Best Pinch Hitters In Cricketing History: Teams have always preferred to have a stable set of openers. The field restrictions early in the innings coupled with helpful conditions titled the balance in the bowler’s favor. It is the best time for the bowling team to upstage the batting unit. But there have been few openers who changed the tide of the game.
They used the field restrictions to their benefit. These batters maximized the scoring inside the first fifteen overs. The term used to describe these batters is ‘Pinch-hitter’.
We Look At 5 Of The Best Pinch Hitters In Cricket:
#5 Mark Greatbatch
The Kiwis weren’t considered a serious force in world cricket until the 1992 ODI World Cup. Martin Crowe, the then New Zealand captain decided to shake things up. He asked Mark Greatbatch to take on the game in the first fifteen overs. Greatbatch played the first few overs with complete abandon. This move paid huge dividends as New Zealand took all opponents by surprise. He was cricket’s first designated pinch-hitter.
#4 Sunil Narine
He along with Chris Lynn holds the record for smashing the most runs in an IPL powerplay. Sunil Narine and Lynn joined forces to score 102 in 6 overs against RCB. Narine is someone who takes on spin early in his innings. He mainly scores down the ground making it difficult for the slow bowlers to operate. Narine no longer plays the role of a pinch hitter though.
#3 Sanath Jayasuriya
If it was Greatbatch in 1992, then it was Sanath Jayasuriya in 1996. Arjuna Ranatunga, the Sri Lankan captain asked Jayasuriya to open. Sanath until then was a player who batted at number 9. The move was ridiculed. But when the tournament got completed, it was Ranatunga who had the last laugh.
Jayasuriya ended up winning the player of the tournament award. He had such a huge impact opening the batting that he continued as an opener for the rest of his career. Jayasuriya finished with 13430 ODI runs at a strike rate of 91.2.
#2 Shahid Afridi
He is arguably the most popular Pakistani cricketer of all time. Boom Boom Afridi as he is fondly called was an absolute maverick. Shahid Afridi smashed the record for the fastest ODI century in 37 balls. It was a long-standing record that lasted for 18 years. Afridi notched up 8064 ODI runs in 398 matches. It was his strike rate of 117 that remains absolutely stunning! There is little doubt that he is one of the greatest (pinch) hitters of all time.
#1 Kris Srikkanth
He was the original swashbuckler. The man who braved up to the dreaded West Indies pace battery. Kris Srikkanth played the game with natural flair. He cared little for reputation. Not many might know but it was Srikkanth who was the top scorer in the historic 1983 finals. He played ODI and Test cricket with the temperament for T20I. In an era where batters looked for just survival, Srikanth lived to attack!
