Top 10 T20 Batsman

T20 cricket, or twenty20 cricket, is a newly introduced version of one-day cricket matches. It is defined as a short cricket match of 20 overs that lasts for around 80 minutes per innings, with a few minutes break between two innings. A T20 cricket match was first played in 2003 when the England and Wales Cricket Board first introduced it.

More about T20 cricket format

Since its introduction, the T20 format of cricket has spread to practically every cricket country on the planet and is extremely popular, especially in the Indian subcontinent, South Africa, and Australia. What distinguishes this version of cricket is that it has evolved into a franchised form of sports, similar to some British football clubs, in which high-net-worth individuals can own cricket teams that compete in tournaments.

It has gained more popularity in India, where different teams have been formed, and a high-octane T20 series is played each year with great fanfare. One of the most distinguishing elements of the T20 format used in India is that individual franchisees are free to recruit players from other countries' cricket teams. For example, the teams have been known to bring in stars such as Michael Clarke from Australia and Chris Gayle from the West Indies on multiple occasions, among others. It has not only increased cross-country involvement in cricket but has also served as a springboard for many new cricketers who make their professional debuts in this format.

Origins

The ECB required another one-day competition to replace the Benson & Hedges Cup when it expired in 2002. In reaction to falling audiences and reduced funding, cricket officials sought to increase the game's popularity among the younger generation. It was designed to make fast-paced, entertaining cricket available to tens of thousands of cricket enthusiasts who were turned off by the game's longer versions. In 2001, the ECB's marketing manager, Stuart Robertson, presented a 20-over-per-innings game to county chairpersons, who voted 11 to 7 to implement the new format. The Twenty20 Cup began on June 13, 2003, with the first official Twenty20 matches amongst English counties.

The Surrey Lions won the title in the first season of Twenty20 in England, defeating the Warwickshire Bears by nine wickets in the final. The first Twenty20 match between Middlesex and Surrey at lords on 15 July 2004 drew a crowd of 27,509, the largest attendance for any county cricket event at the ground other than a one-day final since 1953.

Layout of T20

The Twenty20 match format is a type of limited-overs cricket in which two teams compete in one inning. Each team bats for 20 overs, which is a crucial consideration (120 legal balls). The batting team members do not come from traditional changing rooms, rather from a bench (usually a row of chairs) visible in the playing arena, similar to the technical area in association football or the dugout in baseball.

List of top 10 T20 Batsman

1. Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle is the number one batsman in the history of the game. He can score against any bowling lineup in any situation. Fans adore him because of his laid-back demeanour while hitting massive sixes. His approach to accumulating innings is straightforward, and he prefers to play fours and sixes over singles and doubles. For any spin bowler, he is the most dangerous hitter to face. His stats versus spinners are incredible. His abilities allow him to cross any barrier easily. He is largely regarded as one of the greatest T20 players ever.

Christopher Henry Gayle, dubbed "the six-hitting machine," is usually considered the best T20 batter in the world. With nearly 14k runs, Gayle holds the record for most T20 runs scored. Southpaw has shown himself in various T20 leagues worldwide, and Gayle has been heading and shoulders above the rest in his T20 career, with 22 centuries.

He may not be at the pinnacle of his career at 42, but he has already accomplished enough to secure a place in T20 history. In terms of T20 statistics, Gayle has played 446 T20 games and scored a remarkable 14261 runs at an average of 36.94. In addition, the Caribbean superstar holds the record for the highest T20 individual score of 175 in IPL 2013.

2. Kieron Pollard

Pollard is the best player for any type of team. He can score quickly, bowl and take important wickets, and incredible catches. He is one of the best T20 players ever, with a massive muscular structure, a clean striker of the ball, and exceptional finishing skills.

Pollard has been outstanding for each of his franchises. He was regarded as one of the most lethal and destructive batsmen in T20 cricket history. His contributions to the bat ball and field make him an important member of any team.

Kieron Pollard, a Caribbean all-rounder, is another T20 great and seasoned campaigner. Pollard has established himself as one of the finest T20 finishers of all time over the years. He also adds a wealth of experience to the table, having made 562 T20 outings so far in his career. He has been outstanding for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, serving as one of the team's most important match-winners.

Pollard's leadership abilities, along with his ability to strike hard in the death overs, make him a complete package in the T20 format. Pollard will be a key player in the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2021 if West Indies maintain their T20 championship. In 562 T20 outings, he has scored 11174 runs, with the majority of those runs coming while batting in the lower order.

3. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, India's captain, is a true legend in the sport. It's also fair to argue that he's one of the top batsmen in the world, regardless of format. Kohli has often demonstrated that he can achieve success even in the T20 format by extending his strokes.

Kohli was at his best in the 2016 IPL, scoring four hundred in a single season. Kohli has been consistently performing well for India, not only in the IPL but also in T20Is. In T20 internationals, he currently holds the record for most runs scored. The Delhi-born batsman has amassed 3159 runs at an exceptional average of above 50 in 90 games. Kohli is the top run-scorer in the IPL, with over 6000 runs in 200 outings for his team. As a result, Kohli is unquestionably the finest T20 batsman of all time on our ranking.

4. David Warner

David Warner has made a strong start to his cricket career as a T20 batsman. He is undoubtedly one of the deadliest T20 batsmen in the world. In the shortest format of the game, Australia's pocket dynamite has been excellent. Nobody can stop him from scoring runs when he is in full flow. Warner has appeared in 81 games and has a career batting average of 31.46.

He will undoubtedly end his career as one of the greatest T20 batsmen in cricket history. He's one of the most valuable foreign players. David is an important asset to his team because of his aggressive stroke plays and ability to rotate the strike. While playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he became the first player in IPL history to win two consecutive orange caps.

In 304 T20 games, he has scored 10017 runs, according to his statistics. He is included in our list of the greatest T20 batters of all time because of his innovative strokes and history of producing match-winning contributions.

5. AB De Villiers

AB De Villiers is cricket's superman. He is regarded as one of the greatest T20 batsmen of all time. He possessed excellent control over a wide spectrum of shots. De Villiers can play any cricket shot imaginable. In 78 T20 games, he has a strike rate of 135.17 and has scored 1,672 runs. When AB de Villiers is in full flow, it's impossible to stop him. AB De Villiers, sometimes known as Mr. 360°, is a natural fit for this list thanks to his influential T20 batting style. The Proteas star is noted for his creative strokes and ability to strike the same delivery at different locations on the ground. In cricket, his ability to adjust to changing conditions and scenarios is highly regarded.

Even though he has retired from international cricket, he plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. The 37-year-old has yet to win an IPL or international championship, but he is still regarded as South Africa's best T20 batsman of all time. In his T20 career, De Villiers has played 333 games and scored 9318 runs, including four centuries and 69 half-centuries.

6. Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is a rare T20 batsman who can be devastating with his beautiful and smooth stroke-making. Sharma, often known as Hitman, has established his worth as a runaway match-winner on numerous occasions.

Rohit has always been at the core of his team's batting, whether as the captain of the Mumbai Indians or as India's leading batter. He relies on timing and likes to play longer innings, which is unusual in the shortest format. He is widely considered one of the complete cricketers of his generation. The Mumbai batsman has 9315 runs in 350 games, with six centuries and 65 half-centuries.

7. Brendon McCullum

Brendan McCullum is one of the most dangerous and game-changing batsmen in T20 cricket. He is still one of the best all-time T20 batters. He had won numerous matches for the New Zealand squad and was regarded as one of the best players New Zealand had ever produced. Regardless of the bowler, McCullum always played with the same aggression and intent.

McCullum has scored 2140 runs in 71 T20I appearances. He hit the home run with a 35.67 average and a strike rate of 136.22. In the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 competition in Sri Lanka, McCullum scored an amazing 123 runs against Bangladesh, setting a new record for the highest T20 Individual total and becoming the first player to score two Twenty20 International centuries. Aaron Finch later broke this record when he hit 156 against England. McCullum's aggressive attitude was well-known across all three formats of the game. He played with the same intensity and aggression in Test, ODI, and T20 cricket. He bowled one of the most important innings in T20 cricket history.

Brendon McCullum scored 158 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first-ever IPL match in 2008 at M. Chinn Swamy Stadium. It was the kind of start that a large competition like the IPL needed, and it turned out to be a watershed moment in T20 cricket. McCullum could be regarded as the greatest T20 batsman of all time based on just on that singular knock, regardless of his prior exploits in the game.

The New Zealand opener has single-handedly won several games for his country while also propelling his country's cricket to new heights. His 123-run performance against Bangladesh is one of his career peaks. McCullum has resigned from all forms of cricket and is now the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders, his previous IPL franchise (KKR).

8. Andre Russell

Andre Russell is synonymous with physical power and strength. Because of his powerful build, he is one of the few players who has succeeded in T20 cricket. Russell relies heavily on his hard-hitting abilities and is a nightmare for any bowler in the final overs. Without question, he is one of the most dangerous batsmen in the history of T20 cricket.

In difficult conditions, he has shown why he is so highly regarded in this format by winning games for his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Caribbean all-rounder has extensive experience playing in T20 leagues around the world. Russell has scored 6385 runs and taken 339 wickets in 380 T20 matches as an all-rounder.

Andre Russell is the most lethal T20 batsman in history. It's amazing to see how he floats the ball into the stands. Any goal appears to be within reach when Russell is on the ice. He has developed into a valuable asset and game-changer, capable of changing any game with his power striking.

His physical fitness also influenced his pinch-hitting abilities. He has altered the outcome of several games for his club. He's also a good bowler who can make a big difference as a fifth bowling option. His contributions with both the bat and the ball helped him establish himself as one of the most explosive T20 players of all time.

9. Glen Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell, an Australian, has shown to be a T20 specialist. Maxwell enjoys taking the assault to the opposition with his natural batting and confidence in his ability. Batting in the middle order, the 'Big Show,' as he's affectionately known, has delivered some mind-boggling knocks for his country. His worth as a T20 maniac may be measured year after year by his ever-increasing IPL auction price.

Despite failing to reproduce his international heroics in the IPL, Maxwell is still regarded as one of the greatest in the industry regarding T20 cricket. If he can improve his consistency, Glenn Maxwell has the potential to be the best T20 batsman of all time soon. In terms of T20 statistics, the Australian all-rounder has scored 6907 runs in 314 T20 innings.

10. Kevin Peterson

Pieterson is, without a doubt, one of England's best T20 batsmen. The pinnacle of his career was playing a key role in England's first T20 World Cup victory in 2009.

His ability to hit the ball powerfully while timing it perfectly was widely regarded. Pietersen's eagerness to play in the IPL spurred his countrymen to join the league. His abrupt exit from the English team resulted in a brief T20 career, yet he remains one of the best T20 batsmen of all time. In 200 games, the former England batsman has scored 5695 runs at an average of 33.89.