The Men’s Hundred 2024 will start on July 23 and end on August 18. Eight teams will compete in a total of 34 games, including the Eliminator and Final.
Last season, the Oval Invincibles won their second title by beating the Manchester Originals by 14 runs in the final. Tom Curran was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 67 off 34 balls and one wicket.
This season will feature many exciting batters, especially English players. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has scheduled no international series in the first three weeks of August to allow local players to join the tournament and boost ticket sales.
Now, let’s look at the five top batters to watch in the Men’s Hundred 2024.
5. Finn Allen
Finn Allen has shown he can give his teams a fast start in franchise cricket. Last season in the Men’s Hundred, he was the second-best batter with 240 runs in nine games, hitting at a strike rate of 144.57.
He played a big part in helping the Southern Brave reach the playoffs.
In the current MLC 2024, Allen is also scoring runs well for the San Francisco Unicorns. He has scored 186 runs at an impressive strike rate of 200, with his highest score being 77, making him the top batter for his team.
With his current form and strong T20 skills, Allen could be a crucial player for the Brave in the tournament.
4. Jason Roy
Jason Roy is now focusing solely on franchise cricket and aims to use his strong performance to help the Superchargers win their first title in the Men’s Hundred.
After missing IPL 2024, Roy played five Vitality Blast matches, scoring 122 runs with a strike rate of 119.60. He then joined the Los Angeles Knight Riders in MLC 2024, leading the batting charts with 163 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 118.11.
With a strike rate of 141 in T20 cricket, Roy hopes to match or exceed that performance in the 2024 Men’s Hundred.
3. Harry Brook
Harry Brook, a star player from England, could be one of the top performers in the Men’s Hundred 2024.
In the past three seasons, Brook has consistently played well for the Northern Superchargers, scoring over 500 runs. Last season, he was the third-highest run-scorer with 238 runs and an excellent strike rate of 196.69.
Recently, Brook has been in great form. He scored 145 runs at an average of 72.50 and a strike rate of 157.60 for England in the T20 World Cup. Last week, he also made a century in a Test match against the West Indies in Nottingham.
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2. Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow was dropped from the England Test team for the West Indies series because he didn’t perform well in the recent series against India.
He scored almost 300 runs for Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024 and made a century in a big T20 chase against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he only managed 110 runs at an average of 27.50 in the T20 World Cup.
Despite this, Bairstow is experienced and will try hard to earn his place back in the team for the upcoming series against Australia. The Men’s Hundred tournament might be crucial for him to prove himself.
1. Nicholas Pooran
The left-handed batter has been outstanding in T20 cricket recently. He’s performed well in major franchise leagues and international matches.
Pooran’s standout run started with him being the top batter in MLC 2023, where he scored 137* off 55 balls in the final. He then excelled in IPL 2024, amassing 499 runs at an average of 62.38 and a strike rate of 178.21.
Pooran kept up his great form in the 2024 T20 World Cup, making 228 runs in seven innings, with a highest score of 98, and was the best batter for the Caribbean team. He is now the top-scorer for MI New York in the MLC 2024 with 172 runs in six innings.
Given his consistent performances, Pooran is expected to be a key player for the Northern Superchargers.
Here’s the table stats of the players:
| Player | Format | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finn Allen | Men’s Hundred | 9 | 240 | 77 | 30.00 | 144.57 |
| MLC 2024 | 6 | 186 | 77 | 31.00 | 200.00 | |
| Jason Roy | Vitality Blast | 5 | 122 | 45 | 30.50 | 119.60 |
| MLC 2024 | 6 | 163 | 58 | 27.16 | 118.11 | |
| Harry Brook | Men’s Hundred | 9 | 238 | 76 | 29.75 | 196.69 |
| T20 World Cup | 7 | 145 | 77 | 72.50 | 157.60 | |
| Test (Nottingham) | 1 | 100+ | 100 | – | – | |
| Jonny Bairstow | IPL 2024 | 14 | 300+ | 114* | 27.50 | 142.10 |
| T20 World Cup | 7 | 110 | 56 | 27.50 | 125.00 | |
| Nicholas Pooran | MLC 2023 | 10 | 500+ | 137* | 50.00 | 172.00 |
| IPL 2024 | 15 | 499 | 104 | 62.38 | 178.21 | |
| T20 World Cup | 7 | 228 | 98 | 42.00 | 153.46 | |
| MLC 2024 | 6 | 172 | 80 | 34.40 | 143.87 |
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