Best Batting Strike Rates
The biggest evolution in the T20 format ironically came after the 2015 ODI World Cup. England in particular took to playing an aggressive brand of cricket. Their white-ball sides went all out across formats. Unsurprisingly England went on to play in the finals. They lost to just one side (twice) in the 2016 T20 World Cup. That side was the West Indies. The Caribbean batsmen though quietly beat the English at their own game. Let us look at Best Batting Strike Rates in detail.
The six-hitting bandwagon:
It was in this World Cup that the importance attached to strike rates gained momentum. Teams now lay their prime focus on batsmen scoring impactful runs rather than one built on averages. The T20 World Cup 2022 will possibly witness new benchmarks being set.
We look at batsmen with the best strike rates in T20 World Cup:
[Minimum runs scored – 400]
#5 Chris Gayle – 142.75
There is little doubt that Chris Gayle is one of the greatest of all time in T20Is. He is one of the top batters in terms of consistency and unsurprisingly finds a mention in the top 5 of best strikers too. The Jamaican redefined the art of T20 batting.
During his peak, he showed the world that a batsman can take his time at the start of his innings. But for batters to do that they had to have the explosive power of Chris Gayle. Not everyone though stuck at 142.75 as Gayle did when he scored his 965 T20 World Cup runs.
#4 AB de Villiers – 143.4
He was the original 360-degree batsman. AB de Villiers was a modern-day master who rewrote the rules of the game. He won many games singlehandedly. ABD had no particular weakness against any kind of bowling or opposition. He could have achieved greater heights as a T20 batsman if his role was even more clearly defined. ABD yet went on to notch 717 runs in 30 games at a fantastic strike rate of 143.4.
#3 Jos Buttler – 144.58
He is one of the main personnel behind England’s white-ball renaissance. Jos Buttler was an exception to the rule when he debuted under the Alistair Cook era. He soon became a norm when Eoin Morgan took over the reigns.
The ability to strike big and strike right from the start separates Jos Buttler. He has the dual responsibilities of leading the side and opening the innings in this T20 World Cup. But there isn’t a doubt that his strike rate of 144.58 will be impacted one bit.
#2 Kevin Pietersen – 148.33
He was the original maverick of English cricket. Kevin Pietersen won the player of the tournament award in 2010. He was the pillar behind England’s T20 World Cup triumph. One of the pioneers of the modern game, Pietersen amassed 580 runs at an outstanding average of 44.61. He made these runs at a similarly insane strike rate of 148.33!
#1 Shahid Afridi – 154.23
No list of batting strike rates is complete until Shahid Afridi’s name appears. He is a clear leader in this race. Afridi is six points clear of the second-best on this list. The player of the tournament award winner in 2007, Afridi was a bowling allrounder at the fag end of his career.
He smashed two important fifties in the semifinal and final of the T20 World Cup in 2009 to help Pakistan win the title. Afridi scored 546 runs in 34 T20 World Cup games at a breathtaking strike rate of 154.23!
