Nicholas Pooran picks all-time T20 playing 11; leaves out Rohit Sharma & MS Dhoni

Former West Indian wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran picked his all-time T20 playing XI (via Crictracker Instagram handle). Notable omissions from the side included five-time IPL-winning captains Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. The duo have also captained India to a T20 World Cup title each in 2007 and 2024.

Meanwhile, Pooran's all-time T20 XI had two Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) legends, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, as openers. The former is the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 cricket with 14,562 runs, including an incredible 22 centuries.

On the other hand, Kohli is IPL's all-time leader in runs with 8,661 and third all-time in T20Is with 4,188 runs. Arguably, the two most versatile batters, Jos Buttler and AB de Villiers, came in at No. 3 and 4.

The former is fourth all-time in T20I runs with 3,869 at an average of over 35 and a strike rate of almost 149. Buttler also led England to the title in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, De Villiers holds the record for IPL Player of the Match awards with 25 and is the league's eighth all-time leading run-scorer with 5,162 runs at an average of almost 40 and a strike rate of over 151.

Pooran picked himself and his fellow West Indian stars, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell, from No. 5 to 7. While Pooran has almost 10,000 T20 runs with four centuries, Pollard is second all-time in runs in T20s with over 14,000.

Russell has arguably been the most accomplished short-format all-rounder with over 9,000 runs and almost 500 wickets.

Nicholas Pooran rounds off his all-time T20 XI with two spinners and as many pacers

Another West Indian T20 legend, Sunil Narine, came in next on Nicholas Pooran's all-time XI. Narine is third all-time in overall T20 and IPL wickets with 599 and 192 scalps, respectively.

The wily spin-bowling all-rounder is also the one cricketer to win three IPL MVP awards in 2012, 2018, and 2024. Rashid Khan followed Narine in Pooran's lineup, thanks to his record for most T20 wickets with 681 in 499 outings.

Pooran rounded off his playing XI with death-bowling specialists, Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga. The duo are sixth and ninth all-time in IPL wickets and combined to help the Mumbai Indians (MI) win four out of their five titles.

Nicholas Pooran's all-time T20 XI

Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler, AB de Villiers, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga