10 most over-rated players in T20I Cricket

These players have mostly thrived on reputation more than their performances on the field.

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Shaun Tait
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Shaun Tait. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

The dynamic of international cricket has turned upside down completely. T20 cricket has added an ounce of the action-oriented game much to the delight of the fans. With bat speaking up louder than ever before, the fearless brand of cricket has become the order of the day. From dispatching the ball over the head of the wicketkeeper to smashing the leather while dancing down the track, spectators cherish to drench in the rain of sixes.

Therefore, there are a plethora of players who live up to the billing of the fans. However, there are many who takes refuge in the shelter of rare-exhilarating performance on the turf. At a time when cricketers need to face neck to neck competition from their own compatriots, the players need to remain on their toes in every opportunity given to them.

On that note, this article attempts to deconstruct the top 10 over-rated cricketers in the T20 format of the sport. It will be exciting to see which players have remained in the limelight despite the fact that they have remained quiet on the field. Will the talented Ajinkya Rahane or lethal MS Dhoni cement their position in this shoddy list? let’s find out.

Here’s a list of the Top 10 over-rated T20 International cricketers of all time –

1. Dinesh Chandimal

Dinesh Chandimal
Dinesh Chandimal of Sri Lanka. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

The Sri Lanka-based cricketer was the biggest revelation in the island nation back in the days. Dinesh Chandimal broke into the national scenes against New Zealand in 2010. He boasts off an incredible ability to play the shots right from the word go. Hence, the wicket-keeper batsman fits in the role of middle-order decimator seamlessly.

It was widely believed that Dinesh would be the best replacement of former cricketing legend Kumar Sangakkara. However, statistics speak very ordinarily for the 31-year-old lad. In 54 T20I matches, Dinesh has managed to produce a meagre 800 runs at an average of 18. His short-format stint is laced up with only 16 sixes and 73 fours.

Hence, the experienced cricketer finds his name in the low-key list of over-rated players. It will be exciting to see whether the injury-marred cricketer makes a robust comeback in the upcoming years.

2. Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

If there was a sensation in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, it was non-other than Fakhar Zaman. In the final showdown against India, his scintillating century secured him a household name in Pakistan. The premier batsman has skills written all over his name. He has proven his mettle time and again.

The top-order batsman was expected to shape the ordinary cricketing performance of the Men in Green over the years. But he has failed to stand up to the expectations on various occasions. Taking a glance at his statistics, Fakhar has managed to pile up a mere 800-odd run in 40 T20I matches. Moreover, his latest performance in a match against Zimbabwe speaks volumes about his depreciating form. The 30-year-old scored 21 runs while opening the innings.

Hence, the off-coloured T20 career makes him a perfect candidate to bag the tag of an over-rated career. The swashbuckler must be scratching his cricketing itch as he looks forward to taking guards against heavyweights in the upcoming days.

3. Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer
Shimron Hetmyer. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The West Indies star batsman hogged headlines after taking his team across the finals of the Under-19 World Cup in 2016. Shimron Hetmyer upped his ante as he stormed into the national side on the back of his ruthless six-hitting ability. The youngster debuted against New Zealand at Bay Oval in 2018. Eventually, the batting talent barged into T20 extravaganza.

The middle-order batsman has not achieved the expected milestones till now. His T20I career trajectory reflects a topsy-turvy curve. In 27 T20I outings, Shimron has dashed as many as 379 runs at an average of 18. The heavy arms have remained calm in most of the occasions.

The 23-year-old cement his position in this black and white list of players. Hence, it is an alarm bell for the Caribbean star to prove his prowess in the upcoming years in order to remain relevant in the incredible six-hitting race. Facing powerful competitors up ahead, the young boy needs to pull off some decent knocks and showcase it to the world.

4. David Miller

David Miller
David Miller. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

If there is one club which is comprised of middle-order decimators with the bat, then surely David Miller will be spearheading it for his sheer ability to time the ball remarkably well. The South African mainstay barged into the rainbow nation team on the back of impeccable performance in the domestic circuit. The prolific match-winner served his duties for the proteas in ICC trophies.

However, things do not seem to fall in place for the cricketing heartthrob in the last couple of years. Talking about his career statistics, he has found it difficult to remain in the playing XI. In 78 T20I appearances, David has amassed 1409 runs at an average of 29. All in all, his short format stint is decorated with only 2 half-centuries much to his disappointment.

Subsequently, the experienced 31-year-old makes into this list owing to his inability to find the touch with the willow on regular occasions. Needless to say, the ace cricketer will cherish to get his career back on track with some strong punches pointed at his critics.

5. Corey Anderson

Corey Anderson
Corey Anderson of Somerset. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

The batting allrounder has represented New Zealand over the years. Corey Anderson has shown glimpses of brilliance both with the bat and ball. He is known for his fearless brand of cricket which makes him a top contender in the T20 format of the game. Eventually, he was handed the black cap against mighty South Africa in 2012. The southpaw could not make the most of the opportunity bestowed upon him in his debut match.

The most admirable kiwi in the cricketing arena has been an ordinary performer when taken a look at his consistency as an all-rounder. Till now, Corey has deposited only 485 runs in his batting account whereas with the ball he has plucked 14 wickets at an economy of 8.25. Hence, the pinch-hitter has remained calm and has not risen to his standards in various matches much to the apathy of the Kiwis.

Therefore, the 30-year-old makes into the list of not-so-illustrious players. His fans and supporters are eagerly waiting to watch out some memorable fireworks from his willow and him picking some priceless wickets with the ball.

6. Shaun Tait

Shaun Tait of the Hobart Hurricanes
Shaun Tait. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

The Australian ace pacer sent a chill down the batsman’s spin as he took the long run-up. The deadly pacer, Shaun Tait has given nightmares to the likes of AB de Villiers and Imran Farhat of Pakistan. Dubbed as ‘The Wild Thing’, Tait is known for his extra pace which he generates from his unconventional action. The promising bowler has always remained in limelight for his artistry with the white cherry in T20 cricket. He donned the Australian lavish cap back in 2007.

However, his career trajectory did not match the pace of his lethal deliveries. In 21 outings in the T20I format, the right-arm quick has managed to scalp 28 wickets at an ordinary economy of 7.13. Over the years, he was a victim of his own pace as street-smart batsmen made use of his own pace to dispatch the ball out of the park.

Hence, the firearm has found it difficult to find his rhythm on several occasions, as a result, he bags the over-rated tag. In 2017, the seamer hung his boots and drew the curtains of his cricketing career spanning above 10 years.

7. Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine Windies
West Indies’ Sunil Narine celebrates taking the wicket of England’s David Willey. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP/Getty Images)

Sunil Narine is regarded as one of the finest spinners in T20 cricket. The West Indies team management decided to hand him an opportunity only to use his exclusive wealth. He continues to dominate the cricketing affairs in the cash-rich tournaments all around the world. The spinning wizard has often been under the scrutiny of ICC for his alleged illegal bowling action. His fluctuating performance has played a pivotal part in his career.

Debuting for the Caribbean nation in T20 against Australia in 2012, the spin-king has notched meagre 52 wickets in 51 matches raising a myriad of questions on his performance. As a result, he was dropped from the national team.

The 32-year-old veteran spinner makes into this list for his inability to prove his potential in several crucial encounters. With his career nearing towards retirement, his fans expect him to pull off something unusual from his bowling arsenal.

8. Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist’s squash-ball
Adam Gilchrist’s squash-ball. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Adam Gilchrist was a part of fabulous four as far as the Australian team was concerned during their peak days in the early 2000s. The wicketkeeper-batsman has paid rich dividends to the kangaroos during his stay in the team. The elegant stroke player was a formidable batsman who chipped in right when the team demanded from him the most.

His career hit an unprecedented high when he became a part of World Cup troika for the Aussies. Adam carried a plethora of shots under his sleeves. However, he failed to stand tall in the shortest format of cricket. Talking about his stint in T20Is, the batting dynamo has produced only 272 runs laced up with 27 fours and 13 sixes at an average of 22 in 13 matches.

Thus, the 49-year-old slips into the list of over-rated players along with his Aussie mate Shaun Tait. Although, nobody can steal his unmatched records in the 50-overs format as well as Test cricket.

9. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The Delhi-based power-hitter rose to limelight after some blitzkrieg performance in the IPL. Subsequently, he was selected into the national team on the back of several stupendous auditions in domestic cricket. Given the task of spearheading the middle-order unit, the wicket-keeper batsman has failed to prove his worth on several occasions.

Often, he finds it difficult to connect the ball, as a result, he hands away his wicket without troubling the scorers much. In 27 T20 matches, Rishabh Pant has scored only 400 odd runs completely raising doubts of his presence in the Indian team. With an ordinary keeping prowess coupled with not-so-impressive batting skills, the swashbuckler needs to go back to the drawing board and plug the dampened holes as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, he fits into this top-10 list accurately. It goes without saying that a lot is at stake for the brute force in the upcoming years.

10. Sarfaraz Ahmed

Sarfaraz Ahmed tweets
Sarfaraz Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The former Pakistan skipper has earned the team a major laurel as the Men-in-green won the Champions Trophy in 2017 after defeating India in the finale. The wicketkeeper-batsman lived his dream as he debuted for his nation against England in 2010 in T20 cricket. However, his career is reflective of the fact that not much has gone in his favour.

Out of the 59 T20Is he has played, Sarfaraz Ahmed has collected 812 runs at an average of 28. Eventually, he was shown the exit door from the team owing to a string of unforgettable performance.

Hence, Sarfaraz cements his position in the over-rated list of sportsmen. In the upcoming years, he needs to walk the extra mile in order to become a national reckoning and earn accolades for the nation.

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