It is the openers in T20 cricket who lay a solid platform for other batters to follow. They occupy a large chunk of the overs predominantly. If they get out cheaply it puts the middle order under a lot of pressure. There are certain openers who take the game deep while there are a few who get going right from ball one. In the age of impact cricket, openers who set the ball rolling quickly are the ones in demand.
We rank the top 5 openers for T20 World Cup 2022:
#5 Quinton De Kock
He is arguably one of the most underrated openers. Quinton De Kock is a valuable asset for South Africa. On his day he can tear apart any attack. Kock will relish the conditions in Australia as the pitches are largely true. He will have to go hard right from ball one as his partner, Temba Bavuma will look to play anchor. Kock’s ability to maximise the powerplay will decide South Africa’s fortunes in most games.
#4 Babar Azam
He is consistency personified across formats. Babar Azam made a name for himself in International cricket through T20Is primarily. He is the cornerstone on whom Pakistan’s batting is dependent. Babar knows the Australian conditions quite well.
But the challenge ahead of him will be his strike rate. He largely strikes in the 125-130 range. This might serve him in the two-paced surfaces of UAE but Australian pitches will push him out of his comfort zone. Pakistan needs Babar to fire big time for them to surge ahead in the tournament.
#3 David Warner
He is a big tournament player. David Warner knows the art of making runs in a mega event. He has played starring roles in the 2016 IPL, 2019 ODI World Cup, and 2021 T20 World Cup. Age is not on his side but that hasn’t stopped him in any way. He continues to hunt for runs.
His ability to keep the scoreboard ticking irrespective of boundary options makes him lethal. Warner in all probability will be playing his last T20 World Cup. He will be looking to sign off on a high in his home country.
#2 Rohit Sharma
He was appointed as India’s full-time captain across formats post the debacle of T20 World Cup 2021. Rohit Sharma identified that the team needs to play a certain brand of cricket to stay ahead of the curve. It was Sharma who took the gauntlet first to show the rest of the team how it’s done.
India has since then gone on to win twice as many games as they have lost. Sharma has been instrumental in the team playing impactful knocks rather than one resting on laurels. He will be India’s main man in the T20 World Cup 2022.
#1 Jos Buttler
His T20I numbers are mind-boggling. Yet, Jos Buttler took his batting to a whole new level this IPL. He amassed 862 runs in 17 games scoring 4 centuries. Buttler equaled and broke many records this season. He strikes at 142.6 in T20Is and 149.7 in IPL. His biggest strength is his conviction to hit the ball hard and long. If he is able to handle captaincy pressure then Buttler will be in line to put a show in the T20 World Cup 2022.
