Virat Kohli a lock at No 3 in our team of Cricket World Cup after plundering 711 runs; four further India players, plus two New Zealanders, two Australians, a South African and a Sri Lankan round out the 11 – watch India vs Australia in Sunday’s final live on Sky Sports
Image: Australia's Glenn Maxwell slots in at No 6 in our team of the Cricket World Cup after a 40-ball hundred and a staggering double ton
India and Australia are the last two teams standing in the World Cup with the cricketing heavyweights to meet in Sunday’s final.
But which players from the 10 competing sides make our team of the tournament?
We have picked an XI based on performances over the last month or so – one devoid of England players, unfortunately, after their dismal title defence.
Read on to see our selections, some of which you might agree with and others you probably won’t!
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Quinton de Kock – South Africa (wicketkeeper)
The Proteas batter, who announced he would quit ODI cricket after the World Cup, plundered four hundreds in the tournament with a best of 174 against Bangladesh. De Kock’s tons helped him amass 594 runs – a haul only bettered by Virat Kohli’s 711 – so those returns, plus his ability to keep wicket, make him a must for our side as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner. Australia’s David Warner (528 runs) was a contender but De Kock’s all-round package earned him the nod.
Rohit Sharma – India (captain)
Rohit gets in our XI as opening bat and skipper after leading India to 10 wins out of 10 and powering 550 runs, including a record seventh World Cup century. He tonked a ton against Afghanistan and three other fifties but his 29-ball 47 against New Zealand in the semi-final may go down as his most important knock, setting the tone and showing that India would play fearless cricket, something they had been accused of not doing in previous knockout-stage defeats.
Virat Kohli (India)
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Virat Kohli scored his record 50th ODI hundred in front of Sachin Tendulkar, the man he was previously level with on 49
The shoo-in of all shoo-ins. Kohli’s run tally in this tournament is the highest in a single World Cup, with his 711 trumping the 673 Sachin Tendulkar managed in 2003. He has passed fifty in eight of his 10 knocks, with the latest of his three hundreds – against New Zealand in the semi-final – taking him to a record 50 tons in one-day international cricket, past his hero Tendulkar’s haul of 49.
Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
Ravindra beat one of Tendulkar’s records in the World Cup, too, becoming the highest run-scorer under the age of 25 at a single edition when he moved past the 523 The Little Master hit in 1996. The left-hander finished on 578 runs with three centuries and two further fifties. Ravindra opened or batted at No 3 for New Zealand so we have had to fudge the order a little to get him in but he fully deserves his place and also offers a handy spin-bowling option.
Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)
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Daryl Mitchell’s century against India in the semi-finals included a massive 107-metre six – the biggest of the Cricket World Cup so far
There is a Kiwi flavour to the middle order with Ravindra joined by Mitchell. The latter scored both of his hundreds against all-conquering India, including 134 in the semi-final, and racked up 552 runs in total. Mitchell beat off competition from India’s Shreyas Iyer (526 runs) and South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen (448) and Aiden Markram (406) for his spot, with Markram missing out despite cracking a then World Cup-record 49-ball ton against Sri Lanka.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
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Highlights from a remarkable game in Mumbai as Glenn Maxwell’s 201 not out from 128 balls powered Australia to a stunning comeback win over Afghanistan
Markam’s record lasted for just over two weeks before Maxwell shattered it with a 40-ball century against the Netherlands. The Australian’s greatest performance was yet to come, though, as he then scored a remarkable 201 not out from 128 balls against Afghanistan, largely while batting on one leg due to cramps, to take his country from 91-7 to their target of 292. Australia captain Pat Cummins, who contributed 12 in a stand of 202 with Maxwell, said his team-mate’s knock was the greatest in ODI history.
Ravindra Jadeja (India)
Tough call this. We wanted our No 7 to be a wicket-taking option but also someone who can contribute with the bat, so it ultimately came down to Jadeja or South Africa’s Marco Jansen. Seam-bowling all-rounder Jansen has bagged 17 wickets to Jadeja’s 16 and pumped a 42-ball 75 against England, but Jadeja’s economy rate with the ball is better and he played a crucial knock of 39 not out against New Zealand to help steer India over the line in the group-stage fixture.
Adam Zampa (Australia)
Zampa’s form mirrored that of Australia’s with a slow start followed by plenty of success. The leg-spinner went wicketless in the opening defeats to India and South Africa but then picked up three four-wicket hauls in a row and is now on 22 wickets in total heading into Sunday’s final, in which he will be looking to bounce back from a barren outing against South Africa in the semi-final.
Mohammed Shami (India)
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India’s Mohammed Shami took seven wickets in the 70-run win over New Zealand in the semi-finals
Shami is the leading wicket-taker with 23 scalps, which he has picked up in just six matches after sitting out India’s opening four games. The 33-year-old’s stunning form included a five-for against Sri Lanka as India razed their opponents for just 55, while he bagged 12 wickets against New Zealand alone, with five in the group stage meeting seven in the semi-final. Shami’s bowling average is a staggering 9.13 with England also feeling his force as he dismissed four of their batters.
Jasprit Bumrah (India)
South Africa’s George Coetzee (20 wickets) and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi (18) can class themselves as unfortunate not to make the cut but we have to go with the 18-wicket Bumrah. One for his ability to bowl at any stage of the innings and two for his economy rate of 3.98. Even when he is not ripping through opposition batting line-ups, he is keeping them quiet.
Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka)
The first 10 players in our 11 were involved in the World Cup semi-finals but the final entrant did not get anywhere near them with Sri Lanka finishing ninth in the table after just two wins from nine. That meant they missed out on the 2025 Champions Trophy and the bad news kept on coming with the nation now suspended by the ICC for government interference. Left-arm quick Madushanka was a bright spot, though, with 21 wickets including a five-for against India.
Watch the Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am on Sunday (8.30am first ball). Hindi coverage starts at 8.20am on Sky Sports Mix.
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