Australia cricket legend Lisa Sthalekar has chosen Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah as two of her top five picks for an ODI Dream XI. In her XI, she has included two Indian players, two Pakistani players, and one Australian player among her first five choices.
She has kept Jasprit Bumrah at the top and feels that the Indian speedster has the capability to perform at all the phases of an ODI inning.
“I have to go Jasprit Bumrah at No.1. An opening bowler is very important as you need to pick up wickets early, but then also be able to bowl at the death when the players are going hard. He is someone that can be used in the middle overs as well, and is a handy bowler across all the three different phases,” Sthalekar told ICC.
While choosing the batters she said,“From a batting point of view, I am going to go with Virat Kohli at No.2. On the big stage in front of his home crowd, he is someone you would bank on getting runs and lifting as it will probably be his last World Cup. A chance for him to say farewell and to also make India proud.”
Apart from Kohli, Steve Smith and Pakistani captain Babar Azam have also made into the team of Sthalekar.
“I think he (Babar) will score a lot of runs (at the World Cup). The conditions and the way the 50-over format is played will suit him. He is the type of guy that likes to lead from the front as well and he is almost the glue to that Pakistan batting line-up,” Sthalekar said of Babar.
“They have got explosive players around him and he can play his own style and just eke away at his runs and before you know it, he already has triple figures,” she added.
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In the bowling department of Lisa Sthalekar’s ODI Dream XI, Jasprit Bumrah has formed a partnership with the young sensation Shaheen Afridi. This duo is expected to lead the bowling attack in her selected team.