T20 World Cup 2022: 4 strong contenders for Player of the Final award

England will take on Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 final at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium (MCG) on Sunday, November 13. In a way, both finalists have had a similar journey in the competition so far. They have overcome setbacks and periods of uncertainty, during which their self-confidence would surely have been put to the test.

Pakistan suffered a shock upset at the hands of Zimbabwe, which put their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign in jeopardy. However, like in the 1992 ODI World Cup, they recovered and now find themselves on the cusp of ultimate glory in the T20 format.

England’s position was also dicey after they went down to Ireland by five runs (D/L method) in the Super 12 stage. But they did well enough to sneak into the semi-finals ahead of Australia by virtue of having a better net run rate.

A number of match-winners from both teams will be on show during the T20 World Cup 2022 final at the MCG on Sunday. We picked four names who are strong contenders for the Player of the Final award.

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#1 Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Afridi celebrates after taking the wicket of Kane Williamson in the first semi-final. Pic: Getty Images

Pakistan left-arm seamer Shaheen Afridi has been in tremendous form in the last few games. He did not look threatening at the start of the tournament and, understandably so, as he had only just returned after recuperating from a knee injury. The man himself admitted that he was working his way towards full fitness.

It is no coincidence that Pakistan’s turnaround in the tournament and Afridi’s rediscovery of rhythm have happened simultaneously. After claiming only one wicket in his first three matches, Afridi has claimed nine in his last three. To give you an apt representation of the 22-year-old fast bowler’s striking impact, Pakistan have not lost a match in which Afridi has taken at least one wicket in the tournament.

He claimed three against South Africa, four against Bangladesh, and two in the first semi-final against New Zealand. That’s not all, he has maintained an excellent economy rate in all these games.

Pakistan will want Afridi to knock over a few top English batters in his first spell. If that happens, Jos Buttler and Co. are likely to be on the back foot.

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#2 Alex Hales

Alex Hales has been in terrific form for England at the top of the order. Pic: Getty Images

As cliched as the phrase 'life is unpredictable' might sound, Alex Hales’ T20 World Cup 2022 campaign is the latest illustration of the same. Dropped from the 2019 ODI World Cup squad after two failed recreational drug tests, the dynamic opener’s international career seemed to be over. Despite some stunning performances in the T20 leagues at home and across the globe, he was not handed an England recall.

Unsurprisingly, he was not picked in the initial 15-member squad announced for the T20 World Cup. However, a freak injury to Jonny Bairstow paved the way for Hales’ return to the England fold. The rest, as they say, is history.

The 33-year-old has been in sensational form, hammering 211 runs in five games at an average of 52.75 and a strike rate of 148.59. He has even outshone skipper Buttler with his big-hitting prowess.

In his last three visits to the crease, Hales has hammered 52, 47, and 86*. Winning the Player of the Final award and guiding England to the T20 World Cup trophy would be the perfect way to round off the fairy-tale comeback.

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#3 Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan was the Player of the Match in the first semi-final against New Zealand. Pic: Getty Images

Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan may have lost his No.1 ranking in T20Is to India’s Suryakumar Yadav. But that won’t make him a lesser threat when he comes up against England’s bowlers in the final at the MCG.

Rizwan, like his captain Babar Azam, had a poor Super 12 round. He did score 49 against Netherlands and 32 versus Bangladesh, but those weren’t fluent knocks. Even the mode of his dismissals pointed to a batter who wasn’t in rhythm.

All that changed in the semis against New Zealand. With a place in the final at stake, the right-handed batter rediscovered his mojo and played an attractive and aggressive knock, making a statement of intent. His positive stroke-making in the powerplay put New Zealand on the back foot and the Kiwis could never recover from his early punches.

Despite all the criticism over his strike rate, the fact remains that Rizwan has won games for the team more often than not with his style of play. He knows what suits him best and if he performs to his potential against England in the final, he will pose a massive threat to their chances of lifting the trophy.

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#4 Ben Stokes

Will the real Ben Stokes stand up in the summit clash of the T20 World Cup 2022? Pic: Getty Images

Barring a defiant 42* against Sri Lanka in England’s must-win Super 12 encounter, Ben Stokes has not done much of note with the bat. In fact, he was dismissed for single-figure in his three knocks at the T20 World Cup before the clash against the Lankans. Stokes may not have produced the desired numbers so far, but the talisman that he is, you can never write him off.

The 31-year-old is a big-match player. He was the Player of the Match when England lifted the ODI World Cup trophy for the first time, at home in 2019. Speaking of the T20 World Cup, he won’t have fond memories of the previous final that England featured in, during the 2016 edition. Carlos Brathwaite clobbered him for four consecutive sixes to snatch away the trophy.

Stokes is a completely different player now from the one who was on display that night at Eden Gardens in 2016. At the MCG, the all-rounder has a chance to lift England to glory once again.

As mentioned earlier, he has not been in the best of form. But the greats know how to raise the bar on the big day and Stokes is definitely no stranger to that.

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