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    Best T20 XI Comprising Players Below 50 In ICC Rankings

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    Kane Williamson and Kagiso Rabada
    Photo Source: Twitter

    ICC rankings are the major standard used to compare players in the international circuit. Consistency is one of the key factors in getting ranked high on this list. In this article, we take a look at a strong balanced T20 XI comprising players ranked below 50 in ICC rankings as of October.

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    Although a few cricketers play a lot of franchise cricket, they may not feature so much for their respective nations. Even if they do, a few of them somehow do not do exceedingly well. Hence, when it comes to the ICC rankings, they usually occupy a position at the bottom.

    Note: We have considered the T20I rankings of players in their primary skill only.

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    Openers: David Warner (No.69) and Faf du Plessis (No.75)

    David Warner and Faf du Plessis will open the batting for this XI comprising players ranked below 50 in the ICC rankings. Warner’s form has been underwhelming in recent times, and he has also not featured in many games for his country in T20I format due to injury problems. While that’s the reason for his low ranking, Faf also finds himself way below due to similar reasons as that of Warner. Despite being the second-highest run-getter at IPL 2021, Faf has not been selected by South Africa for the T20 World Cup.

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    Middle-Order: Kane Williamson (C) (No.52) , Rishabh Pant (WK) (No.78), and Shimron Hetmyer (No.79)

    When he started out, Kane Williamson was never known to be a good T20 cricketer. However, he evolved in the format and has mastered his skills in it. Yet, although he has a good rank in Tests, in T20I rankings, he has a spot below 50. Rishabh Pant’s form in Test cricket has been sensational and he has often done well in ODIs. However, he is yet to fire in T20Is so far. Hence, he also has a low ranking. Shimron Hetmyer has not played a lot in recent tournaments and when he did, form has been a concern.

    All-Rounders: Kieron Pollard (No.65 in Batting Rankings) and Dwayne Bravo (No.51 in Bowling Rankings)

    Kieron Pollard is a batting all-rounder but ranks below 50 when it comes to ICC’s T20I rankings. One of the main reasons is that Pollard usually comes in to bat when there are quick runs needed. Hence, only on rare occasions, Polly gets to score a big knock. However, in Bravo’s case, it is surprising that he is not ranked high. He has played very little international cricket in recent months and that is one of the main reasons.

    Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada (No.81), Anrich Nortje (No.73), Trent Boult (No.74) and Sandeep Lamichhane (No.82)

    This T20 XI comprising players ranked below 50 in ICC rankings will have a strong bowling attack. While Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Trent Boult will form the core of the mighty pace attack, Sandeep Lamichhane will be the sole spinner. Sandeep’s situation is understandable as his form has not been great after the stunning debut. However, the other three will surely climb up the charts after the T20 World Cup.

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