The T20 playing XI all-time of the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir’s student Venkatesh Iyer at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is shocking, as he has dropped the legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. These two legends are considered the best batters of all time in the T20 format.
They have achieved everything from T20 World Cup to IPL titles, Asia Cup, and many more big tournaments, but still, they couldn’t find a spot in Venkatesh Iyer’s all-time T20 playing XI. Instead of Kohli and Sharma, Iyer opted for the young, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma in his dream team.
Venkatesh Iyer’s All-Time T20 XI Does Not Include Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
The Indian all-rounder’s all-time T20 XI is full of some the greatest players in world cricket. It is interesting that Iyer’s squad consists of six Indian players and the rest are from overseas. He chose a strong opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Abhishek Sharma.
It was a mix of fearless experience and modern-day flair. Sehwag brings pure aggression right from the first ball, while Abhishek adds left-hand variety and the confidence to go against spin and pace. At No. 3, Iyer picked AB de Villiers, who is generally considered one of the greatest T20 batters ever, over Kohli. Notably, both Kohli and Rohit announced their retirement from T20I cricket in 2024.
The South African legend’s capacity to score anywhere on the field makes him the ideal player to either control the middle overs or to accelerate instantly, depending on the situation. Coming at No. 4 is Suresh Raina, due to his remarkable consistency and impact in big matches.
Ventakesh Iyer has created a very strong middle order with Ben Stokes and Hardik Pandya as the “fearless” power.
Iyer’s top order is very strong and reliable, especially with de Villiers and Raina as three and four. For the all-rounder positions, Iyer selected two of the most influential players in T20 cricket—the captain of England, Ben Stokes, and the Indian star, Hardik Pandya.
Stokes provides an unbeatable fighting spirit and a fellow who can rule with the bat and ball. In contrast, Hardik brings a blazing power of finisher and an option of seam bowling that makes Iyer’s middle order a nightmare for T20 games even more.
Iyer picked the legendary MS Dhoni as his wicketkeeper-batter and captain without second thoughts, relying on his game sense, coolness under the pressure, and great decision-making. The ex-KKR all-rounder added to his attack with two world-class spinners and two icon pacers.
Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine are Venkatesh Iyer’s leading spinners; Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah are the deadly pace duo.
In Iyer’s fast-bowling, he had the iconic Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga and the current-day great Jasprit Bumrah. Malinga, with his horrifying yorkers and different style of bowling, was the king of death bowlers in the past, whereas Bumrah with his exceptional skill, speed, and precision has become the modern-day fast-bowling superstar of India. Malinga and Bumrah separately, but especially together, are an unbeatable bowling attack.
In the spin department, Iyer chose the brilliant Afghan spinner Rashid Khan and the West Indian mystery spinner and his old KKR teammate Sunil Narine, who have been ruling the T20 leagues worldwide. Rashid’s googlies and Narine’s mystery variations create a potent partnership that can annihilate any batting order.
In Iyer’s fast-bowling, he had the iconic Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga and the current-day great Jasprit Bumrah. Malinga, with his horrifying yorkers and different style of bowling, was the king of death bowlers in the past, whereas Bumrah with his exceptional skill, speed, and precision has become the modern-day fast-bowling superstar of India. Malinga and Bumrah separately, but especially together, are an unbeatable bowling attack.
Venkatesh Iyer’s All-Time T20 XI:
Virender Sehwag, Abhishek Sharma, AB De Villiers, Suresh Raina, Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah