2021 AWARDS
Follow UsBurns’ award for best hair
Winner: Haseeb Hameed
It is only fitting that we start with a real opener (pun intended) – the Burns award for best hair. There was a tough competition this year but unfortunately, we are only talking about cricketers here, sorry Bharat Sundaresan and Andrew Wu. The award goes to none other than Rory, Haseeb Hameed.
Best T20I side of the year
Winner: Bangladesh
T20I is a game of chance and there was certainly one team that took their chances, not with the games but with the pitch and that is Bangladesh. Not much of a contest there, they played T20I cricket the best, at home. They beat both New Zealand and Australia, the finalists of the 2021 World T20, so it is only fair that they win this award.
Home track bully of the year
Winner: Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma obviously wins this. There is no competition, no one even close to him, the flat-track bully. How on earth could you be dismissive about it? Just because he scored runs in England and Australia and is the leading run-scorer for India this year in away Tests? Wait, we have Kieron Pollard walking up to collect the award, in Rohit’s absence.
MS Dhoni award for best finisher
Winner: Shahrukh Khan
Finishers are a rarity in India and it is only fitting that it is named after one of India’s finest finishers, MS Dhoni. And the winner, well even though you could read it with your own eyes, we would delay it till the last ball. Last ball, five runs to win, and Shahrukh Khan wins it. Deserved.
Coach of the year
Winner: Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri is a man of multiple talents, be it becoming an underworld lord of the meme world or be it the emperor of the bar. But this year, he deserves this award for making Indian cricket reach a ‘new high’ – the coach of the year.
Gautam Gambhir award for best prediction
Winner: Gautam Gambhir
Award for best predictor of the year will and should and would only go to Gautam Gambhir. Remember, Gambhir doesn’t like to share his awards and when he doesn’t win an award, he will most definitely crib about it for the next ten years on Twitter.
Trolling the troll of the year
Winner: Ajinkya Rahane
First, he trolled Indian cricket, masquerading as the vice-captain for the last few years. And then, he trolled other budding cricketers in the country with his form. Now, he trolls the troll being ‘undroppable’. So, the trolling the troll of the year goes to Rahane.
Specialist captain of the year
Winner: Eoin Morgan
There was a close competition between Eoin Morgan and Dhoni but Dhoni’s performance against Delhi Capitals rules him out. So, the winner and the most specialist captain of the year in international cricket, England’s (not very) own, Morgan.
MRF Best Batter of the year
Winner: Virat Kohli
MRF ZLX Award for the ‘You can bet on it’ award goes to none other than, Virat Kohli. He appeared in two outfits across the year for the advertisement, so there is none worthier for the title than him. Shh about his average in Tests this year (28.21).
Best writer of the year
Winner: Stuart Broad
12 wickets, 11 columns, Stuart Broad is the real deal from England, not Joe Root. If there was ever a more fitting award, it wouldn’t still beat this, Broad is the best writer of the year, for his outstanding contribution to English (journalism) not cricket.
Gabbinator of the year
Winner: Shardul Thakur
There is only one winner. Shardul Thakur dot.com. Gabbinator of the year, an award that he only deserves, oh wait, we forgot about Washington Sundar.
BCCI International Cricket Board of the year
Winner: BCCI
In what was a real tough competition for all the nominees in this award category, we have a winner. Not an outright one, it was a close battle, the winner only wins it away by a few votes. And the winner is Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), claps, applause, they are the reason why we are all here in the first place.
Pantastic moment of the year
Winner: Rishabh Pant’s ramp against James Anderson
Oh, what they think about you, sorry Still Woozy, we are still thinking about Rishabh Pant and his outrageous collection of shots. There were many moments, Nathan Lyon, Jack Leach but I think the award should go for Pant’s reverse-ramp against James Anderson. Just that expression on Pant’s face and then the frustration on Anderson’s, blissful. Oh, that feeling, that arrogance.
Best Joe of the year
Winner: Joe Root’s Test year
Unfortunately, we are ending this note on a low, all because of our love for England Test skipper (at least till the date of publishing) Joe Root. There was definitely only one candidate because Root destroyed the other (Joe Denly), which is Joe Burns. But Burns ended up burning his own career down, which makes Joe Root, the clear winner. Congratulations Joe.
