Rohit Sharma (India): Imperious is one way to describe Rohit’s onslaught against Pakistan in front of more than one lakh fans in Ahmedabad. The Indian captain was in the mood against the arch rivals, stroking the ball with his typical flamboyance en route to a match-sealing 86 off 63, packed with six fours and six sixes. A similar script seemed on the cards against Bangladesh in Pune. However, after racing off the blocks once again in sublime fashion, Rohit had to be content with 48 off 40
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan): His failure to deliver the goods against New Zealand in Chennai matters little when it comes to Gurbaz’s selection in this lineup. For his place was as good as secure after a swashbuckling 57-ball 80, with eight fours and four sixes, against England in Delhi on Sunday. Had he not been run out, Gurbaz should have brought up a deserved hundred, one that would have made Afghanistan’s eventual shock of a victory even more special for the Knight Rider
Virat Kohli (India): There was only one century in the World Cup this week, and it came from the bat of the man who now has 48 hundreds in ODI cricket, one short of Sachin Tendulkar’s record. After missing out on a big score against Pakistan, Kohli had his game face on versus Bangladesh. Every time it looked like he might get outscored by his partner at the other end, Kohli found an extra gear. In the end, it was as much his running as his actual strokeplay that gave the most prolific batter of his generation his first 50-over World Cup ton since February 2015
Harry Brook (England): In a nightmarish week for the defending champions, Brook is about the only Englishman who came out with his reputation enhanced. Having proven his mettle on Indian pitches in the shortest format, Brook showed he can build an innings in 50-over cricket with equal flair. His 66 off 61 against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium may go down as the sole point of resistance in a hapless English display, but it was enough to show his team management that he deserves an extended run in the starting XI
Josh Inglis (Australia): With Australia in a tricky position at 81 for three against a buoyant Sri Lankan attack, the Kangaroos needed someone to occupy the crease alongside Marnus Labuschagne. That someone turned out to be Inglis, who put his perceived woes versus spin past him to score 58 off 59 balls. In most weeks, Inglis’s solid effort would not be special enough to make it to this team. But, given the recent batting woes across the competition, Inglis stands out for doing the simple things right and keeping Australia in the game, before characteristic cameos from Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis took them to victory
Glenn Phillips (New Zealand): After an unbeaten 16 that saw New Zealand over the line against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Phillips was the key man for the Kiwis against Afghanistan at the same venue. Coming in at 110 for 4, Phillips struck up a 144-run partnership with Tom Lathan that allowed the Black Caps to reach 288. Taking 80 balls for his 71, Phillips hit only eight boundaries. But what he lacked in spectacular shots, he more than made up for with cleverly placed ones and twos and some tireless running in the Chennai heat
Scott Edwards (Netherlands): At 82 for five in the 21st over, not even the most optimistic of Dutch fans would have been anticipating a win against a well-drilled South African unit in Dharamshala. Step forward, Edwards, captain and wicket-keeper, who batted with the kind of composure under pressure that would have made Mahendra Singh Dhoni proud. With 10 fours and one maximum, Edwards notched up an unbeaten 78 runs at a strike rate of 113, taking the Netherlands to 245, which, incredibly, proved 38 too many for the Proteas to chase
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan): The architect of Afghanistan’s giant-killing display against England in the Indian capital, Mujeeb was inspired with both bat and ball against the title holders. First, his quickfire 28 off 16 at number nine propelled the Afghans to a challenging score of 284. Later, he struck thrice to pierce English hearts. Even though one of those scalps was the prized one of Joe Root, it was the wicket of in-form Harry Brook that effectively closed out the contest. Mujeeb also added the vital dismissal of Devon Conway to his kitty against New Zealand three days later.
Dilshan Madhushanka (Sri Lanka): With just 209 to defend on a relatively comfortable track for batting, Sri Lanka desperately needed early breakthroughs against Australia to stand any chance. That is exactly what Madhushanka produced, sending David Warner and Steve Smith packing inside four overs of the Aussie innings. He came back later to get the better of Marnus Labuschagne as well, but it was too little too late, with the match firmly in Australia’s control by then
Adam Zampa (Australia): For a leg-spinner, he may not be a big turner of the ball, but Zampa turned Australia’s World Cup campaign around with an inspired spell against Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Monday. With four wickets for 47, Zampa was the X-factor for the Aussies, overcoming an expensive start, as the Lankans went from 125 for none to 209 all out. This included Zampa getting rid of both Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama to break the spine of the Sri Lankan batting
Jasprit Bumrah (India): It takes just two balls to change the complexion of a game when the man delivering them is Bumrah. Against Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Bumrah conjured two peaches to eliminate Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan. With two for 19 in seven overs, Bumrah was next to flawless in the biggest World Cup match so far. Five days later, in Pune, Bumrah got another brace, this time getting the crucial wickets of Bangladesh veterans, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, at the cost of 41 runs
