In terms of individual performances, some players really stood out. However, it has to be said that this tournament has seen more of a collective effort from players, as most games were won with almost every player playing an important role.
Castrol Activ’s Actibonds protect the engine by clinging on and forming a protective coat, just like these 5 players protected their teams by performing well in the group stages.
However, some players did stand out through their performances. Here are the 5 best players from the group stages –
- Virat Kohli
People are lauding him and rightfully so. When Sachin Tendulkar retired, fans were wondering how life would continue in the Indian team. After all, there can’t be another Sachin. And they weren’t wrong: there just can’t be another Tendulkar.
People are lauding him and rightfully so. When Sachin Tendulkar retired, fans were wondering how life would continue in the Indian team. After all, there can’t be another Sachin. And they weren’t wrong: there just can’t be another Tendulkar. However, there can be a new sensation: Virat Kohli.
In every game in the groups, he got a start. But, it was against the Aussies that he showed his true class. His batting exuded composure, but the best about it was his ability to shift gears and make a tricky chase look like a walk in the park. It was wonderful—a classic example of how to chase a score.
In the group stages, he scored 184 runs—third most in the tournament—in just 4 innings as he averaged an inhuman 92. His strike-rate is also a phenomenal 132.37 and he has given the other batsmen a lesson on how to pace an innings while chasing.
- Mohammad Nabi
Afghanistan performed really well in the group stages, defeating West Indies to register their first win in the World T20I, and running England close.
The one thing that stood out with them was their bowling. Except for the game against South Africa, their bowlers did an exceptional job—and they were led by key all-rounder Mohammad Nabi.
In the four games he played in the group phase, he took 8 wickets and gave away just 98 runs—displaying a phenomenal combination of tight bowling while taking wickets. He also contributed as and when he could with the bat, as he chipped in with valuable runs to ensure the team gets more on the board.
- Ish Sodhi
Ish Sodhi has had a great group stage, helping New Zealand become the only team to emerge from the prelimnary stages with a perfect record.
Along with his fellow spinner Mitchell Santner and quick bowlers Adam Milne and Mitchell McCleanaghan, Sodhi has helped the Kiwis control the opposition’s batting , giving his team the advantage.
He picked up 8 wickets in the group phase, while giving away only 78 runs, with his best performance coming against India.
The Indians, probably the best players of spin in the world, were left cluelss as they were dismissed for only 79 runs. Santner might have got most of the credit for his 4-wicket spell, but the Indian-born Sodhi was just as good.
- Joe Root
Once upon a time, England were the joke at every major tournament. Despite being the inventors of the game, they haven’t been able to win a World Cup—barring their T20I triumph—and failed in glorious ways in almost every tournament.
Not anymore. The current England team have some very fine cricketers that have powered the team to a different level. No longer are they the also rans in World Cups.
And the man who has starred in this incredibly talented team is none other than Joe Root. The gifted batsman has long been marked as one for the future and he is showing us why so much was expected of him.
In the four innings that he batted in the group stages, he scored 168 runs at an incredible average of 42 and an even better strike rate of 150, with the pick of his performances coming against South Africa in England’s unreal chase of 230 runs.
Right now, he sits at number four on the list of most runs scored in the tournament—giving him a chance to go at the top.
- Mustafizur Rahman
The only player in this list who represents a team that failed to reach the semi-finals. The Bangladesh team is progressing at a very grand rate—and no player has had the impact like he has had so far.
Injuries might have made him miss quite a few games, but whenever he has played, he showed no signs of discomfort. In the three games that he has played during the group stages, he got an exceptional 9 wickets and conceded 86 runs in the 12 overs that he bowled.
His excellent bowling against India—especially at the death—and tormenting of the Kiwis left a significant mark on the tournament. However, the batting of the Bangladeshi players has let him down one too many times and hence his performance has gone unrewarded.
Despite all that, he remains a mysterious figure for batsmen who still can’t solve him—and his strike-rate of a wicket in every 8 balls is a testament to that fact.
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