Players who were part of 2007 T20 WC and are in 2021 T20 WC squads too

The excitement, build-up, and anticipation for the upcoming ICC T20 WC 2021 are palpable among fans, experts, and critics as it starts from today (October 17). After five years, the global event is set to take place in Oman and UAE with West Indies being the defending heroes. If not for the COVID-19 pandemic, the event would have taken place in Australia in 2020. After several discussions, ICC decided to give the hosting rights to India for the 2021 edition. T20 format is undoubtedly the fastest, challenging, and most unpredictable format. It is all about a few overs or balls, and suddenly the team which was having an upper hand starts to feel the heat. England were bossing the game in the 2016 final of the T20 WC, only to be derailed by Carlos Braithwaite in the last five balls of the innings. The T20 format has also unearthed quite a few gems in the form of Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Hafeez, and Dwayne Bravo, who have gone to break records for their respective teams. While Rohit Sharma made his debut in the inaugural edition of 2007 by showing a fearless attitude against South Africa, Hafeez made a mark by displaying his all-around skills. These players are still going strong and are pivotal for the team’s success during this year’s edition as well. Here are a few- Players who were part of the first T20 WC and are in 2021 World T20 squads too 1. Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images) From scoring a T20I half-century on debut in 2007 against South Africa to being the vice-captain in the 2021 edition, Rohit Sharma has had a brilliant journey. In his debut T20I game, he was played in the middle order by the then captain MS Dhoni. A lot has changed since then, as Rohit Sharma now is the designated opener of the Indian team since 2013. The 34-year-old’s fearless attitude and his sensational power-hitting give India a good start up front. Also, the vice-captain has a stupendous record in the ICC events. Rohit Sharma has so far scored 673 runs in 25 innings across six editions. He would like to work on the strike rate though as he has got those runs at 127.22. With the pitches in UAE assisting spinners more, the elegant right-hand batter would yet again play the anchor role to perfection by mixing caution with aggression. 2. Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh batsman Shakib Al Hasan. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP) Talismanic Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is the heartbeat of the team. His contributions with bat and ball are second to none. Regarded as one of the finest all-rounder’s of the game, Shakib is still going strong. His performance in ICC Cricket World in the 2019 edition was one of the biggest reasons Bangladesh did well in the global event. The all-rounder is known to rise on the big occasions for the team. And with the T20 WC, the management would be hoping he contributes with both bat and ball. The 34-year-old has so scored 567 runs at a healthy average of 28.35 and has managed to also pick 30 wickets at 19.53. Without a doubt, his contributions are pivotal if Bangladesh has a chance to advance in the Super 12 stage of the global event. The conditions in UAE will suit Shakib as he likes to take on the spinners. Bangladesh can use him in the middle order as well as the finisher, depending upon the match situation. 3. Mushfiqur Rahim Mushfiqur Rahim. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter before the T20 World Cup said that he does not wish to continue donning the gloves. Over the past six editions, the right-hand batter has played the role of a wicketkeeper in the team. But with no pressure of being behind the stumps, Rahim can hope to play with a bit of freedom and can now also bat in the upper-middle order. The 34-year-old likes to play the role of grafter in the team. He takes some time before unleashing his aggressive strokes. Apart from Shakib, he is Bangladesh’s most senior player in terms of experience and matches. Rahim has so far played 392 matches across formats and has scored 12,595 runs. His record in the T20 World Cup is not that great though. In 25 matches, he has scored only 258 runs at a strike rate of 104.45. These numbers are by and large, quite dismal compared to the number of runs otherwise he has managed to score for the team. 4. Mahmudullah Bangladesh cricketer Mahmudullah. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) Next on the list is Bangladesh T20I captain Mahmudullah. Like Shakib and Rahim, the skipper is also the team’s main player. The 35-year-old has been with the team since the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. Slowly and steadily, the all-rounder has solidified his reputation as the all-rounder. He has also evolved into a good leader and won two T20I series against New Zealand and Australia. Like Rahim, Mahamudullah has also not set the previous T20 editions of World Cups on fire. In the 22 games in the global event, he has only scored 194 runs and picked up eight wickets. His contributions have not been great for the team but, with the additional responsibility of leading the side, the skipper would love to lead the team from the front. 5. Mohammad Hafeez Mohammad Hafeez. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is still going strong at the age of 40. Although he was down with food poisoning, and there were doubts about his participation in the global event, the veteran recovered and will be there with the team in UAE. Hafeez has seen it a lot in his 17 years long career. From being one of the mainstays of the team to being dropped, the all-rounder has gone through a lot and has emerged successfully out of it. He was dropped in 2019 by Pakistan but managed to come back into the team by playing golf and spending time with some Caribbean cricketers. Since then, he has not looked back and has been one of the mainstays in the team. The seasoned campaigner will yet again look to break few records and help Pakistan do well in the showpiece event. 6. Shoaib Malik Shoaib Malik. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images) Severe criticisms were going around Pakistan when the selectors left Shoaib Malik from the team for the T20 WC. An untimely injury to Sohaib Maqsood has now given Malik yet another chance to showcase his credentials and importance to the team. Malik has scored over 11,000 T20 runs and is Asia’s leading run-scorer in the format. He comes with sound experience and knows how to handle pressure situations. Apart from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s middle-order lacks experience. By bringing Malik, the team has a solid player in the crucial middle phase of the T20I innings. The 39-year-old is also in good form as he has scored 225 runs in seven games in the recently concluded National T20 Cup. The all-rounder will hope to continue with his rich vein of form in the T20 WC as well. Malik has played the previous six editions and was also the leader in the inaugural edition in 2007. 7. Chris Gayle Chris Gayle of West Indies hits 6. (Photo by RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images) Former West Indies pacer Curtly Ambrose recently commented on how Chris Gayle is not an automatic choice in playing XI for the team during the global event due to his recent poor form. Not impressed by his statement, the hard-hitting opener would like his bat to do all the talking. Gayle is currently the leading run-getter in T20 cricket and the most capped player as well. He has scored 14179 runs in 442 games. At the ripe age of 42 also the southpaw can score maximums effortlessly. And it is due to this plethora of experience that Gayle has managed to be on the team. In the T20 WCs also his record is stupendous as he has scored 920 runs in just 28 games. The southpaw’s strike rate is 146.73 in those games, and that tells some story. If Gayle gets a good start, West Indies win most often than not. He has done that previously and Ambrose’s words might just spur him to deliver the knockout punch. 8. Ravi Rampaul Ravi Rampaul celebrates the wicket of Jacques Kallis. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images/Getty Images) If Gayle is the leader in the batting department, then Ravi Rampaul is the leader in the bowling department. The wily fox is still hard to score by the opposition batters due to his smart variations. Although he is in the twilight of his career, Rampaul is going strong by taking timely wickets for the West Indies team. In 23 T20Is, he has taken 29 wickets at an average of 24.31. But his remarkable T20 record of 211 wickets in 163 matches speaks for itself. He is not the typical Caribbean fast bowler who will bowl with an express pace. He is more of a Josh Hazlewood kind or a Deepak Chahar, who maintains a good line and length. It is this quality that has reaped him rewards over the years. With the matches being played on sluggish low, and slow UAE pitches, Rampaul with his deadly accuracy could be a handful commodity. 9. Dwayne Bravo Dwayne Bravo of West Indies. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) Talismanic West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is a champion in his own right in the T20 format. A player who can win matches singlehandedly by bowling, batting, and fielding. In a true sense, he is a match-winner and one of the biggest assets to the team. Bravo’s impact on the team cannot be matched by the numbers. Be it pressure situations with bat and ball, Bravo will find ways to hit the boundaries or take wickets and tilt the game in favor of the West Indies. Apart from Gayle, Bravo is one of the most experienced T20 players. Speaking about the T20 World Cups, the all-rounder has scored 504 runs in 29 matches and picked 25 wickets at an average of 25.80. Of late he has been used as the finisher in the batting and bowling department.

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Players who were part of 2007 T20 WC and are in 2021 T20 WC squads too

Some of these players have played T20 World Cups since the inaugural edition in 2007.

4. Mahmudullah

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