Internet Desk: The latest ICC rankings of the top 5 batsmen in T20 format see India’s T20I captain Virat Kohli topping the charts. Kohli in fact has managed to hold on to his number one position in the ICC T20 batsmen rankings. The star Indian batsman has a rating of 820 points. Following Kohli are Australia’s Aaron Finch with 803 points, Martin Guptill of New Zealand with 754 points, South Africa’s T20 captain Faf du Plesis with 741 points and England’s Joe Root with 735 points.
But sometimes rankings can be misleading as they do not provide you with the true picture. It is a bit baffling to see some of the biggest power hitters in this format missing out in the list – the likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and David Warner. Modern day batsmen are cricket’s most pampered lot. They are loved for their ability to hit fours and sixes, for their broad aggression and their ability to thrill the crowd. Xtra Time tried to analyze the top 5 T20I batsmen (only the players who are still playing). The basis of the analysis is batsmen who have played a minimum of 40 T20I’s and has an overall strike rate of 130 or more.
Virat Kohli
India’s star batsman Virat Kohli has maintained his number one position in the ICC T20 batsmen rankings. Sans the fancy of modern day batting, watching Kohli wield the willow is a pleasant sight. Not only does he average over 50 in T20Is (57.13), but also has a decent strike rate of 135.48. The Indian T20I captain has piled 1657 runs from 45 matches. He has also scored the most number of fifties (16) in this format, which just shows his consistency in T20 cricket.
Chris Gayle
Arguably the biggest power hitter the game has ever seen in this format. The Jamaican has a strike rate of 145.49 which is third best amongst the batsmen who are still playing. Gayle has amassed 1519 runs in only 50 matches. He has scored 2 hundreds and 13 fifties, which is next to all time leading run scorer in this format. Only Brendon McCullum has the distinction of notching up 2 hundreds in this format. Gayle is one of the most popular faces in T20 cricket. He has the moves, the runs and the aura to instill fear in opposition ranks.
David Warner
The hard-hitting Australian opener can murder any bowling attack on his day. Warner is currently placed at No 12 in the ICC T20I batsmen rankings. He is overshadowed by his compatriot Aaron Finch who has been more successful with the bat in recent times. Warner has so far scored 1661 runs from 62 matches at a strike rate of 140.28. The left hander is fifth in the all time leading run scorer in the format.
AB de Villiers
The swashbuckling Proteas batsman is not going through a tough time. AB de Villiers currently ranks 33rd in T20 Internationals. The South African has scored 1368 runs from 71 matches at a decent strike rate of 131.91. But he is still regarded as one of the most dangerous batsman as no team is can afford to take the rankings seriously. He is one of the few players who can turn the situation of the match single handedly. The South African batsman, a nightmare for bowlers and opposing captains, loves the big stage.The beauty of AB de Villiers is he can exploit every inch of vacant space on the ground. He can turn the course of the match like few others.
Martin Guptill
Perhaps the most consistent batsman in this format after Virat Kohli, Martin Guptill finds himself placed third in the ICC rankings. The Kiwi is also the third highest run scorer in the overall list of batsmen in this format. Guptill has amassed 1806 runs from 61 matches at a strike rate of 131.44. Guptill pulling a short ball standing on one leg is a sight to watch. He has so far successfully taken the responsibility of leading the Blackcaps batting in the T20 format after the retirement of Brendon McCullum.