ICC World Cup 2019 | SportsCafe's Team of the Tournament

Rohit Sharma: The leading run-scorer of the tournament, Rohit Sharma has never batted so smartly in his career. In the absence of his regular opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma soaked in the pressure and was in the form of his life in the showpiece event. He took charge and scored runs in heap at the top of the order only to become the first man on this planet to have scored five centuries in a single edition of the World Cup. One cannot imagine a combined XI of this edition without the services of hitman Rohit.    

Jason Roy: The maverick English opener has been one of the key reasons behind England’s revival of fortunes in this tournament and has got brisk starts on a consistent basis. Roy and Rohit at the top are no less than a double-edged sword, which cuts both sides. When England were on the brink of a potential elimination, Roy’s return to the side not only bolstered the line-up but also brought back the aggressive approach England are known for. Though the likes of David Warner and Aaron Finch have better numbers to boast of but on an impact index, Roy will pip them easily. 

Shakib Al Hasan: Bangladesh may not have had the desired results in this tournament but this edition will always be remembered for Shakib Al Hasan’s all-round brilliance. It’s very difficult to imagine a combined XI without the Bangladeshi all-rounder in it. Though he has some serious competitors for this spot but his consistency and wily bowling works in his favour. He is also the first man from his country to have a total of 606 runs in a single edition of a World Cup, which speaks volumes of his impact.  

Nicholas Pooran: It was a tough call to make in the middle-order but Nicholas Pooran showed that he has the ingredients of a star. He played some belligerent innings in the middle and helped West Indies post competitive totals at a staggering accuracy. The fact that Pooran scores his runs at a brisk rate makes him a threat in the middle-order. Not many middle-order batsmen have got going in this edition and Pooran’s average of just over 52 at run a ball strike rate earns him a spot in this line-up.  

Mitchell Starc: The leading wicket-taker of the tournament, Mitchell Starc’s return to form has been mesmerising. Prior to the start of the tournament, Starc’s form was worrisome for the Australian side but the repository off selector’s faith found form at a pivotal time. Starc’s staggering form was also one of the main reasons behind Australia making it to the semi-finals. Equally effective with the new ball as well with the old one, Starc is the man for big tournaments and his record of being the highest wicket-taker in two World Cups consecutively corroborates the belief.  

Imran Tahir: There was a slight doubt of Mohammad Nabi over Imran Tahir, but then again, it was just a doubt. Well, Tahir may not have picked wickets in heap but one shouldn’t forget that English conditions hardly offered any help for the spinners. Tahir has been like a fine wine, which only got better with time. He definitely had a lot of impact in his World Cup swansong and should easily make it to most of the fantasy teams. The number of wickets may not tell the exact story, but Tahir’s record would certainly have been better had he been playing for a different side as South Africa struggled more often than not and didn’t have enough runs on the board.