The
International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday named the T20I Team of the
Year for 2021. Apparently, no Indian male cricketer found a place in the team
led by Pakistan captain Babar Azam. India made a group-stage exit from the 2021
T20 World Cup while Pakistan’s campaign ended in the semi-final as Australia
clinched their maiden T20 World Cup in the UAE in November.

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Apart from Babar
Azam, two other Pakistani players found their names on the coveted team. Opener
Mohammad Rizwan and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi have put up noteworthy
performances for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. In the 2021 cricket season,
Rizwan scored 1326 runs in T20Is in 29 matches while Babar was a distant second
on the run-scorers list with 939 runs.

Jos Buttler was
preferred over India’s Rohit Sharma for the opener’s role. Rohit scored 424
runs in 2021.

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Aiden Markram is
the team’s No. 4 while Australia’s Mitchell Marsh has been chosen as
the team’s all-rounder. 

South Africa’s
David Miller and World No. 1 T20I spinner Tabraiz Shamsi are in the Team of the
Year while Sri Lanka’s Wanidu Hasaranga also finds a place.

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Shaheen along
with Mustafizur Rahman and Josh Hazlewood have built the pace attack. Hazlewood was Australia’s star at the T20 World Cup while Shaheen was
impressive throughout the calendar year.

ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year for 2021

Babar Azan
(captain), Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David
Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanidu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman,
Shaheen Afridi

Also Read: Babar Azam terms T20 World Cup win vs India best moment for Pakistan in 2021

Meanwhile,
opening batter Smriti Mandhana is the only Indian in the ICC Women’s T20I Team
of the Year for 2021. She had scored 255 runs in 9 matches and finished inside
the top 5 leading run-scorers in the calendar year. The women’s team is led by
Nat Sciver while Tammy Beaumont opens alongside Mandhana.

ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year for 2021

Nat Sciver
(captain), Smriti Mandhana, Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt, Gaby Lewis, Amy Jones
(Wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, Sophie Ecclestone, Loryn Phiri, Shabnim
Ismail.