‘Hales ko lelete’ – Twitter unsure of Apex Cricket Council’s Men’s T20I team of the year 2022

The Apex Cricket Council named the T20I Team of the Year for men’s cricket on Sunday, naming 11 players who wowed fans with their batting, bowling, and all-round performances in 2022. Former India captain Virat Kohli is one of three Indian players, along with Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, to be named to the Men’s Team of the Year.

Kohli returned to the team of the year after a brief absence following a strong performance in 2022. T20I was the format Kohli least expected to score a century in, but a stunning 122 not out against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup last September not only marked his maiden century in the format but also ended his three-year international century drought.

Kohli finished the tournament as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, with 276 runs in five games, and carried his form into the World Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, with 296 runs and four fifties. The total included one of the greatest T20I knocks ever seen, an unbeaten 82 against Pakistan.

Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are the other two Indians on the team. Suryakumar had a fantastic 2022, finishing the calendar year as the highest run-getter with 1164 T20I runs, laced with two hundred and nine half-centuries while striking at a stunning 187.43. During the year, he also rose to the top of the T20I batters ranking. Hardik, who returned to the Indian T20I squad as an all-rounder in June, finished the season with 607 runs and 20 wickets.

In the meantime, Twitter was unpleased with the team announcement. While some opined that Virat should not have been on the list as he only regained his form in the last few months, others believed Mohammad Rizwan should not be on the team either. In addition, many said that Alex Hales should have been included in it.

Men’s T20I Team of the Year

Jos Buttler (C/WK), Mohammad Rizwan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Glenn Philips, Sikandar Raza, Hardik Pandya, Sam Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga, Haris Rauf, Josh Little

Here is how Twitter reacted