The first round of the T20 World Cup is almost over, and it has been an exciting start to the 20-team tournament. There have been many thrilling matches in the USA and the Caribbean, and fans are eagerly waiting for the Super Eights to begin.
During the group stages, many team managers made surprising decisions by leaving some of the best players on the bench. These players should have been in the starting lineup for all the games but were mostly left out.
Here are the top 5 players who were underutilized by their teams in the T20 World Cup 2024 league stage:
5. Tabraiz Shamsi
In recent years, Tabraiz Shamsi has been South Africa’s top spin bowler in limited-overs cricket, even playing ahead of Keshav Maharaj. He did very well before the tournament, which makes people wonder why he hasn’t played a game yet. He could be very helpful during the Super 8s since many of the pitches might favor spin bowlers instead of fast bowlers.
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4. Reece Topley
After doing well with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, it was expected that England would have Reece Topley play in all their games in the USA and West Indies tournament. However, the team decided to choose Chris Jordan instead, possibly because he also contributes with his batting. So far, Topley has only played in one of England’s three games in the tournament, where he bowled efficiently. His good performance against Oman likely convinced the team to consider him for the next matches.
3. Dilshan Madushanka
After an impressive performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, Dilshan Madhushanka was seen as the next big bowler from Sri Lanka. However, the team chose Nuwan Thusara and Mathisha Pathirana as their main fast bowlers. Madhushanka missed the entire Indian Premier League 2024 because of an injury but came back fully fit to join the Sri Lankan team for the tournament. Even though the Sri Lankan team was knocked out, they didn’t play Madhushanka in the final league matches against the Netherlands.
2. Shimron Hetmyer
The West Indies team made a surprising choice by not including Shimron Hetmyer in their starting lineup. They have chosen other players instead. There’s no official reason given for his absence, but it might be because he’s recovering from an injury. Hetmyer missed a few games in the second half of the 2024 Indian Premier League, which could explain why he isn’t playing for the West Indies in the tournament so far. If he is fit, he would definitely be a key player for the team, offering the special impact they need.
1. Kuldeep Yadav
When the Indian team for the T20 World Cup was announced, everyone thought Kuldeep Yadav would be the main spinner. But he hasn’t played in the first three games and has been on the bench.
There is a good chance the management is saving him for the Super 8s next week. On spin-friendly pitches, Yadav could take the most wickets for the team.
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