T20 World Cup: Five big stars who failed to shine at this year's tournament

However, while many of those stars shone, there were some that could have done better. Here are 5 top players who had an underwhelming tournament. 

Quinton de Kock – If there's one kind of player who's struggled more than any other in this tournament, it's been opening batters. And perhaps none who worked more so than Quinton de Kock. The southpaw had one good inning through the tournament – against Zimbabwe, which the Proteas only got the point from due to a washout. 

Beyond that, the former captain had a tournament to forget, as he was often dismissed early and never played a match-winning knock for his side. 

David Warner – From one explosive left-handed opener to another, David Warner had an even worse time than De Kock. Warner looked out of sorts in every single game he played, to the point Aaron Finch – a player, outperformed him. The latter, ironically, came into the tournament as one of Australia's most significant question marks. 

There was no rhyme or reason for Warner's failure; all we know is that he did so miserably. This was worse because he played such a crucial part in them winning the title in 2021. Little wonder that Australia didn't even make the semis this time around. 

Kagiso Rabada – The Proteas had concerns about Kagiso Rabada's recent form ahead of the T20 World Cup, and those fears were confirmed. Rabada, usually a bowler who breathes fire and strikes fear into the heart of the opposition, was a shadow of himself. 

He was outshone by fellow new-ball spearhead Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, who himself came into the World Cup with question marks on his form. All in all, it was a tournament to forget for Rabada. 

Mitchell Starc – From one fiery pacer to another, and the difference that Mitchell Starc makes to Australia's pace bowling when he's in form vs when he's out of form is – pun very much intended – stark. And one of the reasons Australia struggled for wickets this year was due to Starc's poor condition and record. 

His pace and yorkers are often vital to Australia's chances of taking wickets, but without Starc at his best, they struggled to do that. Indeed, so bad was his form that he found himself rested from Australia's final must-win game against Afghanistan. 

Babar Azam – Remember that point about openers struggling? No one struggled more at the top of the order than Babar Azam, whose Super 12s were characterized by slow knocks and single-digit figures. 

Whether due to a combination of faster pitches and consistently better bowling attacks, Babar found himself pinned back and unable to dominate the bowling for long periods – a key to his recent success. And without him in form, Pakistan also struggled. It will be interesting to see if Babar can rediscover his mojo in the knockouts.