India vs the world: The biggest power hitters in T20I cricket currently | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: One of the most important parameters to measure the impact a batsman has in the shortest format of the game – Twenty20 cricket – is batting strike rate. It shows how many runs a batsman scores per 100 balls faced.
The batters with high strike rates are the ones who give their teams the much needed push to take the total from competitive ones to match-winning ones. The openers and the finishers in the team are expected to have high strike rates in their career. They are the batting x-factors of their teams — giving a flying start in the Powerplay overs, and leading the final assaults in the death overs.
World No. 1 India boast of many power-hitters in their ranks, like Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul among others.
So, how much have these power hitters contributed to the team’s good run in the recent past?
India have won 11 of the 14 matches the team has played, which includes one no result, since the T20 World Cup in 2021.
As India look to build a perfect team for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia and head into a two match T20I series vs Ireland next, TimesofIndia.com here looks at the performances of India’s big hitters via their strike rates in T20I cricket and compares them with the power hitters of the other top international teams.
The following list is of active players only, with a minimum of 300 runs scored in T20Is in descending order.
INDIA
Suryakumar Yadav (Career T20I SR: 165.56)
One batter who made an immediate impact for India in T20I cricket since making his debut in March last year is Suryakumar Yadav. The right-hander has an eye-popping record in T20Is during his short stint so far. The middle-order batter played 14 games and scored 351 runs @39.00, while hammering those runs at a strike rate of 165.56. He even smacked 20 sixes in 12 innings.

(Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images)
Dinesh Karthik (Career T20I SR: 148.33)
Hardik Pandya (Career T20I SR: 147.57)
Next on the list for India are two of the best finishers in the format – Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya. The two have scored their runs at career strike rates so far of 148.33 and 147.57 respectively, and Team India will be hoping for the duo to push its total to match-winning ones while batting first, while taking the team home in chases.

(ANI Photo)
Both are making their comebacks in the Indian team. Karthik, who played India’s first ever T20I way back in December 2006, is back in the India blues after almost 3 years and played four innings against South Africa in the recently concluded five-match series. The new ‘finisher’ scored his runs at a 158.62 strike rate in the series. Hardik too made his comeback in the South Africa series, since the last T20 World Cup in UAE, and accumulated his runs at a strike rate of 153.94.

(ANI Photo)
KL Rahul (Career T20I SR: 142.49)
Rohit Sharma (Career T20I SR: 139.55)
India openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, both of whom were not part of the SA series, have a very good record in T20Is. The duo have provided India with a flying start on more than one occasion.

(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Arguably the best T20 batter for India at the moment, Rahul has an impressive record in the format. With two hundreds and 16 fifties in 52 innings, Rahul has scored his 1831 T20I runs at a career strike rate of 142.49, hitting 73 sixes. Unfortunately, he missed the South Africa series due to a groin injury after being named the captain of the team in the absence of Rohit, who was rested. Rishabh Pant was given the leadership role in his absence in the series which ended level at 2-2 after the last game was abandoned due to rain.

(Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
India skipper Rohit is a colossal figure in the shortest format of the game – he leads the all time T20I batting charts with 3313 runs, has scored the most hundreds in the format – 4, played the most number of matches – 125, and is second on the list of most sixes hit so far with 155 maximums. And he has maintained a very healthy strike rate of 139.55.
Shreyas Iyer (Career T20I SR: 139.35)
Virat Kohli (Career T20I SR: 137.67)

Other than the above top five power hitters, middle-order batters Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli are also capable of changing gears when needed and have so far scored their runs at more than decent strike rates of 139.35 and 137.67 respectively.

Now let’s check how the top power hitters of other teams have fared in terms of scoring in express pace:
AUSTRALIA
Glenn Maxwell (Career T20I SR: 153.38)
As expected ‘the big show’ Glenn Maxwell leads the list of Australian big hitters. Maxwell has scored his 2000 plus T20I runs at a strike rate of 153.38, while smacking 99 sixes so far. With three hundreds in the format, he is only behind Rohit Sharma on the overall T20I most centuries list, tied with New Zealand’s Colin Munro.

(AP Photo)
Aaron Finch (Career T20I SR: 145.29)
David Warner (Career T20I SR: 140.89)

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Australia skipper Aaron Finch and opener David Warner are capable of destroying any bowling attack on their day and regularly gave their team a good start in the powerplay overs. The experienced opening duo have played more than 90 matches each and scored their runs at career strikes rates of 145.29 and 140.89 respectively. The two openers are also big six hitters and smoked 117 and 100 maximums respectively so far.

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Marcus Stoinis (Career T20I SR: 142.49)
In the middle-order Marcus Stoinis plays the finisher’s role along with Maxwell for the current world champions. The all-rounder has scored his T20I runs at a strike rate of 140.68, mostly batting at No. 5 & 6.

ENGLAND
Tom Banton (Career T20I SR: 147.96)
Jason Roy (Career T20I SR: 143.45)
Young English opener Tom Banton has made a name for himself in a short time in T20Is by scoring runs at an impressive strike rate. The right-hander has accumulated 327 runs at a strike rate of 147.96, hitting 17 maximums in 14 innings. Banton has opening partner in experienced Jason Roy, who is as attacking as the youngster. Roy has scored almost 1500 T20I runs at a strike rate of 143.45.

Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Jos Buttler (Career T20I SR: 141.16)
England also have one of the most destructive batters in world cricket currently in Jos Buttler, who can play as an opener as well as a finisher in the team. Buttler has scored more than 2000 T20I runs at a strike rate of 141.16, while smacking 90 sixes in 80 innings.

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Dawid Malan (Career T20I SR: 137.20)
At first down, they have Dawid Malan who has 1239 runs at an average of 41.30, while scoring those runs at a strike rate of 137.20.

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

WEST INDIES
Andre Russell (Career T20I SR: 156)
Known for their incredible powerhitters, the two-time T20 world champions West Indies still boast of two batters with 150 plus strike rates. Andre Russell tops the Windies chart of big hitters, scoring his 741 runs at a strike rate of 156. The allrounder has 62 sixes in 57 innings.

Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Evin Lewis (Career SR: 155.51)
But the most impressive Windies batter in T20Is at the moment perhaps is opener Evin Lewis, who has scored 1423 runs which includes two hundreds and 10 fifties. Lewis has scored those runs at a strike rate of 155.51 with the highest score of 125 not out. Lewis is also known for his six-hitting capabilities, and so far smacked 110 maximums in just 49 innings – that’s more than 2 sixes per innings.

(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Rovman Powell (Career T20I SR: 138.78)
Nicholas Pooran (Career T20I SR: 128.97)

(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Windies then have two solid middle-order batters in Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran. Both are big six hitters and have hit more than 100 sixes between them. Powell and Pooran have scored their runs at career strike rates of 138.78 and 128.97 respectively.

NEW ZEALAND
James Neesham (Career T20I SR: 151.82)
Glenn Phillips (Career T20I SR: 140.21)
Kiwi batting allrounder James Neesham plays the role of a finisher for New Zealand in T20Is. The destructive left-hander has scored 416 runs at a strike rate of 151.82 so far in T20Is to lead the SR charts for active Kiwi players. Neesham’s partner in crime in the middle-order for New Zealand is Glenn Phillips, who has scored his 645 T20I runs so far at a strike rate of 140.21, hitting 37 sixes in 30 innings.

(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Devon Conway (Career T20I SR: 139.35)
Devon Conway, who mostly bats at No.3 & 4, is one of the most consistent hitters for the Kiwis in the format, scoring 602 runs at a 50.16 average. He also scored those runs at a pretty quick pace – a strike rate of 139.35.

(Photo by Isuru Sameera Peiris/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Colin de Grandhomme (Career T20I SR: 138.35)
Colin de Grandhomme also plies his trade lower down the order, finishing the Blackcaps innings with some big blows late in the death overs. The experienced all-rounder has scored his 500 plus runs so far in T20Is at a strike rate of 138.35. The above four give the New Zealand middle-order a formidable look.

PAKISTAN
Asif Ali (Career T20I SR: 133.84)
Among the active players, Pakistan incredibly have no batters who have a career strike rate of 140 plus in T20Is. In fact, middle-order batter Asif Ali leads the power hitters charts for them, scoring at a strike rate of 133.84. Ali has scored 435 runs in 35 T20I innings so far, but is yet to hit a fifty in the format.

Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Sharjeel Khan (Career T20I SR: 133.11)
Fakhar Zaman (Career T20I SR: 131.61)
Opener Sharjeel Khan is next on the list for Pakistan, scoring 406 runs in 18 innings at a strike rate of 133.11. Khan has smacked 15 maximums in T20Is so far. Experienced Fakhar Zaman comes in next with 1253 runs in 59 innings at a career T20I strike rate of 131.61. Zaman has hit 43 career T20I sixes so far.
Babar Azam (Career T20I SR: 129.44)
Skipper Babar Azam comes in next on the list for scoring his 2686 runs, which includes 1 hundred and 26 fifties, at a strike rate of 129.44. Babar remains a consistent run-scorer for his team accumulating runs at an average of 45.52, having so far hit 42 sixes in 69 T20I innings.

(AP Photo)