WTC is also known as World Test Championship. It is a new tournament organized by ICC. Its motive is to regain the popularity of the test format and make it lively again. All test-playing nations participate, and the best, according to the standing pool table, face each other in finals. Matches comprise home and away matches for all teams. New Zealand is the first WTC winner; the second season will be held in June 2023. India has managed to qualify for both the season. This article will discuss the 2021-2023 cycle of WTC.
1. Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a legend in the test format. He is another player from Australia. Smith is a good middle-order batsman. Although he was out of action for a year for suspension he made a great comeback to cricket. He is an okayish player in the limited-over format, but his skills upgrade when he plays the test format. He is a great leader apart from it. For the finals of WTC, he is an excellent player for the Aussies as he knows the Indian line very well, and his performance will decide Australia’s efforts to win the cup.
2. Joe Root
Joe Root is the first player on our list. He is a former English skipper and had a golden time with the bat during this cycle. He scored around eight centuries in this period. That includes double a hundred too. He batted at a good average and scored runs in almost all matches. Before WTC’s 2nd cycle, he quit test captaincy and focused only on his batting. He primarily batted at the third position in the batting order.
3. Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley is a proper test batsman for the England cricket team. He is an active player over the field and his name features in the list of several catches. Zak played limited cricket but for a shorter period. Later he limits himself to red-ball cricket. He often plays County Championship when not playing international matches.
4. Virat Kohli
Virat is a well-known sports personality across all sports. He is a test-proper batsman. He gets praised for the betterment of test cricket in recent years. Under his playing, that team India achieved a lot in his format. Apart from captaincy, he also made individual records that are not easily breakable. Virat is an aggressive player on the field and pays back every time on the ground against any opponents. He sets aggressive fielding and is considered to be a bowler’s captain. Virat will be again an essential player in the WTC finals against mighty Aussies. He has played 16 matches.
5. Dhananjaya De Silva
He is the only Sri Lankan player on our list. He serves as the vice-captain of his national team. He is a good batter too. He has a well-being season in this cycle of WTC. He has played an almost equal number of matches in all three formats for Sri Lanka. He has a batting average of 37 in tests.
6. Daryl Mitchel
Daryl Mitchel is a player from the New Zealand cricket team. He is more of a limited over cricket. But during this season of WTC, he was included in the test squad more often. He has played 18 test matches at an average of 57. It shows he is a serious talent in the Kiwi’s batting order line-up. He probably played as an all-rounder in the playing eleven.
7. Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow is another English player on our list. He has been a regular opener for his side for a few matches. Otherwise, Jonny plays in the middle order. Apart from Jos, he also keeps wickets and is good at keeping them. Jonny can switch his mode from defensive to aggressive whenever it is required. Hence, he is a versatile player. This player plays all formats. He is good on his home soil mainly.
8. Tom Latham
Tom is one of the Kiwi’s wicketkeepers. He plays regularly in all three formats for the Kiwis. Tom primarily does not play any league franchise and uses his skills for the betterment of his country. Tom has done a lot with bat even if in tough conditions in this WTC. He is a dependable middle-order Kiwi batsman and has finished games in some matches. In this cycle of WTC, he scored four fifties comprising all matches he played.
9. Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is one of the finest all-rounders in the current lot. He is an asset to whichever team he plays. Ben is a batting all-rounder. Currently, he refrains from bowling and does batting only. Ben has the potential to lead a team, and this was evident from the move by ECB to make him captain in the matches against associate nations. He sustained an injury while playing IPL, but now he is fit and recently participated in a test match against Ireland. He has 28 sixes under his name.
10. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas was initially a limited-over batsman who used to play at the number four position in the batting order. Upon benching Rahane after his poor form, he got a chance and scored a hundred on his debut in a test format. He then started playing continuously for Team India, especially in home matches. He is a good player of spin and can hold his team after the collapse. He plays at number five as a proper batter. Apart from batting, he can give you good bowling spells. Currently, he is injured and is not playing.
