T20 World Cup 2022: X-Factor player for each team in tournament

The biggest T20 extravaganza of the year has begun. The superstars of the game are all set to make the tournament their own while the young guns are ready to showcase their skills at the grandest stage of them all. Australia have walked in as the defending champions at the marquee event. Each team at the T20 World Cup 2022 has in their arsenal some proven performers of the T20 circuit. However, there are certain players who have the might to turn the game on its head in a matter of a few deliveries. Such cricketers are vital for the success of the team in a dynamic format wherein every ball is an event in itself. Let us look at players who can be the X-Factor for their team in the global tournament: 8. Afghanistan - Rahmanullah Gurbaz Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been a destructor with the bat for Afghanistan at the top of the order. He has taken bowling attacks to the cleaners and given his side rapid starts. The 20-year-old has played 32 T20Is and scored 828 runs at a strike rate of 138.46. The wicketkeeper-batter has been in a rich vein of form of late. At the Asia Cup this year, Gurbaz smashed 152 runs in five games at a strike rate of 163.44. He continued his prolific run in the Caribbean Premier League 2022, scoring 157 runs in six games at a strike rate of 140.17. Gurbaz’s inclusion has added flair to the Afghanistan batting lineup and enabled Mohammad Nabi & Co. to consistently put competitive totals on the board. A lot will ride on the youngster as the Blue Tigers gun for glory in the marquee tournament. 7. Bangladesh - Mehidy Hasan Miraz Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been an exciting prospect in Bangladesh's cricketing circles. The 24-year-old has been a consistent performer in the Tests, picking 135 wickets in 35 games and recently the youngster has shown that he has the goods to deliver in the shortest format as well, especially with the bat. Amid Bangladesh’s top-order corundum in T20Is, the think tank decided to open with Mehidy at the Asia Cup. He played an impactful innings straightaway scoring 38 runs off 26 balls against Sri Lanka giving his side a brisk start. In the T20I series against UAE, he faired decently, scoring 58 runs in two games at a strike rate of 113.72. On the bowling front, Mehidy‘s skills have never been in question, even in the T20 format. In the five T20Is the Khulna-born played this year, he took four wickets at an impressive economy of 6.40. He being an off-spinner will form a good foil to Shakib Al Hasan at the T20 World Cup. Mehidy, with his all-round prowess, has provided a much-needed balance to the side and he can be the X-Factor for the Bangla Tigers at the global event. 6. Pakistan - Mohammad Nawaz Mohammad Nawaz has been a proven performer for Pakistan in the shortest format of the game. He has played 48 T20Is and picked 44 wickets at an economy of 7.38. Also, the 28-year-old has played some impactful knocks with the bat and strikes at 136.12 at the international stage. Nawaz’s stocks have been on an exponential rise of late. In the recently-culminated Tri-Series in New Zealand, he was the game-changer for Babar Azam & Co. in the middle[order and smashed 107 runs in five games at a strike rate of 159.70. The bowling all-rounder did a decent job with the ball as well, picking six wickets in five games. Nawaz did a good job as a middle-order dasher for the Men in Green at the Asia Cup too as he played a match-winning knock of 42 off 20 against India. Moreover, he was amongst the wickets in the competition, bagging eight wickets in six games. He has been in top form and can be the team’s X-Factor at the T20 extravaganza as Pakistan bids for their second T20 world title. 5. New Zealand - Lockie Ferguson Lockie Ferguson has been a strike force for New Zealand in white-ball cricket. He has the ability to clock 150 kmph consistently and has dismantled even the best of batting lineups with his fiery pace. In the shortest format, he has played 21 matches and taken 32 wickets at a superb economy of 6.84. The speedster has been an enforcer for the Blackcaps in the middle-overs and Ferguson’s addition has added venom to the pace attack. The T20 World Cup being played in the seam-friendly conditions of Australia will make his bowling even more lethal. In the 50-over World Cup 2019, he wreaked havoc with the ball and took 21 wickets in nine games at an economy of 4.88. Ferguson was the team’s X-Factor back then and can again be their impact player in the ongoing global tournament. 4. South Africa - Rilee Rossouw Rilee Rossouw has been a giant of a player in the T20 circuit. The 33-year-old has been a match-winner with the bat and has shown his mettle in T20 tournaments around the world. He has piled on runs for fun and has accumulated an insane 6733 runs in 264 games at a strike rate of 142.98. The southpaw has been sensational with the bat for South Africa since he returned to the international fold. In the six T20I games played, Rossouw has scored 231 runs at a stunning strike rate of 180.46 and this includes a breath-taking century in the T20I series against India. The flamboyant batter can play an anchor and also go after the bowling if the need be. Rossouw’s addition to the batting setup has bolstered the side, and the ace-batter can well be South Africa’s impact player in the tournament. 3. England - Liam Livingstone Liam Livingstone is a ferocious striker of the cricket ball. He is renowned for his power-hitting abilities and has been a game-changer with the bat. The Cumberland-born set the IPL stage ablaze this year and struck 437 runs in 14 games for Punjab Kings at a strike rate of 182.08. The 29-year-old has been exceptional in the international circuit as well. In the 23 T20Is he has played, Livingstone has scored 368 runs at an incredible strike rate of 152.06. He has also been handy with the ball and bagged 12 wickets at an economy of 8.13. With the bat, Livingstone has been England’s six-hitter, tasked to take the opposition's bowling apart from the get-go. With the ball, his ability to bowl both off-spin and leg-spin gives skipper Jos Buttler flexibility to maneuver his bowlers on the field. The swashbuckling batter has all the ingredients to be an impact player in the T20 World Cup 2022. 2. Australia - Tim David Tim David is among the most sought-after finishers going around in the T20 circuit. He has been a six-hitting machine and can turn the game in a matter of a few deliveries. The 26-year-old has featured in 135 games in the shortest format and scored 2881 runs at a staggering strike of 163.32, which includes 174 maximums. David made his debut for Australia just a couple of months back and has played some impactful knocks in a short span of time. In the eight outings so far, he has hit 156 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 165.95. The power-hitter’s inclusion has made the star-studded Australian batting lineup even more threatening. David has proven his worth in big stages and shown immense composure in crunch situations. He can be the X-Factor for the Kangaroos at the global tournament. 1. India - Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav has taken the world by storm since he set foot in the international arena. In the 34 matches the Maharashtra-born has played for the Men in Blue so far, he has amassed 1045 runs at a sensational strike rate of 176.91. Suryakumar can take the attack to the opposition from ball one and can pierce any part of the ground. He is fondly known as India’s 360-degree batter and his prowess was on display in the T20I series against Australia, as the 32-year-old struck 115 runs in three games at a strike rate of 185.48. Suryakumar carried his form to the South Africa series and struck 119 runs in three games at a strike rate of 195.08. He has been a game-changer for India and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has been in all praise for the ace batter. Rohit at a pre-event press conference said “Surya is in good form. I hope he continues to bat in that way, high on confidence. He is a confident player. He plays fearlessly, he uses his skill set efficiently. I hope he becomes the X-Factor.”

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T20 World Cup 2022: X-Factor player for each team in tournament

There are certain players who have the might to turn the game on its head in a matter of a few deliveries.

4. South Africa - Rilee Rossouw

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