After more than five years, ICC would be hosting the T20 World Cup in 2021. The tournament was supposed to happen in 2020 but due to the pandemic, it was moved to this year. UAE and Oman will host the event, starting October 17th. With a five-year gap, it is natural to expect a relatively newer set of players to hit the field. However, a few experienced campaigners will also be part of the tournament. In this article, we take a look at five players who could be playing their seventh consecutive T20 World Cup.
Note: The statistics mentioned in this article are as of September 4th, 2021.
1) Chris Gayle (West Indies)
T20 Stats: Matches – 74 || Runs – 1854 || Average – 29.43 || Strike Rate – 139.19
Chris Gayle is one of the popular players who could be playing their seventh consecutive T20 World Cup. The Jamaican cricketer has already been part of 28 WT20 games and having scored 920 runs, he is second on the list of the highest run-getters at the event. Mahela Jayawardene is just 96 runs ahead of Gayle, and if the veteran does play at the upcoming event, he is likely to breach it.
Gayle has also got two centuries in the history of the event to go along with the seven fifties. In 2007, he scored 117 against South Africa, and this is still the second-highest individual score in the history of the competition.
2) Rohit Sharma (India)
T20 Stats: Matches – 111 || Runs – 2864 || Average – 32.55 || Strike Rate – 138.89
While in the inaugural T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma was a newbie, in his seventh consecutive T20 World Cup, he will be one of the best batsmen in the world. He also happens to be the only Indian achieving this feat, after the likes of MS Dhoni retired recently.
Rohit’s performance at the event has not been that great, actually. In the six World Cup’s so far, he has scored a total of 88, 131, 84, 82, 200 and 88 runs, respectively. That said, knocks such as 30(16)* in the final of the first edition and 79(46)* against Australia in 2010 do spark a good memory.
3) Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
T20 Stats: Matches – 86 || Runs – 1755 || Wickets – 106
In the previous two T20 World Cups, Shakib scored 186 and 129 runs respectively. Overall, in the event, he has had 30 scalps and this is a terrific achievement for an all-rounder. Especially in 2016, he took 10 wickets and was one of the best players in the competition.
Bangladesh will yet again rely on the brilliance of Shakib, who will definitely play his seventh consecutive T20 World Cup. While he himself is in good form, the pitches at the UAE and Oman will assist the playing style of the Bangladeshi legend.
4) Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh)
T20 Stats: Matches – 88 || Runs – 1298 || Average – 19.97 || Strike Rate – 118.65
Although Mushfiqur Rahim has not had a fantastic T20I career in terms of stats, he has had a long one, thanks to the leadership and commitment he brings to the team. In 2007, he first got attention when he helped Bangladesh defeat India in the 50-over World Cup. Later that year, the wicket-keeper also played in the T20 World Cup.
Rahim has not scored a fifty yet in the competition, and this will be at the back of his mind as he travels to the UAE and Oman. The team will require the experience of Rahim to come good if they have to cause any upsets.
5) Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
T20 Stats: Matches – 86 || Runs – 1229 || Wickets – 76
With 10 wickets and 154 runs, Dwayne Bravo was one of the best performers at the 2009 T20 World Cup. In the 2016 edition, as well, he scalped nine victims and helped West Indies win its second title.
Bravo is inevitable in the T20I format, and he has proved it at the highest stage too. Now, the focus will be on helping West Indies win its third title. The upcoming event could also be the last in the all-rounder’s illustrious career.
