World Cup 2019: Best XI of the tournament

Lower Middle Order - Alex Carey (wk), Ben Stokes, James Neesham

Alex Carey had a fantastic outing as a wicketkeeper-finisher

Alex Carey had an excellent outing in his first World Cup for the defending champions. Carey played at No.7 regularly, before being promoted to No.5 in the semi final. His temperament was on display right throughout as he did not allow the pressure of the stage to get the better of him, and thrived under challenging circumstances.

The 28-year old scored 375 runs in 9 innings, and also scored his runs at a brisk pace, with a strike rate of 104. He also had a good tournament behind the stumps, affecting 20 dismissals in 10 games. Carey played a brave knock in the semi-finals despite a bleeding chin, after being hit on the by a vicious delivery from Jofra Archer.

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Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes was presented with the Man of the Match award in the final for his match winning knock of 84*

It was Ben Stokes who set the World Cup on fire on the back of an explosive all-round performance against South Africa in the inaugural game. Once again in the final, it was Stokes who rose to the occasion in the hour of need.

The dominant all-rounder had a brilliant tournament, with 465 runs and 7 wickets to his credit. He was also a livewire on the field, with his stunning reverse cup catch in the inaugural game arguably the catch of the tournament.

Stokes was rock solid in the English middle order, and held one end in most of the close matches. While he scored at a brisk pace when required, he also played steady knocks in the games against South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka. To top it all, his heroic knock of 84* in the final helped England on their path of a title win.

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James Neesham

James Neesham did for New Zealand what Stokes did for England. He justified his credentials as a dynamic all-rounder, providing great balance to the side. He played steady knocks in the midst of crisis, and was also able to whack the ball towards the end of the innings.

Neesham was also very handy with the ball, as he did not become a soft target for the opposition, but emerged as a wicket-taking bowler. Neesham scored 232 runs and picked 15 wickets in 10 matches, finishing as one of the best all-rounders from the tournament.