ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019: 5 players who performed exceptionally well

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 concluded on 2 November with the Netherlands defeating Papua New Guinea by seven wickets to claim the tournament's #1 position.

The top six teams in the final standings (the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Namibia, Scotland and Oman) have qualified to join Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the first round of the ICC T20 World Cup 2020.

Hosts UAE couldn't get into a qualifying spot for the marquee T20 tournament despite having home advantage, which shows how competitive the tournament was. Nothing favored the winning teams except their actual on-field performance.

The participating sides performed very well and showed that they are improving their level day by day. There was plenty of quality cricket on show, and that coming from a tournament consisting of associate teams is a huge positive for the future.

The six qualified teams owe a lot to the performance of some individual players. It was the performances of their stars that helped the teams book a ticket to Australia.

Here is a look at the five most exceptional players in the tournament.

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#5 Jatinder Singh

Jatinder Singh

Jatinder Singh played a vital role in Oman qualifying for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He was the leading run-getter for the side, contributing 23.95% of their runs. With 267 runs in 9 matches at an average of 38.14, he was also the third highest run-scorer of the tournament.

The top-order batsman scored the second-most overall boundaries (33) in the tournament. His half-centuries against Canada (68*) and Hong Kong (67*) were vital contributions that helped the team win by decent margins.

In the match against Canada, Singh created a record by sharing a 126-run second-wicket partnership with Aqib Ilyas, which is Oman's highest. For Singh's contributions to the Oman team, ICC named him in the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier Team of the Tournament.

Also see - Live cricket score

#4 Bilal Khan

Bilal Khan

While Jatinder Singh was churning out runs with the bat, Bilal Khan was making sure that the team got adequate wickets with the ball. Khan was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament (and needless to say for Oman too) with 18 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 12.44.

The 31-year-old claimed consecutive four-wicket hauls in the tournament; the first against Namibia, where he returned figures of 4-19 (also his best), and the second against Kenya where he finished with 4-23.

The yorker specialist would be a player to watch out for in the 2020 T20 World Cup.

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#3 Paul Stirling

Paul Stirling

Ireland's Paul Stirling turned out to be the competition's leading run-scorer. With 291 runs in 8 matches at an average of 41.57, the attacking batsman lived up to the expectations quite well. Stirling's consistency was the chief reason behind Ireland earning qualification.

The right-hander scored the highest number of boundaries (35) and three half-centuries in the tournament. Stirling's best batting effort of the series was his 58-ball 72, which he scored against the hosts UAE in a losing cause.

#2 Gerhard Erasmus

Gerhard Erasmus

Namibia's Gerhard Erasmus was the competition's second-highest run-scorer, with 268 runs in 9 matches at an average of 38.29. Erasmus also scored three half-centuries in the tournament, and two of them came in a winning cause.

The 24-year-old's 46-ball 72 against Singapore helped Namibia post a hefty total of 191-8 and win the match by a significant margin of 87 runs. Erasmus won the Player of the Tournament award for his brilliant middle-order batting throughout the series.

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#1 Brandon Glover

Brandon Glover

Brandon Glover was the highest wicket-taker of the competition's top team, the Netherlands. Glover claimed 16 dismissals in eight matches at an average of 10.69 and finished as the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament.

The 22-year-old holds the joint best bowling figures (4-12) of the tournament along with Bernard Scholtz. In the final against PNG Glover grabbed three crucial wickets, which ensured his team's victory and helped him win the Player of the Match award.