T20I cricket is still quite new. It started over ten years ago and has had many great players since then. Although these players might not be as famous as Don Bradman or Viv Richards, they are legends in their own way. Modern batsmen, especially in T20s, are very skilled. While there have been many excellent T20 players like AB de Villiers, only a few have truly dominated international T20 cricket. However, those few will always be remembered.
Here are the five greatest T20I batsmen of all time
5. Yuvraj Singh
Some people blame Yuvraj Singh’s performance in the 2014 World T20 final for India not winning their second T20 title, but he was the one who helped India win the first World T20 in 2007. His performance in the 2011 World Cup is well-remembered, but many forget that his T20I record is also one of the best.
He became famous for hitting six sixes in one over against Stuart Broad during the 2007 World T20. This helped him score the fastest fifty in just 12 balls, a record that still stands.
Yuvraj’s overall T20I record is impressive. He has scored almost 1,000 runs in 40 matches with an average of 31 and a strike rate over 140. He has also taken 23 wickets with an average of just 16 and an economy rate of 7.
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4. Kevin Pietersen
England might not want Kevin Pietersen for the World T20 in India soon, but there’s no doubt he was one of their best players. Before Eoin Morgan passed him last year, Pietersen was England’s top scorer in T20 cricket. His impressive stats in T20 internationals are why he’s ranked No. 4 on this list. Even though he played only half as many games as AB de Villiers, he scored more runs than the South African captain.
Pietersen scored 1,176 runs in just 37 matches, with an average of nearly 38 and a strike rate over 140, despite his highest score being only 79. If England hadn’t dropped him, he would likely be higher on this list.
3. Virat Kohli
It could come as a surprise, given that Virat Kohli isn’t typically associated with being exceptionally destructive or winning T20 titles. However, his statistics alone justify his inclusion on this list.
In the T20 series against South Africa last year, Kohli became the first Indian to score over 1000 runs in the format. He reached this milestone faster than anyone else, in just 28 innings. Even though he hasn’t scored a century yet, he is the only player with an average over 40 in T20, a format where consistent high performance is very tough. To put this in perspective, AB de Villiers, known as one of the most destructive batsmen, averages 22, while Kohli’s average is an impressive 44 with a strike rate over 130.
Given his age, there’s no reason why Kohli couldn’t end up being the best T20I player of all time if he maintains his current form.
2. Chris Gayle
If this list were only about the best T20 batsmen, Chris Gayle would easily be number one. He’s not just the top run-scorer by a big margin, but he also has the most centuries and sixes. However, since he hasn’t played many T20 Internationals, he is second on this list.
Even though he hasn’t played many matches, his stats are still amazing. In just 45 matches, Gayle has scored 1,406 runs with an average of 35 and a strike rate over 140. These are particularly impressive numbers for an opener, who has to deal with the toughest part of a T20 innings.
With the World T20 in India, where he has already scored many runs in the IPL, the West Indian opener hopes to win another world title for a team that struggles in the longer formats of the game.
ALSO READ: Take a look at the Indian bowlers who have taken the most wickets in T20I cricket.
1. Brendon McCullum
If Sachin Tendulkar has all the records in the book when it comes to ODIs, then Brendon McCullum is the same with T20Is.
Only one player has played more T20I matches than McCullum, who has scored more runs, faced more balls, hit more hundreds, fifties, fours and sixes than any other batsmen. He was the first batsman to score four consecutive fifties (he did it in 2008/09), a record that since been equalled just once and he is the only batsman to have scored two T20I hundreds.
So it is no wonder that New Zealand’s chances of claiming their first international trophy took a huge blow when McCullum announced that he wouldn’t be taking part in the World T20 in March.
After all, when a legend of the format and without a doubt, the best T20I batsman in history calls it a day, it is sure to have an impact.
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