Australian Legend Adam Gilchrist picks his Top Five T20I players; leaves out Rizwan, Suryakumar and Kohli

The T20 World Cup is just a couple of weeks away from now, when 16 teams will fight to be crowned as World T20 Champions. The tournament will kick off on October 16 and the final match will be played on November 13.

After a few days, all the teams will land in Australia for preparation and play their respective warm-up matches. With not much time left for the WT20 to start, the predictions have started. Many former cricketers and cricket analysts are weighing in on which team or players will have the most impact at the upcoming ICC event.

The legendary Australian wicket-keeper and three-time ODI World Cup member, Adam Gilchrist, has also opined on the top five players for his team in the T20 format. Gilchrist, who himself was a destructive white-ball opener, was known for his aggressive approach. He is currently involved in his commentary duties and has seen T20 cricket very closely.

1. David Warner (Australia): 49th Ranked T20I Batsman

Gilchrist has named Australian opener David Warner as his first pick to open the innings. He said that Warner always has an aggressive attitude, which helps the team, and the way he played in the last WT20 in the UAE will give him more confidence. Thus, the former Australian legend picks Warner as the opener for his team.

 2. Babar Azam (Pakistan) - 3rd Ranked T20I Batsman

For his second opener, Gilchrist has gone with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. The Pakistan skipper has been in phenomenal form across all formats and has been scoring consistent runs over the years. Gilchrist said, "His versatility across all formats, but also when it’s getting down to T20 cricket, just across all conditions, I think he can play all conditions really well."

3. Hardik Pandya (India) - 4th Ranked T20I All-rounder

In third place, he has named India's star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder has done an excellent job since his return to the team with both bat and ball. He led Gujarat Giants to their maiden IPL title and also led India in a few games this year. Hardik is also a three-dimensional cricketer, who can change the game in any situation. Gilchrist said, "His ability to bat, bowl, field, and entertain, he’s definitely in there."

4. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) - 4th Ranked T20I Bowler

Gilchrist has picked Afghanistan superstar leg-spinner Rashid Khan as his fourth pick for his team. Rashid has been consistent in the shorter format and, with the experience of playing across the globe in different T20 leagues, adds more experience to the table. He has also improved with his batting as well and can add quick runs in the end. Gilchrist termed Rashid as his cricketer of the year and dacade in T20I.

5. Jos Buttler (England) - 21st T20I Batsman

Gilchrist has picked English white-ball captain Jos Buttler as the wicket-keeper of his side. Buttler has shown really good form in the T20 format and, with the captaincy of England, he has started playing with more responsibility. Buttler was the best batter in the Indian Premier League 2023. Gilchrist said, "He is just dynamic in his power and his courage to take it on. Simply a stroke of brilliance from him and it's game over."