5 Bowlers who can be promoted up the batting order in T20 World Cup 2021

From mid-September till mid-November, there will be two months of jam-packed T20 action as the second phase of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) is followed by the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This format requires teams to have batting as well as bowling depth. Also if certain bowlers can clear the ropes frequently, that team would start to look extremely strong. When the team is looking for quick runs, these bowlers are sometimes sent ahead of the experienced batters. Such moves are dicey as they may or may not work. It may also turn out to be the difference between winning and losing a game. So let’s see 5 bowlers who can be promoted up the batting order in T20 World Cup 2021: 1. Rashid Khan Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Undoubtedly the best white-ball spinner in the world, Rashid Khan is no fluke with the bat. Earlier wanting to become a batsman in his career, he started to focus more on bowling post his U-16 days after the persistence of his coach. His helicopter shots somewhat remind us of MS Dhoni. His best T20 innings came in IPL 2018 against KKR in the second Qualifier of the season. He scored a match-winning 34* off 10 balls including two fours and four sixes. Appointed as the Afghanistan T20 captain, Rashid would likely promote himself up the order to have some fun with the bat and his team will look to upset big teams in this year’s T20 World Cup. 2. Sunil Narine Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders in action. (Photo: IANS) The best T20 spinner of the two-time T20 WC winners West Indies, Sunil Narine is a player who can fit into any T20 side in the world and can win matches on his own with the bat as well as ball in hand. He is a punt worth taking especially in batting. Though he isn’t great against the short balls, he can tear apart spinners and medium pace bowlers in the powerplay. He has the record for the highest powerplay score in the IPL with his ex-KKR mate, Chris Lynn. They smashed the RCB bowlers to all parts of the ground scoring 105 runs in just 6 overs. Quite destructive, right? With West Indies looking to defend their title and bring back their full-strength squad, Narine might not get many opportunities with the bat, but he can certainly strike the ball as well as his fellow teammates. 3. Isuru Udana Isuru Udana. (Photo by Richard Huggard/Gallo Images) These are Sri Lankan cricket’s darkest days in the history of the game. It is hard to believe that this small island nation has won the T20 WC as well as the ODI World Cup and has been the runner-up thrice in these tournaments combined. However, Udana is one of the few players who have the skill and experience to spark hope in the Sri Lankans. Apart from being a death-over specialist with an excellent slower delivery, he can strike the ball quite well. His innings of 84 against the Proteas is a testimony to the fact where he hit six towering sixes. He has a strike rate of just below 140 and an average of just below 20 which is great for a player who usually comes in at eight. With the lack of experienced players in this year’s T20 World Cup and Sri Lanka having to play the Qualifiers, don’t be surprised if Udana decides to come at five or six to take up the finishing role with the bat as well. 4. Hasan Ali Hasan Ali batting. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images) With the likes of Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, Pakistan were blessed with X-factor all-rounders due to which they won the 2009 T20 WC. Desperately looking for one such player who can tonk the ball at the end and bowl three-four consistently, probably Hasan Ali is the man for Pakistan. He averages just above 17 and has a strike rate just above 196 in T20Is. These stats are exceptional from a bowler’s point of view and also indicate that he can play the pinch hitter’s role effectively for Pakistan in this year’s T20 World Cup. He played some excellent cameos in the 2019 WC scoring 32 runs off 15 balls vs Australia, 10* runs off five balls vs England. With comparatively fewer attacking batsmen in the Pakistan line-up, Hasan Ali can be sent anywhere in the batting order with the license to attack from ball one and in the form that he has been in, this move is more likely to pay dividends. 5. Tim Southee New Zealand’s batsman Tim Southee. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARTY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images) You must be wondering why one of the best fast bowlers of New Zealand is making this list, right? The answer is very simple, people often discredit and underestimate Tim Southee’s boundary-hitting prowess. He has a strike rate of just above 143 in T20Is. Fun fact, he also has the second most sixes for New Zealand in Tests (75) just behind Brendon McCullum who is leading the chart with 107 sixes. In the current lot, only Ben Stokes has more sixes than Southee. This fact clearly states that the New Zealand T20 vice-captain can be sent up the order to clear the ropes frequently and further increase their chances to win their first T20 WC ever.

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5 Bowlers who can be promoted up the batting order in T20 World Cup 2021

Such moves are dicey as they may or may not work.

5. Tim Southee

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