competition.

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Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt are slotted in next at five and six respectively. The three-time T20 World Cup-winning captain played two vital knocks which enabled Australia to reach the finals. Her gritty unbeaten 41 against Sri Lanka guided the chase for the hosts, while her unbeaten 49 in the semis against South Africa took Australia to a winning total of 134. Lanning is named captain of the team of the tournament.

Wolvaardt, who had a stunning tournament with two match-defining knocks, flourished in her new role as a finisher. The 20-year-old arguably played the innings of the tournament against Pakistan. Her unbeaten half-century gave Proteas a winning total which was just about enough to keep a spirited Pakistan team at bay. In the semis too her unbeaten 41 almost took South Africa over the line.

Left-arm spinning duo of Jess Jonassen and Sophie Ecclestone are at seven and eight. Jonassen took 10 wickets while the number one ranked T20I bowler Ecclestone picked up eight wickets.

Anya Shrubsole, Megan Schutt and Poonam Yadav fill the remaining slots. England's Shrubsole was consistent with her in-swingers and yet again proved a big-match player with eight wickets. In the process, she became the first player from England to take 100 T20I wickets.

Australia's Schutt came good in the finals and showed why she is rated very highly. She picked up four wickets in the final against India and also finished as the leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets for the second successive time in T20 World Cups. India's leg spinner Yadav, the sole Indian in the team, had a memorable tournament after coming back from injury. She picked up four wickets in the first game against Australia and finished with 10 wickets.

Teen prodigy Shafali Verma has been named as the 12th player. The Indian opener scored 163 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 158.25.

The side was picked by a selection panel featuring commentators and former international players Ian Bishop, Anjum Chopra and Lisa Sthalekar, journalist Raf Nicholson and ICC representative Holly Colvin.

The team of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 (in batting order) is: 

1. Alyssa Healy (wk) (Australia) – 236 runs at 39.33, seven dismissals


2. Beth Mooney (Australia) – 259 runs at 64.75


3. Nat Sciver (England) – 202 runs at 67.33


4. Heather Knight (England) – 193 runs at 64.33


5. Meg Lanning (c) (Australia) – 132 runs at 44


6. Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) – 94 runs at a strike rate of 149


7. Jess Jonassen (Australia) – 10 wickets at 14.00


8. Sophie Ecclestone (England) – eight wickets at 6.12


9. Anya Shrubsole (England) – eight wickets at 10.62


10. Megan Schutt (Australia) – 13 wickets at 10.30


11. Poonam Yadav (India) – 10 wickets at 11.90


12. Shafali Verma (India) - 163 runs at a strike rate of 158.25