5 cricketers who can replace Babar Azam from top spot in T20Is

Pakistan has been ruling the ICC T20I rankings for over a year now. And it is their star batsman Babar Azam who owns the number one spot in the T20I ranking. Azam was hailed to be a future superstar since his under-19 days. With an astonishing average of 53, Babar has been piling runs since his debut in 2016 and has undoubtedly carved himself a reputation as one of the most dependable batsmen in all the formats. He recently played the three-match T20I series against South Africa and turned out to be a thorn in the home team’s flesh, churning out big scores on a consistent basis. The youngster doesn’t play the extravagant strokes but depends on pure timing to keep the scoreboard moving. However, his top spot could be in danger due to the existence of a number of other batsmen, who are also match-winners on their day. Here we look at 5 batsmen who could displace Babar Azam from the number one position. Jason Roy Jason Roy of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) He is one of the several hard-hitting openers England have in their current limited overs setup. Roy shares the South African connection just like his Surrey teammate Kevin Pietersen, who was also born in South Africa. Standing 6 feet tall, Roy has an elegant straight batted stance but is capable of hitting the ball in all parts of the ground. The ‘see ball, hit ball’ strategy induced by Trevor Bayliss aptly harmonises with the style-play of Jason Roy. He made his debut for Surrey at the age of 17 in 2008. In 2010, Roy became the first batsman from Surrey to score a T20 century as he smashed 101 off 57 deliveries against Kent. He had an impressive 2018 scoring 271 runs in mere 9 innings at a sizzling strike rate of 169. He was also England’s highest scorer in T20Is last year. Roy combined with either Alex Hales or Jos Buttler makes up one of the most destructive opening pairs in world cricket. Roy’s proclivity for smashing the white ball makes him a contender for the top spot in T20I rankings. Fakhar Zaman Fakhar Zaman. (Photo Source: Twitter) Fakhar Zaman has had a spectacular escalation in international cricket. Zaman’s shot to fame was his maiden ODI century against arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy 2017 final. A successor to Salman Butt, Zaman’s record in his 31 innings ODI career speaks volumes about his cut-throat aggressive approach. He is the fastest to 1000 runs in one-day internationals and the first Pakistani to score a double century in ODIs. With over 2000 runs in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 138, Zaman was always known for his swashbuckling abilities. He was the third highest run scorer in T20 internationals in 2018. He scored 576 runs at a strike rate of little less than 150. The left-handed opener has been in tremendous form, and he could replace his teammate from the top position. Jos Buttler Jos Butler of England. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) With an average of 54 and strike rate of over 150, Jos Buttler solely carried Rajasthan Royals in the playoffs of IPL last year. Buttler has become a colossal force in world cricket and is the trump card for England in the upcoming World Cup. Using all his strength and timing, he has the ability to hammer the ball in all the directions. Buttler has a very righteous bravado which is a bit different from the former English openers. Already reckoned as the best finisher in ODI cricket, Buttler has been promoted to the opening slot in T20s for his national side as well. In the six times, he opened for England; he has scored 264 runs at an average of 52, along with 3 half-centuries. If he continues his pyrotechnics in 2019, he can dislodge Babar Azam to acquire the top ranking in T20Is. Colin Munro Colin Munro of New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images) He is another South African born playing for New Zealand. Munro is amongst the most destructive openers in world cricket. Starting as a middle-order batsman, Colin Munro made his T20 international debut way back in 2012 but couldn’t cement a spot in the side because of his inconsistency. While Munro settled his position by the end of 2016, he has been in sublime touch in the last couple of years. Starting from January 2017 he scored three centuries in a space of 12 months. Munro may not have crossed three-figure mark in ODIs, but he boasts the record of 3 T20I centuries just behind Rohit Sharma’s tally of four. He was the highest scorer for the Black Caps in 2018 scoring 500 runs at 45 with a scorching strike rate of 178. Also, he is ranked second in T20Is. Considering his form and the size of grounds in New Zealand, Munro is likely to displace Babar Azam in 2019. Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) From ‘Talented’ to ‘Hitman’, the Rohit Sharma saga has left everyone in awe just as much as his pull shots do! Rohit plonked on world cricket with a match-winning half-century in a must-win league game against South Africa in the 2007 T20 World Cup. But indeed his career bolstered after MS Dhoni’s venturous decision to move him at the top in 2013. He gets ample time to pace the innings and when he is on song, there is nobody as destructive as Rohit Sharma. Last year was a special one for Rohit Sharma in the shortest version. Not only was he the second highest run-scorer in 2018, but he also became the highest run-getter in T20Is. Rohit has amassed over 2,300 runs at an average of 32 in his 85-innings career. For some batsmen. a T20 hundred remains only a hallucination, Rohit has got four of them. With Kohli being rested for several T20I matches, the Hitman has the responsibility of taking the team forward and en route will have the opportunity to acquire the uppermost rank. ~ Written by Jatin Khandelwal Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

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5 cricketers who can replace Babar Azam from top spot in T20Is

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