Fans’ Team of the Tournament

Will Virat Kohli be in your side? Is Quinton de Kock an automatic selection as keeper? How many India bowlers can you fit into your XI?

As we head to the business end of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, voting is open for the Cricket World Cup 2023 Fans’ Team of the Tournament.

From the fireworks of Virat Kohli with the bat to the flight and guile of Adam Zampa and his leg-spin, fans have been treated to cricket of the highest quality, and a number of world-class players make their case for selection.

For all the individual accolades and achievement however, who makes your team?

You must pick a minimum of four batters, three bowlers, one all-rounder and one wicket-keeper in your side to make an eligible team.

No matter the composition of the side though, there is a plethora of choices. You’ll find a shortlist of more than 50 players to consider, and with semi-finals and a final to come, there’s still time for players in the final four teams to stand out from their competitors.

Head here to select your team and share it with your friends before the end of the tournament! We’ve hand-picked a few candidates based on tournament numbers below.

Leading run-scorer: Virat Kohli (594 runs)

Any supposed pressure on Virat Kohli’s shoulders in a home Cricket World Cup campaign has not perturbed the middle-order maestro, racing towards 600 tournament runs ahead of a semi-final meeting with New Zealand.

Beginning with a notable knock of 85 against the Australians to see off their challenge in Chennai, Kohli added an unbeaten 55 against Afghanistan to his name, and plundered an unbeaten ton against Bangladesh, hitting a six to end the match. Scores of 95 and 88 against New Zealand and Sri Lanka followed respectively, though it was his 49th ODI ton – to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s figure, against South Africa – that has taken a bulk of the attention.

Kohli added 51 against The Netherlands in their final group game, meaning he is inching towards a tournament of over 600 runs.

Leading wicket-taker: Adam Zampa (22 wickets)

An integral part of Australia’s T20 World Cup 2021 triumph in not-too-different conditions, Adam Zampa has once again stood up for his country on the big stage.

In a similar vein to Kohli, answering questions posed by his critics who may have shouted a little louder after a wicketless effort first up against India, Zampa hit back, claiming at least one wicket in his other eight group stage matches. Three four-wicket hauls came on the trot against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Netherlands, backing up that effort with two consecutive three wicket hauls against England and New Zealand

Taking a wicket roughly every three-and-a-half overs, Zampa’s 22 scalps have come at an average of just 18.90.

Best Batting Strike Rate (minimum five innings): Glenn Maxwell (152.69)

Fans and commentators are running out of superlatives for Glenn Maxwell’s multiple superhuman efforts at this year’s World Cup, and as an all-rounder the Australian provides much-needed flexibility.

First, Maxwell’s heroics with the bat against The Netherlands and Afghanistan rightly stand out above his other achievements. Making the fastest ever Cricket World Cup hundred (40) balls against the Dutch, he somehow outdid his own headline-grabbing moment at the tournament, bring Australia back from the dead at 49/4 and 91/7 chasing 292 against the Afghans.

Not only fighting the situation and Afghanistan’s highly-skilled attack, Maxwell also flourished in spite of the Mumbai heat, fighting through cramps and pain on the way to the first double century in a men’s ODI chase, and becoming the first Australian man to achieve the feat in the format. 

After his efforts, neither South Africa or a potential opponent in the tournament final will write Australia off if Maxwell is still playing a part.

Best bowling average (minimum five wickets): Mohammed Shami (9.56)

Unplayable on his day, Mohammed Shami has shone since overcoming the injury that sidelined him to begin the tournament, a constant threat to opposition batting line-ups.

Shami thundered into the tournament, claiming three of New Zealand’s top four to finish with figures of 5/54 from ten overs. England looked bereft of answers in his spell of 4/22 in Lucknow, and the quick was unplayable in India’s rout of Sri Lanka, finishing with 5/18.

No opposition batter will feel comfortable against Shami, who seems to lift at global tournaments for his country.

Best bowling economy (minimum 20 overs): Jasprit Bumrah (3.65)

If the fire of Shami wasn’t enough, the almost unseen mix of speed and movement in the air from Jasprit Bumrah has put India in imperious positions throughout the tournament. 

Going at 3.65 an over, bowling a large percentage of his overs with the new ball, Bumrah has stifled oppositions eager to go hard in the Powerplay. His wicket-taking prowess also stands out, with his run of wicket-taking games only ending in India’s eighth match against South Africa. His 4/39 against Afghanistan remains his best of the tournament, but also boasts multiple-wicket hauls in five other World Cup outings.