Ranking top 10 finishers ahead of T20 World cup 2022

Australia is set to host the 2022 T20 World Cup, starting from October 16, and this will be the eighth edition of the competition. Australia will go into the tournament as the defending champions as they won the title in 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Eight teams have made direct qualification to Super 12, which consists of two groups. Afghanistan, Australia, England and New Zealand are in Group 1, and Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and South Africa have been slotted in Group 2.

While the Super 12 stage will begin on October 22, the semifinals will take place on November 9 and 10, and the final on November 13 in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This will be the first time Australia will be hosting the men’s edition of the T20 World Cup.

Here we rank the top 10 finishers ahead of the T20 World cup 2022:

10. James Neesham (New Zealand)

The Auckland-born all-rounder, Neesham, has been New Zealand’s go-to power hitter in the shortest format for some time. He is one of the most experienced players in the team, having made his international debut in 2012.

Neesham has so far played 38 T20Is for the Kiwis, scoring 416 runs at a strike rate of 151.82 and an average of 21.89. Not to forget, the southpaw has a plethora of experience in this format of the game.

The Kiwi all-rounder has overall played 195 T20 matches across the globe and has scored 2,662 runs with a strike rate of 139.44 and an average of 23.76. He recently played one of his best T20 knocks in the T20 Blast for Northamptonshire, scoring 75 off 30 balls, with five fours and six sixes, against Leicestershire.

9. Tim David (Singapore)

The 26-year-old Singapore-born cricketer is one of the emerging players in the format. David made his T20I debut in 2019 for Singapore and so far has played in 14 matches, scoring 558 runs at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 158.52.

David also had a successful outing in the IPL for Mumbai Indians (MI), scoring 186 runs at an average of 37.20 and a strike rate of 216.28 in eight matches. He has played 112 T20 matches overall and scored 2,538 runs at an average of 33.84 and a strike rate of 165.44.

David was raised in Western Australia and there have been speculations that he might be eligible to play for Australia, ahead of the World Cup.

8. Rovman Powell (West Indies)

Powell and his compatriot Russell are the two most destructive batters in the West Indies line-up. He also has the experience of playing over 100 T20 matches all around the world in various leagues.

Powell made his T20I debut in 2017 and has appeared in 42 matches ever since, scoring 685 runs at a strike rate of 141.82 and an average of 26.34. In the IPL 2022, he scored 250 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 149.70 for Delhi Capitals (DC).

2022 has been the breakout year for the Jamaican as he has so far scored 308 runs in eight T20I innings at an average of 61.60 and a strike rate of 185.54 with a top score of 107, for West Indies.

7. Dinesh Karthik (India)

Dinesh Karthik is currently in the form of his life as far as T20 cricket is concerned. He was one of the best batters in the IPL 2022, which earned him a comeback to the national team, and has been one of the first names in the squad ever since.

Karthik scored 330 runs with an average of 55.00 and at a staggering strike rate of 183.33 for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Following the IPL, he had a good home series against South Africa in which he scored 92 runs in four innings with an average of 46.00 and a strike rate of 158.62.

Karthik is also the only active cricketer who featured in India’s first-ever T20I against South Africa in 2006, making it the fourth-longest career in the format. He was also part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007.

6. Ravindra Jadeja (India)

Jadeja, over the last few years, has become one of India’s most reliable batters down the order across formats. The southpaw, with his experience and newfound form, will be expected to contribute with the bat when the chips are down for India.

Jadeja is not an explosive striker but a good timer of the ball. He is known for finding the gaps in the deep and sneaking boundaries, while also constructing the innings smartly with some quick singles and doubles.

In 2022, he has played five T20Is so far and scored 123 runs with a strike rate of 175.71 and an average of 123.00, which makes reading for one of the best finishers at the moment.

5. Liam Livingstone (England)

Livingstone, along with Russel, is arguably the most powerful hitter of the ball going around, and the most dangerous batter in the shortest format. He made his T20I debut in June 2017 and has played 20 matches so far, scoring 342 runs with a top score of 103 and a strike rate of 154.75.

Livingstone, recently, took everybody by storm with a monstrous 117-metre six in the IPL 2022, facing fast bowler Mohammed Shami. He went on to score 437 runs in 14 matches in the tournament at an average of 36.42 and an explosive strike rate of 182.08.

The Cumberland-born English batter has played 191 T20 matches all around the world and has scored 4,768 runs with an average of 29.07 and a strike rate of 146.57. His contribution in the backend of the innings will be vital for the Three Lions.

4. Andre Russell (West Indies)

The Jamaican power-hitter is one of the cleanest and fiercest strikers of the ball. He is a two-time T20 World Cup winner and one of the most popular names in T20 cricket.

Russell has played over 400 T20 matches across the globe and has scored close to 7,000 runs with a strike rate of over 169. In IPL 2022, he scored 335 runs in 14 matches at an average of 37.22 and a strike rate of 174.48 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Russell made his T20I debut in 2011 and has played 67 matches for West Indies, scoring 741 runs at a strike rate of 156.00. Be it in run chases or setting up a target, Russell guarantees to up the ante once he comes to the crease.

3. Hardik Pandya (India)

Hardik is one of the most aggressive batters in Indian cricket and a handy finisher, coming in at number five. The IPL 2022 was the resurgence of the Indian all-rounder, who endured a bit of a lean patch with the bat in 2021.

Hardik had an impressive IPL 2022 with the bat for GT, scoring 487 runs in 15 matches at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.27. He has also had a good 2022 so far with India, scoring 217 runs in eight innings with an average of 43.40 and a strike rate of 149.65.

This has been the most prolific year for the Gujarat player and he would be one of the players to watch out for in the T20 World Cup.

2. David Miller (South Africa)

David Miller is one of the most lethal finishers at the moment, who has so far scored 96 runs in four T20I innings with an average of 48.00 and a strike rate of 165.51 in 2022 so far, for South Africa.

Miller was also part of the IPL 2022-winning team Gujarat Titans (GT). He was brilliant with the bat throughout the competition as he scored 481 runs in 16 matches at an average of 68.71 and a strike rate of 142.73. This was also his most prolific season in the competition.

Miller, since his T20I debut in 2010, has played in 100 T20Is and scored 1,882 runs at an average of 32.44 and a strike rate of 141.71 and with a top score of 101*. He is one of the best finishers and one of the most destructive batters in the format.

1. Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

The Australian right-hander is one of the most explosive batters in the format and is known for counter-attacking top bowlers in tough conditions. Maxwell was part of Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup-winning team and he even smashed the winning runs in the final against New Zealand.

Maxwell, in the last two seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), scored 814 runs in 28 matches at a strike rate of 156.6 and an average of 35.05, for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Maxwell made his T20I debut in September 2012 and has appeared in 87 matches so far, scoring 2017 runs at an average of 30.56 and a strike rate of 153.38. He has also scored over 8,000 runs in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 151.66 overall.