Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tristan Stubbs and Matheesha Pathirana

It's often said that T20 cricket is a youngster's game. In that spirit, here's Wisden's team of young players, aged 23 or under, who would make up a world XI in the shortest format.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Indian left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal is no stranger to runs. With double- and triple-hundreds galore at youth level, he always looked a perfect fit for the white-ball game. After a few initial struggles adjusting to the level of the IPL, Jaiswal has gone from strength to strength, and been in stunning form for the best part of two years now. He was also part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad.

Jake Fraser-McGurk

Jake Fraser-McGurk's claim to fame is being the world-record holder for the fastest-ever List A century, a 29-ball effort for South Australia vs Tasmania in October last year. Since then, he has made his ODI debut for Australia and took the IPL by storm in 2024. With a baseball-esque stance and supreme hand-eye coordination, he is certainly one to watch out for.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)

Afghan keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz is not yet 23 years old, but has already played 186 T20 matches. A hard-hitting opener, he was crucial to Afghanistan's run to the semifinal in the most recent T20 World Cup. Gurbaz also filled in for Phil Salt to help KKR win the 2024 IPL. Normally an opener, he bats at No.3 here simply because the two ahead of him cannot be shifted.

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Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag has been the flag-bearer of Assamese cricket ever since hitting the big stage as a 17-year-old in the 2019 IPL. After a few tough seasons, he exploded in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year, scoring 510 runs and picking up 11 wickets in 10 matches. Parag followed this up with a 573-run IPL season to force his selection for the Indian team. He earns a place in this side as a genuine all-rounder who can bat at No.4.

This middle-order slot, or indeed an opening one, could have gone to Abhishek Sharma, but in a marginal decision, he unfortunately misses out on a spot.

Tilak Varma

Another talented Indian youngster who makes it in here is southpaw Tilak Varma. With strokeplay reminiscent of Suresh Raina, and an ability to take on spinners in the middle overs, he slots in here at No.5. Currently injured, he likely would have been playing for India on their tour of Sri Lanka. Coincidentally, his injury was reportedly the reason a slot opened up on that tour for Parag. Tilak also provides the option of a couple of overs of off-spin.

Tristan Stubbs

The only South African in this team, Tristan Stubbs has made a name for himself in white-ball cricket over the last 18 months or so. Two victorious seasons with Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, followed by an IPL 2024 in which he emerged as a monster finisher for Delhi Capitals have well and truly put him on the map. He also bowls off-spin, but the less said about that the better.

Jacob Bethell

The second all-rounder in this team after Parag is English youngster Jacob Bethell. A hard-hitting lower-order batter, his performances for Birmingham in this year's Blast have caught the eye. His 356 runs and 6 wickets in 14 matches so far have included career bests of 71* (off 45 balls) with the bat and 2-5, bowling his left-arm spin.

Other players unlucky to miss out here include England's Rehan Ahmed, Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain and Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage. The pool of young all-rounders to have shown promise with bat and ball is quite large, but Bethell perhaps has the best claim to realising that all-round potential at this early stage.

Naseem Shah

Pacer Naseem Shah burst onto the international scene at the age of 16, debuting for Pakistan in Test cricket against Australia in 2019. Still only 21, he has had a career affected by injuries but remains one of the premium seamers in T20 cricket, irrespective of age. In this team, Naseem will be one of the opening bowlers, capable of returning at the death or to enforce the middle overs as well.

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq Farooqi has been an integral part of Afghanistan's T20 setup as their frontline pacer, and he burst onto the world stage in 2024 by picking up 17 wickets at the T20 World Cup. Farooqi is a genuine swing bowler with the new ball, and his left-arm angle makes him the perfect partner for Naseem in this team.

Noor Ahmad

The third and final Afghan player in this XI is left-arm leggie Noor Ahmad. Noor has been a reliable performer in franchise leagues across the world, even if his talent has not fully come to the fore for Afghanistan. A near-mirror image of compatriot and T20 superstar Rashid Khan, he adds a dimension to this bowling attack that almost nobody else can offer.

Matheesha Pathirana

Rounding what should be a devastating bowling attack is Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana. A side-arm pacer in the mould of Lasith Malinga, Pathirana is often employed as a specialist death bowler by Sri Lanka and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. With the ability to send down inswinging yorkers at a devastating pace, his four overs at the back end of T20 matches make for an effective way to shut down opposition batters.

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