The first part of my look in to the top 30 batsmen with the highest batting index in Twenty20 cricket saw several big names included. AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina were all named in the list from 30 to 16. There were also players who did not even make the 30, in some cases somewhat surprisingly, such as Aaron Finch and Kevin Pietersen. Now it is time for the second part of the countdown as I look at who has the highest batting index in t20 cricket. Again there are surprises, maybe even more, as well as the expected names who are just obviously going to be listed in the top 15. The qualifications are of course the same and they include:
- minimum average (20)
- minimum strike rate (120)
- minimum balls faced (500)
- currently active
15. Yusuf Pathan (Avg: 27.57; SR: 147.30; BI: 174.87)
Pathan's recent t20 form has shown that there is no real surprise that he is 15th in this list. In his last 5 innings, all for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, he has recorded scores of 30*, 42, 29, 52 and 44 at a combined strike rate of 147. Such brutal and consistent hitting has seen him present many a problem to many a bowler in recent times. His hundred in the inaugural IPL season for Rajasthan Royals remains his only t20 century to date.
14. David Wiese (Avg: 21.09; SR: 154.35; BI: 175.44)
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| David Wiese hitting out for South Africa (PHOTO: Gallo Images/Getty Images Sport) |
The stocky South African all rounder has enjoyed a fruitful spell in the last year or two in the shortest format of the game. He made his IPL debut this year for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and made an impressive debut, taking 4-33 and finishing unbeaten on 47 from 25 balls, albeit in a losing cause. He also played five games in the Caribbean Premier League back in July, scoring only 12 runs in three innings. He did have his bowling to fall back on however, and he claimed seven victims, including 5-30 against the Barbados Tridents.
13. Virender Sehwag (Avg: 27.35; SR: 148.11; BI: 175.46)
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| Sehwag was made for t20 cricket (PHOTO: Gallo Images/Getty Images Sport) |
Sehwag will be remembered as an inherently attack-minded batsman across all formats, which his scarcely-believable Test strike rate of 82.23 compiled over 180 innings proves. There is no surprise then, that his t20 strike rate is close to 150. Blessed with incredible hand-eye co-ordination, any bowling that offers even the slightest bit of width will typically disappear to the boundary with a simple flash of the blade.
12. David Miller (Avg: 38.33; SR: 137.79; BI: 176.12)
One of the best finishers in the game, David Miller has single-handedly won several games from impossible-looking situations throughout his t20 career. Capable of clearing any boundary with consumate ease, the South African international looks to target any area from midwicket to long on to launch his maxmimums into the baying crowds. Due to his finishing abilities, Miller boasts an average of 38.33 in t20s, owing mainly to the 49 occasions that he has finished unbeaten in 150 innings - finishing not out once every three innings.
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| Can Tom Westley become an England star? (PHOTO: Stu Forster/Getty Images Sport) |
11. Tom Westley (Avg: 39.04; SR: 137.18; BI: 176.22)
Westley has established himself as a consistent and important member of the Essex squad across all formats. In t20 cricket, of the six occasions that the 26-year-old has passed 50, he has gone on to three figures twice, with a high score of 109*. With this sort of pedigree in limited overs cricket, an England call up may not be too far away from his grasp.
10. David Warner (Avg: 33.51; SR: 142.81; BI: 176.32)
Warner's international debut set the tone for his t20 career, striking 89 off 43 balls against South Africa as he sent six deliveries over the MCG ropes. His debut knock was made all the more incredible given the fact that he hadn't even played a first class match, debuting two months later for New South Wales against Western Australia. From then on, Warner has enjoyed a prosperous t20 career, scoring five centuries and 44 fifties in nearly 200 games, giving his sides consistently strong momentum at the top of the order.
9. Luke Wright (Avg: 28.12; SR: 148.49; BI: 176.61)
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| Luke Wright has been dangerously consistent for Sussex since his debut (PHOTO: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Sport) |
Luke Wright has been one of the most consistent and dangerous t20 players on the county circuit since his debut in 2004. Like Warner, Wright has five t20 centuries to his name along with Michael Klinger, with only McCullum and Gayle having scored more. In fact, Wright is joint 8th with compatriot Owais Shah in terms of the most games played in t20 history with 228. A third and final statistic is that Wright has received the second highest amount of man of the match awards in Twenty20 history with 27. Shockingly, the only player to have won more is ... Chris Gayle.
8. Jesse Ryder (Avg: 27.06; SR: 149.66; BI: 176.72)
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| Ryder has found salvation at Essex (PHOTO: Stu Forster/Getty Images Sport) |
7. Glenn Maxwell (Avg: 21.50; SR: 155.64; BI: 177.14)
Maxwell has caught the eye over the years with his infrequent displays of carnage-ridden innings, demonstrating his brutal approach to batting as well as his rather unorthodox approach. It was during the first three games of IPL 7 in 2014 that really made people rise to the edge of their seats - and duck for cover. He scorched 279 runs in his first three innings and by halfway in the group stage he had 435. 'The Big Show' did not live up to his billing in the latest edition of the IPL, scoring just 145 runs in 11 largely disappointing innings.
6. Ross Whiteley (Avg: 32.33; SR: 150.77; BI: 183.10)
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| Whiteley has emerged as a big hitting potential England prospect (PHOTO: Stu Forster/Getty Images Sport) |
Whiteley has emerged, this year in particular, as a dangerous t20 player. This statement is evidenced by the fact that he will now most likely end the Blast joint-top of the sixes chart - should David Willey fail to strike at least 10 maximums on Finals Day. The left hander has had a storming competition in 2015, hitting 315 runs at an average of close to 40 and striking at a huge 178. Whiteley has passed fifty on just two occasions in his 25 t20 Blast innings in 2014 and 2015, although when he has he's hit 84 and 91. Both innings have featured several sixes, 20 in total with each innings simply blowing the opposition out the water. This year's knock of 91 against Yorkshire came off just 35 balls, featuring 11 sixes.
5. Naved Malik (Avg: 24.60; SR: 159.90; BI: 184.50)
Who is this guy? Naved Malik sneaks in to the top five courtesy of a huge strike rate that he has accumulated over 43 t20 innings. Despite having such good statistics, Malik has never represented Pakistan at any level in any format and at the age of 29, may never get the chance. He showcased his credentials in a one day game earlier in the year for his team Rawalpindi Rams as he struck an unbeaten 179 batting at number three against an attack that featured Sohail Tanvir, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Khan.
4. Kieron Pollard (Avg: 31.43; SR: 153.74; BI: 185.17)
A matter of time before the big all rounder from Trinidad and Tobago was mentioned on this list. Pollard is one of a number of players who simply exemplify the shortest form of the game. The 28-year-old has played the most Twenty20 games in the format's short history, 22 more than Albie Morkel in second place. Pollard is comfortably second on the list of the most sixes hit in t20 cricket with 390, although he has some way to go to overtake his West Indian compatriot Mr Gayle. To have such statistics after nearly 300 games is quite a feat for someone who generally comes in towards the end of an innings. On his day, Pollard is one of the biggest game-changers in the format.
3. Andre Russell (Avg: 24.41; SR: 167.41; BI: 167.41; BI: 191.82)
Russell is yet another big-hitting West Indian all rounder to go alongside players such as Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Jason Holder and Pollard. Russell is currently stealing a march on his fellow all rounders this year with several stellar displays with bat and ball. The athletic Jamaican enjoyed a fantastic IPL, scoring 326 runs for the Kolkata Knight Riders at a staggering strike rate of just under 193 and passing fifty three times. He didn't quite replicate that form in the CPL, however, scoring just 139 runs in eight innings, although he was still striking above 150 and managed to clear the ropes on seven occasions.
2. Colin de Grandhomme (Avg: 24.45; SR: 168.56; BI: 193.01)
This 29-year-old has snuck into number two on the countdown, thanks largely in part to the fact that he currently has the highest t20 career strike rate, just ahead of Russell. Generally though, despite their average and strike rate being very similar, Russell has the more attractive statistics. De Grandhomme has only passed fifty four times, with his high score currently 66. The Zimbabwean-born Kiwi is not quite as unknown as Malik, with the all rounder having represented New Zealand five times in total across ODIs and t20Is. In fact, de Grandhomme could well count himself unlucky that he has not played more for his country. In his one and only ODI, de Grandhomme shared a 5th wicket partnership of 55 in 8.5 overs with James Franklin, hitting a run-a-ball 36 containing three sixes before he was run out by Albie Morkel. Certainly on the evidence of his t20 career thus far, he deserves at least a fifth t20 outing for the Black Caps.
1. Chris Gayle (Avg: 44.21; SR: 149.25; BI: 193.46)
Here he is. Mr t20 cricket himself. Chris Gayle is arguably by far the best t20 batsman in the business. The sheer amount of records he holds and the insane statistics that he is recognised by is testament to that. Gayle has the most man of the match awards (42), the most sixes (586), the most fifties (52), the most hundreds (16), most runs in a calendar year (1532), most runs in a series/tournament (733) and the most runs (8224) in the history of Twenty20 cricket. He also has the highest individual score in t20 cricket which he made in IPL 6 back in 2013 when he smashed 175 off 66 balls against the Pune Warriors.
That innings itself has multiple records attached to it including the most sixes in an innings (17) and the most runs from boundaries in an innings (154) as well as it being the fastest hundred in Twenty20 history (30 balls). This is all without mentioning his exploits internationally and in t20 leagues around the world, notably the IPL, CPL and t20 Blast, and the fact that he has the highest average among current players and is second on the list for most fours. Christopher Henry Gayle - undisputed number one.
All statistics correct up to 17th August 2015
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