Sachin Tendulkar Picks His World Cup XI, Chooses Bairstow Over Dhoni

NEW DELHI — Sachin Tendulkar has picked five Indians in his World Cup all-star XI but preferred Englishman Jonny Bairstow over Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the team’s wicketkeeper.

India skipper Virat Kohli , vice-captain and tournament-scorer Rohit Sharma , pacer Jasprit Bumrah along with all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja were all part of the team selected by Tendulkar.

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While Rohit was the highest run-getter at the quadrennial event with 648 runs which included five centuries, Jadeja made the playing XI despite featuring in just two matches during the big event.

Tendulkar also named New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson , who was adjudged the player of the tournament, besides including Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who had take 11 wickets and amassed over 600 runs in the World Cup.

Star of the World Cup final, England’s Ben Stokes was the other batting all-rounder in the side apart from Pandya.

Australian speedstar Mitchell Starc, who claimed 27 wickets in the showpiece, led the pace department, which also comprises England’s Jofra Archer, beside Bumrah.

Bairstow, who is not even the first choice keeper in the English team in which Jos Butler is preferred, made the cut as the stumper-batsman in Tendulkar’s XI ahead of the more experienced Dhoni.

Tendulkar named the XI while doing commentary for the official broadcasters.

Tendulkar’s World Cup XI:

Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wicket-keeper), Kane Williamson (captain), Virat Kohli, Shakib Al Hasan, Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer.