Champions Trophy 2017: Pre-tournament Best XI

The 2017 edition of the Champions Trophy is all set to get underway. The hosts, England, will be taking on the spirited Bangladesh team in the tournament opener on June 1. This time around, the build up and the hype over the tournament has been huge. There are some key attractions in the tournament and it is expected to be a power packed edition. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to lock horns this season and that is something the fans are eagerly waiting for. The trans-Tasmanian rivalry will be seen on display as well. Certainly, the teams are geared up for the second most celebrated ODI tournament of the world cricket. On the personal fronts, the players are also gearing up to come up with their best efforts. It comes as an obvious fact that all the players would want to come up with their best shots in the tournament. But there are a few who would be the key players to look out for. These stand out performers have been perennially doing the job for their teams. Hence, they would again be expected to call the shots in this edition of the tournament as well. The likes of Sarfraz Ahmed, Angelo Mathews, Mushfiqur Rahim, and MS Dhoni narrowly missed out on making it to the list. They are star performers on the given day but considering the current run of the following listed players, they had to miss out on the list. Here we pick the pre-tournament Best XI of the Champions Trophy 2017: David Warner – Australia David Warner of Australia celebrates after reaching 100 runs. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images) Australian opener David Warner is a renowned hitter of the cricket ball. He will back in the Australian colors and would want to cover up for his below par performances the last time he turned up in Australian cap. He had a very quiet time in the Test series in India. However, following the series, he had a sensational time in the Indian Premier League. Warner finished as the leading run-getter of the IPL season and would want to translate his good run of form in the Champions Trophy as well. Warner will be partnering with Aaron Finch at the opening slot and the duo can be absolutely threatening for any opposition on their given day. Quinton de Kock (wk) – South Africa South Africa’s Quinton de Kock walks off the field after being caught behind by England’s Jos Buttler for 98. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) South African wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock made a comeback to the national colors in the England series after an injury layoff. He had to miss out on the entire season of the IPL and the critics anticipated that he would find it tough getting his straps right. However, Quinton de Kock made his comeback in style as he hit a century in the warm-up game against Sussex. Later, in the ODI series, he hit a classy 98 against England at the Rose Bowl. Quinton has been one of the most consistent run-getters for South Africa in the recent times. Virat Kohli – India Virat Kohli of India leaves the field as rain interrupts play. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images) The Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be leading his team for the first time in a major tournament. Certainly, the pressure to perform and the pressure to lead will be immense. The Delhi batsman is renowned for thriving under pressure and expecting him to do so in this tournament as well. Kohli had a very quiet time in the IPL where he could hit only four fifties this season as his franchise ended in the last slot in the points table. Kohli is only 245 runs short of 8000 ODI runs. He averaged 53.11 in the longest format of the game and has already announced his comeback to form with an unbeaten fifty in the warm-up match against New Zealand. Steve Smith (c) – Australia Steve Smith of Australia acknowledges the spectators after winning game. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) Australian skipper looks like the man to watch out for in the tournament. Steve Smith has been a very able leader and his credentials as a captain cannot be doubted. However, a big ICC trophy still eludes his cabinet of victory trophies. Coming into the Champions Trophy 2017, Steve Smith will have his best shot at breaking the jinx. On the personal front, he has been in supreme form. Leading the Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League this season, Smith plundered 472 runs for his side. His captaincy heroics saw RPS finish as the finalists of the tournament. Smith’s own form will be key to Australia’s chances in the key game. AB de Villiers – South Africa AB de Villiers of South Africa. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images) South African skipper AB de Villiers is hungry for success in the tournament. AB would be absolutely gutted after his side lost the 3-match ODI series against England ahead of the Champions Trophy. Prior to the tournament, he had conceded that he wishes to lead his team to the ultimate glory in the tournament. The batting prowess of AB de Villiers is not unknown. He is one of the most destructive batsmen in the modern day cricket. He had a very off time in the IPL this year but managed to score runs in the England series. with over 9000 runs to his name in ODI cricket at an average over 54, he will be the key batsman for the South African middle-order. Expect him to be one of the stars of the tournament. Eoin Morgan – England England’s Eoin Morgan leaves the pitch after getting out for 107. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images) English skipper Eoin Morgan has been in a scintillating form in the recent times. He scored a ton against Ireland in the recent series. Prior to that, he had scored consistently in the series in the Caribbean and had a ton to his name their as well. He continued his good run in the series against South Africa with a ton in the first ODI. That summed up a total of 3 tons in a span of 8 innings for the English skipper. Coming into the tournament, England are being tagged as the favorites considering the kind of game they have been playing in the recent times. With the tag of being the favorites, comes great responsibility. Morgan would want to stamp his authority in the tournament. Ben Stokes – England England batsman Ben Stokes. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) English all-rounder Ben Stokes has taken the cricket world by storm with his recent performances. He has made it a habit of being in the news ever since he was bagged as the most expensive player in the IPL auctions 2017. He justified every bit of the money spent on him as he returned with over 300 runs in the 12 matches that he played to go along with a tally of 12 wickets. Coming back in the English colors, Stokes showed some serious power and class when he scored a quickfire century at Southampton against South Africa in the second ODI. There have been a few concerns over his fitness but he is likely to be fit for the tournament. He will be one player who will have all eyes on him during the tournament. Ravindra Jadeja – India Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter) Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja did not enjoy too much success in the previous assignment that he undertook. Jadeja failed to leave an imprint in the IPL this season. Prior to that, he had a dream run in the grand home Test season of India which saw him escalate to the top of the bowlers’ rankings in the longest format of the game. Now, he will be back in the Indian colors and hope for the fortunes to change. In the previous edition of the tournament, Jadeja had played a key role in the victorious India’s campaign. He had bagged figures of 5/36 in the match against West Indies back then. In the warm-up game against New Zealand, Jadeja looked good with tight lines and lengths. Jasprit Bumrah – India Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Twitter) Young Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah has made rapid strides in his short international career thus far. He has carved a name for himself as one of the best death overs bowlers in the world. Bumrah, who made his debut in early 2016, is now seen as an indispensable part of the Indian team. In the recently concluded IPL, he was among the top five wicket takers. In one of the league match fixtures, he successfully defended 11 runs in the Super Over. Certainly, the formats and the stage will change in the Champions Trophy. But the ability that Bumrah possesses to nail yorkers on a consistent basis will be a key weapon for the Indian team. In India’s previous limited overs assignment against England in January this year, Bumrah had emerged as the most bankable bowler for the team. Kagiso Rabada – South Africa South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (Photo credit ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images) Young South African bowler Kagiso Rabada has been one of the leading young pace bowlers in the world. Rabada has constantly bagged wickets with the new ball. In what turned out to a rather disappointing outing for South Africa in the England ODI series, Rabada ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 7 scalps. The 3-match ODI series saw runs coming in huge numbers but Rabada ensured he was successful in doing what he was expected to do. Coming into the Champions Trophy, the South African team will bank a great deal on Rabada. Senior pacer Dale Steyn is not a part of the squad. Morne Morkel does not look like a certain starter for the playing eleven. The services of Kyle Abbott is unavailable. Thus, Rabada suddenly finds himself in the position of the bowling spearhead of the Proteas lineup. Mitchell Starc – Australia Mitchell Starc of Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images) Australian pacer Mitchell Starc will be one of the key bowlers to watch out for in the tournament. He will be making his comeback after a 7 week injury lay off. He is a renowned new ball bowler who is known to torment the opposition batsmen at will. With the kind of statements he has made ahead of the tournament, it would not be surprising to see him coming all guns blazing in the tournament. Starc has been a top performer for Australia in the recent imes. He has scalped 129 wickets in the 65 matches that he has played in the ODI format. He has 5 five wicket hauls to his name and 7 four wicket hauls. With an economy rate of just 4.81, Starc is surely a star performer.

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Champions Trophy 2017: Pre-tournament Best XI

Here is a look at the players who would be expected to call the shots in the tournament.

Ben Stokes – England

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