Like every world tournament, players who rise to the occasion put in splendid performances to bring major breakthroughs to their teams in the World T20 2016. We give you a list of who we think were the standout players of the tournament which was eventually won by the West Indies.
1. Virat Kohli
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Virat Kohli was rightfully judged the Man of the Tournament of the recently concluded World T20 for scoring the most number of runs in the main rounds. He scored a total of 273 runs in five innings with a staggering average of 136.6. He scored three fifties in the tournament and posted the highest score of 89 against West Indies in the semi-finals. For the Indian team, he proved to be the vital cog in the machinery because he almost single-handedly brought victory to his team when they were in precarious positions.
2. Joe Root
Close on the heels of Virat Kohli is England’s number three batsman Joe Root. The young player along with Kohli and Williamson is considered as one of the top batsmen of the game. He scored a total of 249 runs in 6 innings with an average of 49.80. Like Virat Kohli, he played the role of anchoring his team with some beautiful shots and sensible cricket. He also contributed with the ball by picking up two crucial wickets in the finals.
3. Tamim Iqbal
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Despite Bangladesh losing all the games that it played, in-form opener Tamim Iqbal was in the form of his life, scoring 295 runs in 7 innings. He is the highest scorer of the tournament (if the initial rounds are also considered). He scored the first century of the series against Oman.
4. Chris Gayle
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Gayle didn’t fire when his team required most, but he still deserves a spot on this list for a blistering century against England in the group stages. The knock was complete and utter domination against England’s hapless bowlers.
5. Mustafizur Rahman
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Bangladesh’s star-bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s deadly off-cutters make him one of the top bowlers of the tournament. He picked a five-for against a mighty New Zealand side.
6. Mitchell Santner
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Santner announced his arrival with a brilliant spell against India in the opening match. Nobody expected India to be troubled by spin, but he proved otherwise. He ended up being the highest wicket-taker in the main rounds and the semi-finals with ten wickets.
7. Mohammad Amir
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Even though Pakistan was knocked out in the Group stage, Mohammad Amir was a bowler who proved to be troublesome for the opposition. With his controlled swing and breakneck pace, Amir regularly rattled stumps and flummoxed even the top batsmen.
8. Samuel Badree
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Samuel Badree turned out to be the match winner that West Indies definitely needed in their pack of bowlers. The leg-spinner who has a short run up like a pace bowler picked up 9 wickets in the tournament. He stamped his identity as a premiere leg-spinner by continuously stifling batsmen for runs. In his opening spell in the finals, Badree fired in a flipper that darted through Jason Roy and rattled his stumps.