5 batsmen with the highest strike-rate in T20 World Cups

Back in 2007, T20 cricket was pretty much an unknown beast as teams were still looking to gauge the dynamics of the format. The inaugural T20 World Cup was played and India, led by MS Dhoni, emerged as the champion. The shortest version of the game has increased in popularity over the time period. The tournament has been a witness to six editions with 2016 being the last until now. The 2020 edition was scheduled to be played in Australia, but had to be postponed due to the massive COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years, a number of batsmen have kept the audience on their toes with their fearless approach while batting in the World Cup. There were very dull moments when they plied their trade in the middle. Hence, their strike-rates also rank higher than some of the other batsmen. In the article, let’s take a look at five batters with the highest strike-rate in T20 World Cups (minimum 500 runs): – 5. Shane Watson- 140.94 Shane Watson World Cup 2015. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) Shane Watson has turned 39 around a month ago, yet he hasn’t finished playing cricket yet. In the last 12 months, he has taken part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and even the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained him for the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League. In fact, it’s his explosive batting that made him a hot prospect around the world. In T20 World Cups, he has 537 runs in 24 matches at an average of 28.26. And a strike-rate of 140.94 gave the opponents a lot of headaches. In 2010, he scored 81 off 49 against Pakistan in Gros Islet and it remains to be his highest score in the mega event. He also notched four more fifties. Though he got out 10 times in single digits, Watson managed to keep the oppositions on their toes. 4. AB de Villiers- 143.40 AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: Twitter) AB de Villiers isn’t someone, who would allow the bowlers to settle into a rhythm. The former South African batsman knows the art of maneuvering the field with ease and hence, churns out runs without much fuss. He also prefers to keep the scoreboard ticking, which can be comprehended from his strike-rate of 143.40 in the T20 World Cup. In 30 matches, he has 717 runs at 29.87. Like Watson, even ABD has five half-centuries in the mega event. Back in 2007, the Pretoria-born got his highest score of 79* against Scotland at the Kennington Oval in London. However, it’s his 28-ball 69* in 2014 against England, played at a strike-rate of 246.42 that remains to be his most impactful knock. When De Villiers finds his rhythm, even the best of bowlers finds it tough to stop the carnage. 3. Chris Gayle- 146.73 Chris Gayle celebrates his hundred. (Photo Source: Twitter) Chris Gayle is currently the only batter with over 10,000 runs in T20 cricket, speaking volumes about him. The West Indies batsman has passed 40 and though he isn’t on top of his powers, he is still a feared prospect around the world. In the T20 World Cups, Gayle has hammered 920 runs in 28 matches. Most importantly, the veteran Jamaican maintained a handsome strike-rate of 146.73. In 2007, he became the first batter to smash a century in T20Is, achieving the feat against South Africa at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, though it came in a losing cause. In 2016, he churned out a 57-ball 117 against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In 2010, he also got a 98 versus India in Barbados. They have been very few instances when Gayle strained to find his feet. 2. Kevin Pietersen- 148.33 Kevin Pietersen century. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images) Kevin Pietersen was one of the major reasons behind England’s triumph in the 2010 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean Islands. In the tournament, he scored 248 runs in six matches at an incredible average of 62. Apart from the odd failure against Ireland at the Providence, he was hard to dislodge. He had played in the event from 2007 and 2010 marked his last appearance in the tournament. His numbers in the T20 WC have been much more impressive than his career numbers. At the world stage, the Natal-born scored 580 runs in 15 matches at an average of 44.61. He also boasted of a strike-rate of 148.33, not letting the opponents much of a breathing spaces. In 2007, he scored 79 runs off 37 balls against Zimbabwe in Cape Town and it remains to be his highest score in T20 World Cups. 1. Shahid Afridi- 154.23 Shahid Afridi. (Photo Source: Twitter) Shahid Afridi doesn’t have the most attractive numbers in the T20 World Cups, but as far as the entertainment factor is concerned, the Khyber Agency-born is right up there. In 34 matches in the mega event, he only managed 546 runs at an average of 18.82 with only a couple of half-centuries. One of those fifties came against Sri Lanka in the final of the 2009 World Cup at the Kennington Oval. In that game, he scored an unbeaten 40-ball 54 and helped Pakistan chase down 139 with eight balls to spare. That he played at a strike-rate of 135 showed the maturity in the individual. However, on most occasions, he went for the ambitious strokes. In the mega event, he struck the leather at 154.23, numbers which are intriguing. There was a reason why Afridi was a crowd puller.

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5 batsmen with the highest strike-rate in T20 World Cups

The big stage brought the best out of them.

1. Shahid Afridi- 154.23

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