The inception of 20 overs cricket changed the landscape of the gentlemen’s game entirely. While batters resorted to unconventional mind-boggling shots all around the park, bowlers did not step back and rather presented their own range of variations in deliveries that deceive the batters even on their best days in the middle. In the shortest format of the game, there is simply no room for errors and even half-chances are seen as opportunities to change the dynamics of a match. The world has witnessed a huge number of superstars taking over the center stage, only a few managed to remain consistent for a long span of time. Recently, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, England legend Kevin Pietersen, Caribbean veteran Ian Bishop and modern-day Proteas sensations Rassie Van der Dussen and Lungi Ngidi shared their list of 5 cricketers, with Betway, who ruled the shortest format of cricket truly as GOATs.
The most consistent T20 run-scorer of all time
An epitome of class, flamboyance, and charisma on the field, Virat Kohli showed the fraternity that even sticking to orthodox cricketing shots can fetch the batters tons of runs in T20s. The leading run-scorer of all time in the world’s toughest T20 league IPL, Kohli has always been a runaway matchwinner for his team irrespective of the format. His ability to score big runs in the most crunch situations earned him the tag of a modern-day great. Aakash Chopra lauded King Kohli for changing the perception about scoring 30s as the new fifty in T20 cricket. In T20Is, the former India skipper averages over 50 and has so far amassed 3296 runs in just 97 matches at a staggering strike rate of 137.68. In IPL 2016, the chase master hit 4 tons in a single season and overall scored close to 1000 runs, a feat that still seems unbelievable to achieve. Take a bow, King Kohli!
Why Chris Gayle is the most destructive batter ever
Aptly known as the Universe Boss, Christopher Henry Gayle was one of the first cricketers who proved why T20 cricket is the most exciting, thrilling, and entertaining format to exist ever. Other cricketers might come, play a few big hits, and go but when it’s the Caribbean giant in the middle, have some sympathy for the bowlers as it’s a Gayle storm. His monstrous power, his humongous shots that often went out of the stadiums, and his nonchalant style – Gayle is definitely the biggest rockstar of T20 cricket hands down.
Proteas speedster reveals how it looks from the bowler’s eyes when Gayle smashes the ball in the stands,
“Looking at him from the top of your run-up, it looks like he’s standing right next to you. One swing and it’s out of the stadium.”
Which mystery spinner was the most difficult to face
The game of cricket has witnessed the arrival of several mystery spinners who foxed even the best players of spin with their labyrinth of turns but soon faded away after the players got the experience of understanding their turn. But if there is any notable exception in this list, then it has to be the wizard from Trinidad and Tobago, Sunil Narine. Sadly, Narine did get a lot of chances to represent the West Indies in T20Is, however, his magic crushed batters in the top T20 leagues of the world. Be it is his orthodox offie, carrom ball, doosra, knuckleball to his deceptive straighter one, his array of variations opens a Pandora’s box for the willow-wielders even in the best of batting tracks.
“I had no idea which way it was going ”if Kevin Pietersen, one of the greatest stalwarts of the game, had this to say for a spinner, you could easily understand the caliber the Caribbean spin-king possessed. His bowling actions has often been under scrutiny, but nobody can deny that to score brisk runs against Narine is a herculean task for any batter.
The genius of Lasith Malinga
Without a doubt, Lasith Malinga is the greatest fast bowler in the history of T20s. While batters looked to slog in the death overs, if they were facing Malinga, they had no choice but to hang in there to somehow save their wicket before the master rattles the stumps. His toe-crushing yorkers with his slinging action left batters clueless, pundits baffled, and fans in awe. He also is the only Sri Lankan captain to clinch the WT20 title and without him, MI’s desire to be the most successful franchise in IPL would only have been a distant dream. Even at the twilight of his career, Malinga remained a fierce deadly pacer whose yorkers never got the rust. Van der Dussen might not have faced the best of Malinga yet his words show the master’s brilliance,
“I’ve never faced anything like that before in my life”
A ‘mind-boggling’ South African fielder
South Africa is the land that gave cricket some of its greatest fielders of all time. If it was Jonty Rhodes in the 90s then T20s saw the heroics of the Superman of Cricket, A B de Villiers in the present decade. A world-class batter who could find a place in the best of squads possible, de Villiers made a point that in case his bat fails to do the talking, his agility on the field will compensate for it every single time. He started out as a wicket-keeper batter, and was quite successful behind the stumps. However, in the later phase of his career, Mr 360 found his new love of fielding at the deep and taking catches that otherwise looked impossible. Ian Bishop perfectly describes ABD’s prowess as a fielder,
“I’m not sure that too many are better in any area of the field than AB de Villiers.”
