Babar Azam and Jos Buttler overlook Virat Kohli for the Player of the Tournament award

In this 20-20 World Cup, there have been some outstanding individual performances that have captivated the crowd and helped the respective teams advance further in the tournament. England and Pakistan, the two teams set to compete for the World Cup title in the final on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, have had a number of standout performers as well.

England captain Jos Buttler and his Pakistani counterpart Babar Azam chose the Player of the Tournament ahead of the summit clash. Surprisingly, both opening batters were very clear in their minds. Buttler chose India’s Suryakumar Yadav, citing the freedom with which the right-hander has batted in this tournament as particularly impressive.

“I think Suryakumar Yadav,” Buttler said. “I think Suryakumar Yadav for me has been someone who’s played with extreme freedom. He’s been incredibly eye-catching to watch in such a star-studded line-up. To stand out the way he has is amazing,” he added.

Yadav scored 239 runs in six matches at an incredible strike rate of 189.68. He also had three half-centuries, against the Netherlands, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Yadav truly announced his arrival on the big stage with his exploits in Australia, while also becoming the world’s No. 1 batter in the Men’s T20I Player Rankings.

Buttler, who is one of nine players shortlisted for the Player of the Tournament award, also mentioned Sam Curran and Alex Hales’ performances. “Of course, there’s a couple of our guys on that sheet as well – Sam Curran and Alex Hales. If they put in a great performance in the final, they can be the Player of the Tournament for me,” Buttler added.

I think it should be Shadab Khan: Babar Azam

In contrast, Pakistan captain Babar Azam sided with teammate Shadab Khan. “I think it should be Shadab Khan for the way he is playing,” Babar said.

“While his bowling has been outstanding, his batting also improved quite a bit. His dominating performances in the last three games along with his outstanding fielding makes him a prime contender for the Player of the Tournament.”

Shadab’s most important contribution with the bat came in Pakistan’s must-win match against South Africa in Sydney, when he hit a blistering half-century. With the ball, he has taken 10 wickets in six matches, with best figures of 3/22 and an economy rate of 6.59.