ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Team of the Tournament: 3 Indians picked, Sarfraz Ahmed to lead

New Delhi: The 18 days of cricketing action at the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 concluded with Pakistan beating defending champions India at the Oval, clinching a 180-run victory to lift the maiden title.

With the epic Indo-Pak encounter sealing the fate, ICC announced their pick of the team of the tournament which was picked by a jury of experts including  former captains Michael Atherton of England, India’s Sourav Ganguly, Ramiz Raja of Pakistan as well as Lawrence Booth (Editor, Wisden Almanack and cricket writer, The Mail) and Julian Guyer (cricket correspondent, Agence France-Presse), with ICC General Manager – Cricket, Geoff Allardice, as chairman.

The best XI included four Pakistanis, three Indians, three Englishmen and one Bangladeshi, while New Zealand's Kane Williamson was chosen as 12th man.

Here's the complete team:-

i) Shikhar Dhawan (India) (338 runs)i) Shikhar Dhawan (India) (338 runs)
ii) Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan) 252 runs)
iii) Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh) (293 runs)
iv) Virat Kohli (India) (258 runs)
v) Joe Root (England) (258 runs)
vi) Ben Stokes (England) (184 runs and three wickets)
vii) Sarfraz Ahmed (Pakistan) (captain) (wicketkeeper) (76 runs and nine dismissals)
viii) Adil Rashid (England) (seven wickets)
ix) Junaid Khan (Pakistan) (eight wickets)
x) Bhuvneshwar Kumar  (India) (seven wickets)
xi) Hassan Ali (Pakistan) (13 wickets)
xii) Kane Williamson (New Zealand (12th) (244 runs)

While Dhawan won the Golden Bat for his immense contribution of 338 runs in India's road to the final, Pakistan's Hassan Ali won the Golden Ball for picking the most number of wickets (13) in the tournament.

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz was chosen to lead the Team of the Tournament, courtesy his inspirational leadership that saw Pakistan bounce back from their heavy opening match defeat to arch-rivals India to securing a 180-run victory over the same opponents in the final.

“To be appointed as captain of the Team of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, which includes some of the finest and most attractive cricketers of this generation, is the perfect icing on the cake,” remarked Pakistan captain Sarfraz. “But I am more happy and delighted for players like Fakhar Zaman and Hassan Ali, who impressed their peers through their talent and performances, and found their way in the side. These two lads, plus Shadab Khan, are the future of Pakistan cricket and I sincerely hope they will only go in the upward direction from here.

“The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 has been a fairy tale journey for the Pakistan cricket team. The event showed the team’s grit and ability to bounce back solidly when the chips are down. I am confident that the faith and trust of the Pakistan cricket team will be strengthened with this performance of the side.”