Cricket World Cup 2023: Best XI of the third week

Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

With Australia’s historic 309-run victory over the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the first half of the Cricket World Cup 2023 has ended. The Aussie team’s scintillating triumph over the Dutch side became the biggest win in the World Cup tournament in terms of runs. 

Following this one-sided game, the tournament’s third week also got winded up. In those seven days, many players looked in amazing touch and guided their teams to superb victories. Witnessing some extraordinary match-winning performances, it’s time to pick up a few top performers and prepare the best playing XI of week three.

Here is the best XI of the tournament’s third week

1. Quinton de Kock (Wicketkeeper)

Quinton de Kock. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Quinton de Kock has done an excellent job for South Africa in this tournament. The wicketkeeper batter has scored 431 runs with three centuries in six matches at a sensational strike rate of 117.11. His batting form will be crucial for the Proteas in further games.

South Africa won their fourth game of the competition against Bangladesh by 149 runs at the Wankhede Stadium. In Temba Bavuma’s absence, Aiden Markram came at the toss and emerged victorious against his counterpart Shakib Al Hasan. After failing against England, de Kock took Bangladesh’s bowling unit to the cleaners with his exceptional batting.

Following the early departure of Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen, de Kock stood at the crease and created pressure on the Bangla bowlers. The 30-year-old went back to the pavilion after scoring his third century of the competition. His 174-run innings also helped the Protea side post 382 runs on the board. The remarkable knock also made him the wicketkeeper batter with the highest individual score in the World Cup competitions.

2. David Warner

David Warner. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

David Warner is playing his last World Cup with confidence. The left-handed batter struggled to be among the runs in the first three matches but in the game against Pakistan at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, he regained his form. Luck favoured Babar Azam in the important match as he won the toss and invited the Aussie side to bat first. 

On Bengaluru’s batting surface, the veteran player gave a perfect start to his team along with his opening partner Mitchell Marsh. Warner was dropped on his score of 10 by Usama Mir on Sheheen Shah’s delivery in the fifth over of the contest. After getting a chance, Warner didn’t show mercy on Pakistan and hit 163 runs off just 124 deliveries. 

The 37-year-old also received the Player of the Match award for his innings after his team’s convincing 62-run win. Australia hammered the Orange Army in the last game of the week and  Warner came heavily on bowlers again. This time, he went back to the pavilion after contributing 104 runs to his team off 93 deliveries.

3. Virat Kohli 

Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Virat Kohli has done a great job for India at the top order with his impressive batting. The Men in Blue clinched their fourth consecutive victory in the competition against Bangladesh in Pune. In Team India’s comfortable seven-wicket win, Kohli chipped in with his 48th century. It was his third World Cup ton.  
  
After beating the Bangla side, India met the 2019 World Cup runners-up New Zealand in Dharamshala. Following the dismissal of both openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, Kohli stepped up with his bat and built some important partnerships with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul.

With the departure of five batters at a score of 191 in 33.5 overs, India were in trouble but Kohli held his nerves and stitched a 78-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to take India close to the target. The 34-year-old returned to the pavilion on 95 and couldn’t score a century but his innings will be remembered for a long time.

Also check: Most runs in ODI World Cup 2023

4. Aiden Markram (Captain)

Aiden Markram. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

It’s not just Quinton de Kock in the South African side, who is hammering bowlers consistently. Aiden Markram is also delivering marvellous numbers to his team consistently. After the defeat against the Netherlands, Temba Bavuma didn’t participate in the crucial contest against the Jos Buttler-led England due to illness.

Markram was given the captaincy mantle against the English side and he handled the responsibility exceptionally. Under his leadership, South Africa registered a mammoth 229-run win at the Wankhede Stadium. Batting first, the Proteas posted 399 runs on the board in their 50-over quota. As a batter, Markram reinforced the team in the middle order with his 42-run innings off 44 deliveries.  

The 29-year-old went out as a skipper against Bangladesh as well. After trampling the English team, South Africa thumped the Shakib Al Hasan-led side by 149 runs at the Wankhede Stadium. Markram chipped in with his 60-run innings off 69 balls in his side’s incredible success.

5. Heinrich Klaasen

Heinrich Klaasen. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Heinrich Klaasen is known for his fierce batting style and in this tournament, he has justified his image. The middle-order batter looked ruthless with his bat against England at the Wankhede Stadium, notching up 109 runs off just 67 deliveries. His knock helped his team be in a dominating position against the defending champions.

His batting also emboldened Marco Jansen, who stitched a 151-run partnership with him. The wicketkeeper batter’s stupendous innings took the Protea side to a score of 399 runs which shattered the English team’s confidence completely. At the end of the game, the 31-year-old also received the Player of the Match for his innings.

Klaasen carried his form against Bangladesh and this time, he played a rapid knock of 90 runs off 49 deliveries. In his superb innings, he hit 10 boundaries which included two fours and eight maximums.  

6. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Glenn Maxwell was facing a lot of criticism for his shambolic batting performances in his team’s initial matches. In the game against Pakistan, he came to bat at number three to boost Australia’s run rate but he played a negligent shot off Shaheen Afridi’s delivery and went back to the pavilion on a duck. 

Against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, David Warner built fine partnerships with Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to help the Aussies be in a commanding position. The fine batting from the three players set momentum for lower-middle-order batters. Maxwell went out in the middle at number six and assaulted the Dutch bowlers with his fiery batting.

The right-handed batter hit a century in just 40 balls and snatched the fastest World Cup hundred record from South Africa’s Aiden Markram, who reached the milestone against Sri Lanka in the same venue. Following Australia’s record-breaking win, Maxwell became the recipient of the Player of the Match award.

7. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra-Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Ravindra Jadeja is playing his part as an all-rounder remarkably for India. Against Bangladesh, he picked up the important scalps of Liton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto. The 34-year-old not only looked ferocious as a bowler but displayed his confidence as a fielder as well.

Fielding at the backward point, the veteran took a spectacular catch to help Jasprit Bumrah get rid of the wicketkeeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim, who was set at the crease. India clinched a four-wicket win against New Zealand in Dharamshala and Jadeja played a vital part in the victory with his bat.

Against the Black Caps, Jadeja came at number seven and took the team home with his unbeaten 39 off 44. He supported in-form Virat Kohli at a time when India were still 83 runs away from winning the contest. Along with Kohli, he built a 78-run partnership to take the team close to the triumph.

8. Gerald Coetzee

Gerald Coetzee. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

South Africa have emerged as an unstoppable force in this World Cup. They are looking perfect in all departments of the game. With five victories in six games, they are holding the second spot on the points table. In the Protea team’s one-sided win against England in Mumbai, Gerald Coetzee made a fine contribution with the ball silently.  

Bowling four overs, Coetzee picked up a three-wicket haul to help his team wrap up the English team on 170. The 23-year-old pacer dismissed the England skipper Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, and Adil Rashid in his spell and became the leading wicket-taker for his team.  

In their next game, South Africa looked ruthless against Bangladesh and Coetzee grabbed the eyeballs for his outstanding bowling. He took a three-wicket haul again in which the scalps of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah were also included. 

9. Jasprit Bumrah 

Jasprit-Bumrah. (Photo Source: Twitter/BCCI)

Jasprit Bumrah is spearheading India’s pace attack with confidence in this competition. After performing magnificently against Pakistan, the speedster troubled the Bangla side in Pune. The star pacer dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah in the contest to restrict the Bangla Tigers to 256 runs.

The hosts faced the New Zealand challenge in Dharamshala courageously and bagged a comfortable four-wicket win. This was Team India’s first win against the Kiwi team in the International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments in more than 20 years.

In this triumph, Mohammed Shami looked extremely confident with the ball, grabbing a fifer. Shami got the Player of the Match for his stunning performance. Bumrah also assisted his senior colleague in the game to serve the team terrifically. The 29-year-old took Mark Chapman’s wicket in the big contest.  

Also check: Most wickets in ODI World Cup 2023

10. Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Australia have made a sensational comeback in this tournament, winning four consecutive matches after losing their first two games by massive margins. In the Aussie side’s recent success, their mainstay pacer Josh Hazlewood has played an enormous role with the ball.  

On Bengaluru’s batting surface, when Pakistan were heading towards a target of 368 runs comfortably, Hazlewood held his nerves and delivered an extraordinary 10-over spell of 1/37 to his team. The speedster contributed Usama Mir’s wicket to his side in the 62-run win against the Men in Green. 

Against the Dutch side at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Hazlewood sent the top-order batter Colin Ackermann back to the pavilion. The paceman bowled six overs in the contest in which he not only took Ackermann’s wicket but also gave away only 27 runs.

11. Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa and Mohammad Rizwan.(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Adam Zampa is showing in this tournament why he is one of the best spinners of current times. In the Australian side’s 62-run victory, the 31-year-old got the better of Pakistan’s important key Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Mohammad Rizwan. The spin wizard got a lot of appreciation as Bengaluru’s pitch wasn’t helpful to bowlers.  

The Aussies mauled the Dutch side at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and Zampa again delivered a standout performance to his team with the ball. After the disciplined work from the pacers, Zampa cleaned the Orange Army’s lower order with his bowling excellence. 

Chasing a humongous total of 400, four Dutch batters fell victim to Zampa. The New South Wales-born player took his team home with Paul van Meekeren’s wicket. In his four hunts, Logan van Beek was also included who could’ve given headache to the Aussie team for a few more minutes.