Current Best World XI across all three formats

The year 2020 wasn’t pleasant for cricket fans, with fixtures being cancelled left, right and centre due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the cricket calendar is busy in 2021, and lovers of the gentleman’s game have been entertained thoroughly. While Test cricket was at its best during India vs Australia series earlier this year, we witnessed some mind-boggling T20 action when the Aussies toured New Zealand. With Tests, ODIs, and T20s being three different formats of the game, players require various attributes and skillsets to thrive in every version. While a batsman needs to stay at the crease for long in red-ball cricket, dashers are needed to score quick runs in shorter formats. Similarly, bowlers also require different variations and abilities to get success both in red and white-ball cricket. Ticking all the required boxes and shine in the three formats is indeed not possible for every player. Hence, we are familiar with the terms like Test specialists and T20 stars. Nevertheless, there are still some cricketers who have been prospering across all versions. Now, how mighty will a team look if all-format stars join forces for one line-up? Let’s find out! Here’s a look at the best all-format XI comprising current cricketers: 1. David Warner David Warner. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Openers are critical to a side’s success regardless of the format. While Test openers are required to tackle the new cherry, top-order batsmen have the onus to take advantage of field restrictions in white-ball cricket. One active player who has been performing all these duties brilliantly is Australia’s, David Warner. The pocket-sized dynamo is a superstar in world cricket owing to his ability to dominate the game. Warner likes to play attacking cricket in all three formats, and this approach has certainly worked for the southpaw. Owing to this, the Australian dasher averages over 45 in both ODIs and Test matches. Moreover, he also has scored centuries in all three formats. So far, Warner has scored over 15,000 international runs and his tally of 43 international centuries is the second-highest for anyone among active players. At 34, the swashbuckler still has a lot in the tank, and bowlers worldwide should beware of him. 2. Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: BCCI) The Hitman will partner Warner in his elite line-up. Unlike his Australian counterpart, Rohit Sharma wasn’t a natural opener but emerged into one. After playing nearly 100 ODIs in the middle-order, Rohit became India’s opener in white-ball cricket in 2013, and we know what happened next. The right-handed batsman became a nightmare for opposition teams with his knack of playing marathon knocks. Rohit scored runs all over the world and shattered many records. In fact, he’s the only player to have three ODI double centuries and four T20I tons under his belt. Seeing his stellar success in white-ball cricket, the Mumbai-born cricketer became India’s Test opener in 2019, and he didn’t take long to make a mark. Facing South Africa’s potent bowling attack, Rohit scored twin centuries in his first Test as an opener. He also went onto score a double hundred in that series. Since then, he has been delivering consistently across formats. Sharma even played a key role in taking India to Test series win over Australia and England earlier this year. 3. Virat Kohli (C) Virat Kohli against England. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images) Now, this was as obvious as daylight! One of the best, if not the best, batters to have ever stepped onto the cricket field, Virat Kohli had to be the captain of this team. The Indian skipper has been a force to reckon with in all three formats, and his numbers are scarcely believable. He averages over 50 in all three versions, and that too after scoring over 22,000 international runs. More than anything, Kohli’s temperament, and mental grit drive him to shine in all formats. He has a sound technique, and his ability to read the game is also second to none. Hence, we have seen him thriving against both spinners and fast bowlers. Not to forget, he has 70 centuries in international cricket, and the entire world is waiting for him to cross Sachin Tendulkar’s 100-ton barrier. If there’s anyone questioning his leadership prowess, he’s the fourth joint-most successful captain in international cricket with 128 wins under his belt. Notably, Virat Kohli has achieved all these milestones at the age of 32. Hence, it would be interesting to see how many more records he’ll set and shatter. 4. Babar Azam Babar Azam. (Photo Source: Twitter) Picking the number four of this line-up was tricky, with batting stars like Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Babar Azam doing tremendously well in international cricket. However, we gave an edge to Azam due to his staggering consistency. He has been a cornerstone of Pakistan’s line-up ever since his debut in 2015. Six years down the line, Azam leads the national side across all formats. Despite being a part of Pakistan’s fragile batting line-up, Azam has delivered regularly regardless of the circumstances and formats. He likes to stay at the crease for long, and his ability to keep the scorecard ticking makes him an even greater asset. The swinging red cherry hasn’t troubled him either. Many comparisons have been drawn between Azam and Kohli due to similarities in their playing style. While Kohli has already become a batting juggernaut, his Pakistan counterpart is on his way to greatness. Notably, it was Azam only who dethroned Kohli as the top-ranked ODI batsman earlier this year. 5. Ben Stokes Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Getty Images) While several players have tasted success over the 22 yards, not many have been able to make legacies. Ben Stokes has certainly managed to do so with his three-dimensional abilities. The southpaw has consistently scored runs across formats, and his more than handy pace bowling has given several batting stars a run for their money. Not to forget, Stokes is a live wire on the field who hates the ball going past him. However, the aspect which separates the England all-rounder from others is his knack of delivering at big stages. While fans weren’t done hailing Stokes’ heroics in the 2019 World Cup final, the dasher left the cricket world in awe with another maniac show against Australia in Ashes 2019. In fact, this has been a story of Stokes’ entire career. From smashing his locker room to his infamous street brawl in Bristol, the all-rounder has come under the scanner on many occasions. However, the New Zealand-born cricketer came back stronger every single time. If one has to summarize, Stokes is that star who shines at night. 6. Mohammad Rizwan (WK) Mohammad Rizwan. (Photo by Glyn Kirk/PA Images via Getty Images) If this elite line-up was made a couple of years ago, Mohmmad Rizwan wouldn’t have been anywhere near the reckoning. In fact, he didn’t even have a permanent place in the Pakistan line-up. However, fortunes changed for the Peshawar-born cricketer after he replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed in all formats in 2019. He bagged the opportunity with both hands and played one magnificent knock after another. While his agility and précised glovework helped him behind the stumps, his consistency with the bat left fans and experts in awe. Rizwan has scored runs in several conditions in his short but impressive career. The 29-year-old even has a century in all three formats. Hence, he made a cut in this team ahead of Rishabh Pant, Jos Buttler, and Quinton de Kock. Rizwan also became the vice-captain position of the Test team with his spectacular show. He even has led Pakistan in whites. Hence, it’s evident that the team management has high hopes from Rizwan and the wicket-keeper would also be determined to deliver several match-winning performances. 7. Ravindra Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The choices were between Shakib Al Hasan and Ravindra Jadeja for the number seven slot. Although Shakib has been a tremendous server of Bangladesh cricket, Jadeja’s heroics in the last couple of years puts him head and shoulders above the rest. The all-rounder has been nothing short of the captain’s delight owing to his three-dimensional abilities. He has scored runs regularly lower down the order, and his accurate left-arm spin bowling has challenged some big names in the world. Even if Jadeja fails to click with bat or ball, he’ll create magic in the field to help his side. The all-rounder has indeed matured with time, and his consistent performances narrate the entire story. Owing to his prowess, a bowler of Ravichandran Ashwin’s calibre has warmed the benches on many occasions. At 31, Jadeja indeed has a long way to go, and he would be aiming to take India to many more triumphs. 8. Rashid Khan Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Although Rashid Khan is 22, it’s safe to say that he is the best player produced by Afghanistan. The talismanic leg-spinner has troubled batters in all three formats with his mysterious bowling. Unlike most leg-break bowlers, Khan doesn’t give the ball a lot of flight or loop. He instead darts the ball in the stumps. However, he still managed to succeed with this method. Rashid just doesn’t restrict the run-flow in the middle overs but also takes wickets regularly. Going with the defensive approach is also not a good idea against Rashid, and his Test record backs the claim. The Afghanistan star has picked four five-wicket hauls in five Test matches. Although one can argue that a sample size of five Test matches is not enough, there is hardly any spinner playing all three formats regularly. Hence, Rashid features in this list. Not to forget, the right-handed batsman can also contribute with his big-hitting lower down the order. 9. Pat Cummins Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Next on the list is Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins. The right-arm fast bowler can set the speed gun on fire, and his ability to swing the ball both ways makes him an even greater asset. Delivering vicious bouncers and nailing toe-crushing yorkers is also not beyond Cummins’ reach and many batters around the world are aware of the fact. Control and aggression are terms associated with Cummins due to the pacer’s ability to read the situation. The speedster uses bounce precisely in Australia while he exploits swing in England conditions. He’s also very well able to generate the reverse swing in sub-continent tracks. Owing to his prowess, Cummins is the top-ranked Test bowler for the last two years. His performance in white-ball cricket hasn’t been ordinary either. After all, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders spent INR 15.5 crore on Cummins for some reason. Notably, bowling is not the only department where the 28-year-old can contribute. On many occasions, Cummins has rescued the Aussies by playing big hits lower down the order. 10. Kagiso Rabada CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – MARCH 16: Kagiso Rabada of South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images) South Africa cricket team has endured a difficult time in the last few years and lost many important fixtures. However, one man who has been delivering consistently for them is Kagiso Rabada. Regardless of the format, condition, and situation, the right-arm pacer runs in hard and delivers thunderbolts. Owing to this, he has taken wickets all over the world. For the unversed, Rabada made a scintillating entry in the international arena, taking a hat-trick against Bangladesh on his ODI debut in 2015. He didn’t look back after that and soon became the leader of South Africa’s bowling attack. After thriving in the limited-overs format, the Proteas pace battery also gave a tough time to batsmen in Test matches. At 26, Rabada is a holder of over 350 international wickets, and it would be interesting to see how far he goes. However, one thing is certain that the talismanic pacer has to perform from the front if the Proteas side wants their heydays back. 11. Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: BCCI/TWitter) Now just imagine the scenario! Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada have done their business with the new ball, and the batsmen are breathing a sigh of relief. In the next moment, they see Jasprit Bumrah holding the ball in hand. Well, that would be a scary sight for any batter. Hence, Bumrah will complete the elite line-up. The speedster has been spearheading India’s pace attack ever since making his international debut in 2016. Like Cummins and Rabada, Bumrah also has pace and the ability to swing the ball. However, his uncanny action makes his delivery even more vicious. Many used to believe that Bumrah can’t sustain in red-ball cricket with such a bowling style. However, Bumrah bowled out his critics with his brilliant performances in Test matches. To date, he has five wicket hauls in South Africa, Australia, England, and West Indies. The Indian pacer isn’t hanging his boots anytime soon. Hence, batsmen all around the world should buckle up.

Current Best World XI across all three formats

Four Indians feature in the list.

4. Babar Azam