Grant Elliott includes four Indians in his all-time T20 XI

A cool-headed batsman who could also occasionally chip in with valuable overs with the ball in his hand, Grant Elliott was responsible for New Zealand’s greatest moment as a cricketing nation in 2015, when he smacked Dale Steyn for a six over long-on at Eden Park to propel the Kiwis to their first-ever World Cup final. Having retired from the game in 2018, Elliot has decided to primarily stay away from the game, while at times, appearing as either a commentator or an expert analyst.

However, just like his compatriots and other former and present cricketers, the Kiwi all-rounder too, during this quarantine period, decided to follow the norm and pick what he felt was his personal ‘all-time T20 XI’. 

The 41-year-old revealed the same in a chat with ‘Cricfit’.  Confused to choose between Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle, two of the greatest ball-strikers the sport has seen, Elliot went with an ‘either/or’ option next to their names, stating that he would have one of these two men partner Brendon McCullum at the top of the order.

Elliot’s middle-order then comprises Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, while there is another ‘either/or’ battle between Mikey Hussey and Kumar Sangakkara for the No.4 spot. MS Dhoni, unsurprisingly, slots into the team as the wicket-keeper, while the all-rounder duties are taken by the Caribbean duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

Rashid Khan and Shahid Afridi are the third and final ‘either/or’ choice in Elliot’s XI, while the pace unit is polished off by the deadly Mumbai Indians duo of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah. The former all-rounder also revealed that the side, which features four Indians, will be led by none other than Brendon McCullum.

Grant Elliott’s all-time T20I XI: Chris Gayle/Rohit Sharma, Brendon McCullum (c), Virat Kohli, Mike Hussey/Kumar Sangakkara, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan/Shahid Afridi, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga