Cricket Australia release the Team of the league matches of Champions Trophy 2017

Cricket Australia has released their Team of the Champions Trophy for the group stages of the tournament, with only one player from the eight teams, except England who have four players mentioned on the list. It is very often difficult for an opener to be consistent from one Champions Trophy to another, but not for the Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan.

Dhawan is a monster when it comes to the Champions Trophy, scoring 271 runs at an average of 90.33 in the group stages of the competition in the ongoing edition, while his fellow teammate in the squad is Bangladesh‘s, Tamim Iqbal. Tamim, on the other hand, has scored 223 runs in the three matches that he has played thus far, with the southpaw averaging 74.33 and will play against his fellow opener in the second semi-final. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson will bat at No.3, where he has scored 244 runs in the three innings, at an average of 81.33 with a century under his belt.

At No.4 features England’s poster boy and one of the world’s best batsmen at the moment, Joe Root. The right-hander has scored 212 runs at an average of 106, which talks volume about the form in which the batsman has carried scoring a century and adding two half centuries to it.

Eoin Morgan will lead this side, just the way he leads the Three Lions where he has scored 175 runs for the team at an excellent average of 87.50 with the best score of 87 coming in the win against arch-rivals Australia. Ben Stokes will bat at no.6; he is in a purple patch at the moment and has scored 150 runs in three matches, at an average identical to his runs at 150 and has picked up three wickets with the ball in his hand.

Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwela, who is also the wicketkeeper of this team plays at No.7 having scored 121 runs in the three matches, at an average of 40.33 with MS Dhoni and Jos Buttler missing out on the position just slightly.

Bowlers

Adil Rashid is the sole spinner of this team, where he also bats at No.7 with the leggie picking up six wickets in the two matches that he has played in the tournament. His best figures of 4/41 came against a batting-heavy Australian side who did not have answers to his puzzle.

Pakistan’s Hasan Ali, who has probably been the best of the lots for the Men in Green. The right-arm quick has picked up seven wickets in the three matches that he has played in the group stages, with an economy rate of 4.40.

Australia’s only shining light this tournament has been the right-arm quick Josh Hazlewood, who has been picked up ahead of the Indian pace trio. Hazlewood has pulled up nine wickets in the three games, with an economy rate of 5.07.

Morne Morkel remains one of South Africa’s best bowlers by far margin, despite the increasing competition from Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris. The lanky right-arm quick has picked up five wickets in the three games that he has played with an economy rate of 4.35.

However, it remains as a surprise that India’s skipper and world’s No.1 ODI batsman Virat Kohli does not muster himself a place in the squad, having only scored 157 runs in the tournament in the three games. The right-hander’s average, however, is staggering 157, with two not-outs in the three games that he has batted.

Playing XI:

Shikhar Dhawan (India), Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Joe Root (England), Eoin Morgan (England) (C), Ben Stokes (England), Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka) (wk), Adil Rashid (England), Hasan Ali (Pakistan) Josh Hazlewood (Australia), Morne Morkel (South Africa)

12th man: Virat Kohli (India)