In the T20 World Cup 2022, the tournament was a major event, attracting the best players in the world to Australia’s green fields.
During this month-long competition, several batters played key roles in their team’s success. The tournament in Australia saw amazing displays of skill and courage, with some batters leading their teams through tough times and carrying the hopes of their countries.
Let’s look at the top five batsmen whose outstanding performances made history at the T20 World Cup 2022.
5. Kusal Mendis – 223 runs
After Sri Lanka’s surprising loss to Namibia in the qualifiers, opening batsman Kusal Mendis played crucial roles in the team’s must-win games to help them advance to the next round. The wicketkeeper-batsman hit five boundaries and five sixes in his 44-ball 79-run innings against the Netherlands, and then scored another boundary-filled 68* against Ireland in the Super 12s.
Overall, Mendis scored 223 runs in eight T20 World Cup 2022 matches, with an average of over 31. His strike rate of 142.92 was comparable to top run-scorers Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler.
4. Jos Buttler – 225 runs
English captain Jos Buttler scored 225 runs during the 2022 T20 World Cup. This included 73 runs in a crucial match against Sri Lanka and 80 not out in the semifinal against India at the Adelaide Oval. His unbroken 170-run partnership with Alex Hales eliminated the tournament favorites, India.
Buttler’s aggressive batting gave England a strong start in the final against Pakistan. Although he didn’t score as many runs as other top T20 players, he helped his team win the championship.
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3. Suryakumar Yadav – 239 runs
Among all batters with more than 50 runs, Suryakumar Yadav had the highest strike rate in the tournament. He scored an unbeaten 51 runs off 25 balls against the Netherlands, an unbeaten 61 off 25 balls against Zimbabwe, and a quick 30 off 16 balls against Bangladesh during the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
He also helped Team India from a tough spot against South Africa, scoring 68 runs off 40 balls, which was more than half of India’s total of 133 runs in that game.
Suryakumar Yadav finished third on the list of top run-scorers, making 239 runs with an average of nearly 60 and an impressive strike rate of 189.68.
2. Max O’Dowd – 242 runs
Netherlands opener Max O’Dowd led his team to the Super 12s by performing well in the initial qualifiers. The skilled right-handed batter scored important runs against UAE and Namibia, and even challenged Sri Lanka with an impressive 71* off 53 balls.
In the Super 12s, O’Dowd continued to show his talent. He played a match-winning innings against Zimbabwe at the Adelaide Oval and scored 29 against a strong South African team, helping his team secure a 13-run victory over the Proteas.
Overall, O’Dowd scored 242 runs in eight matches during the T20 World Cup 2022, averaging 34.57 and hitting two half-centuries.
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1. Virat Kohli – 296 runs
For the third time in his amazing career, Virat Kohli finished as the top run-scorer in a T20 World Cup. He had also done this in 2014 and 2016 in Bangladesh and India. During his time in Australia, he played an incredible innings, scoring an unbeaten 82 against Pakistan at the packed MCG, leading India to a thrilling last-ball victory.
Kohli also scored match-winning 60s against the Netherlands and Bangladesh in India’s Group B matches, and he hit a skillful half-century against England in the semifinals, totaling 296 runs in six innings with an astonishing average of over 98.
Despite Kohli’s best efforts, Team India did not win the T20 title, as they were knocked out by England just before the final.
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