Top 5 luckiest batsmen in 2019 World Cup

Rohit Sharma had a dream World Cup as a player. At one point, Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs in a single World Cup edition seemed to be broken. However, a low score in the semi-final and India’s exit meant, he couldn’t give it a shot.

The Indian vice-captain scored 648 runs and ended up as the leading run-getter of the tournament. He also scored five centuries which is the most by any player in a single World Cup. His highest score in this World Cup of 140 came against Pakistan in the league stage. However, Sharma had his fair share of luck as well.

He had as many as eight reprieves throughout the tournament and he made the most of each one of them. In fact, he scored 474 runs in total after those reprieves. While Australia and South Africa missed pretty tough chances, the likes of Bangladesh, Pakistan and England missed straight forward ones. Hence, the Indian opener was at his lethal best and made almost every team pay dearly for giving him additional lives.

2. Aaron Finch

The Australian skipper Aaron Finch couldn’t buy a run a few months back. However, a good series against Pakistan in the UAE helped him get his confidence back and he carried that into this World Cup. He had a great impact at the top of the order for the Aussies.

Finch scored 507 runs at an average of 50.70 and a strike-rate of 102.01. He also scored two centuries and three fifties in the tournament. However, the 32-year-old Aussie opener had as many as nine reprieves throughout the tournament, which is the most for any player.

Thus, more than 56% of his total runs (286 runs) have come after he got reprieves. Thus, Finch was indeed very lucky throughout the tournament and he made the most of his luck.

3. David Warner

Aaron Finch’s opening partner David Warner also features in this list. The swashbuckling left-hander returned to international cricket for the first time in this World Cup post his one-year ban. He seemed to be in great touch in the lead up to the tournament as he finished the IPL as the leading run-scorer.

Warner continued his rich vein of form in this World Cup as well. There were a couple of slow and indifferent knocks but Warner made most of his starts count. He made 647 runs which included three centuries and as many half-centuries. He just fell short of one run to become the highest run-getter in the mega event.

However, Warner did have some luck on his side. He got three chances after his opponents missed his catches in this tournament and he made each one of them count. He scored 207 runs after those three reprieves. Thus, he fell agonisingly short of being the leading run-getter of the tournament as Rohit Sharma stands top run-scorer with 648 runs.

4. Babar Azam

Pakistan N0. 3 has been one of the most consistent batsmen in white-ball cricket over the last couple of years. Babar Azam has been a prolific run-getter for Pakistan and is their premier white-ball batsman. He was also their leading run-getter in this tournament.

Azam scored 474 runs at an average of 67.71 in this World Cup. He scored three fifties and a century in the eight innings he batted. He was Pakistan’s best batsman in this World Cup by some distance. But he also had some luck going his way.

He was offered six reprieves throughout the tournament. But Azam couldn’t really make it big. He failed in most of the chances he got, missing catches only piled up pressure on his performances. The 24-year-old Pakistan No. 3 could muster 149 runs from those six reprieves.

5. Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan may not have had a big tournament with the bat but he played a couple of excellent knocks. Moreover, he was excellent as captain and led England to their first-ever World Cup title. His captaincy often overshadows his batting but one of his knocks stood out in this World Cup.

The England skipper smashed 148 in just 71 balls and made the Afghanistan side pay dearly for a dropped chance. Morgan was dropped early in his innings and he made merry after that. He smoked as many as 17 sixes in his innings which is an ODI record (most sixes by a player in an ODI inning).

He was dropped one more time in this tournament and thus, he made 146 runs from his two reprieves in this tournament. Hence, his average of 73 runs per reprieve is the highest in this World Cup.