Aakash Chopra picks T20I XI of the decade, leaves out Chris Gayle

Former Indian opener and now commentator Aakash Chopra has picked T20I team of the decade in which he left out players like Chris Gayle, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers. Rohit Sharma and Aaron Finch are the openers for Aakash Chopra. Rohit has scored four centuries in the T20I version and he is also the second leading run-getter.

The flamboyant batsman has scored 2773 runs in 108 T20Is at an average of 32.24. Aaron Finch is also a consistent performer for Australia in the shortest format of the game and the right-hander has scored 2149 runs in 66 T20I matches at an average of 37.7 and strike rate of 154.05.

The Indian skipper Virat Kohli bats at number three. Kohli is the highest run-getter in the T20I format and he has amassed 2928 runs at a staggering average of 50.48. Bangladesh’s talisman all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan bats at number four for Aakash Chopra. Hasan has scalped 92 wickets in 76 matches and the left-hander has also scored 1567 runs in his T20I career.

Chopra selected England’s Jos Buttler as the wicket-keeper batsman of the team. Buttler has the skills to change the match on its head and he has scored 1551 runs in 74 T20I matches at a blistering strike rate of 140.36.

Glenn Maxwell and Kieron Pollard are the two other all-rounders in the team, who are well known for their pyrotechnics. Maxwell has scored 1687 runs in 67 T20I matches at a whirlwind strike rate of 157.96 and he has also taken 29 wickets. Pollard has scored 1226 runs in 76 T20I matches and he has also picked up 37 wickets.

The No. 1 T20I bowler Rashid Khan is the main spinner of the side. Khan has bamboozled the best in the business and he has snared 89 wickets in 48 T20I matches. Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc and Lasith Malinga constitute the pace battery of the team.

All of these three pacers are well known for their accurate yorkers. Bumrah has taken 59 wickets in 49 matches whereas Malinga has claimed 107 wickets in 83 T20I matches. Starc has bagged 47 wickets in 35 T20I matches.

Aakash Chopra’s T20I team of the decade: Rohit Sharma, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli, Shakib Al Hasan, Jos Buttler (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Starc