Cricket in 2018: T20 League-wise Best batsman

T20 cricket highly favours the batsmen and we have witnessed several top-notch performers in various T20 leagues this year. These cricketers have lit up these leagues with their exploits and ended them on a very memorable note. Nine of the most popular leagues from across the world were considered and the best performer with the willow in each of these leagues was picked. The Big Bash League (BBL), Mzansi Super League (MSL), Global T20 Canada, Afghanistan Premier League (APL), T20 Blast, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Indian Premier League (IPL) were the leagues from where the top performers were picked. However, the highest run-scorer of the league wasn’t taken into consideration in all of these instances. The batsmen who had a significant impact on the league and those who played out of their skin were picked. Here is the best batsman each of the T20 leagues in 2018. D’Arcy Short | Big Bash League D Arcy Short. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images) D’Arcy Short started 2018 on a terrific note with some brilliance in the Big Bash League. He set the stage on fire with some unbelievable hitting. The left-hander smashed four half-centuries and one century in the tournament. He was all sheer class and cleared the ropes with so much ease and grace. Short scored 572 runs in 11 games at an average of 57.20 and strike rate of 149. He struck 26 sixes in the BBL, the highest in the season and also ended as the leading run-scorer. The left-hander also earned his national call-up after this special performance. However, he failed to replicate the same kind of heroics at the highest level and subsequently failed in the IPL as well. Quinton de Kock | Mzansi Super League Quinton de Kock. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images) Rassie van der Dussen might have scored more runs than Quinton de Kock in the MSL. Yet, it is the wicket-keeper batsman who stands out to be the best performer of the league. De Kock had troubles with his form before the start of the MSL. However, the left-hander rediscovered the lost form in South Africa’s home-grown T20 League. He made a significant impact since he joined the Cape Town Blitz despite missing out on the intial few matches. The keeper ended with 412 runs in 8 matches at an average close to 59. He scored his runs at a strike rate of almost 170 which is quite tremendous and ended up winning the Man of the Tournament award. Lendl Simmons | Global T20 Canada Lendl Simmons. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) Windies batsman Lendl Simmons was the best batsman in the Global T20 Canada. Simmons opened the innings for the Winnipeg Hawks in the maiden edition of the tournament. This hard-hitting batsman has failed to create as much impact in the last few months. However, he just seemed to have struck the right chord with his performance in the league. Simmons accumulated 321 runs in eight innings at an average of 46. He smashed 23 sixes and 29 fours in the league and scored at almost 141 runs per hundred balls. Mohammad Shahzad | Afghanistan Premier League Mohammad Shahzad. (Photo Source: Twitter) The 30-year-old Afghanistan wicket-keeper batsman has set the T20 leagues on fire in recent times. He is an extremely powerful hitter of the ball and is very aggressive in his approach. Shahzad had a brilliant run in the Afghanistan Premier League this year. This opener represented the Paktia Panthers in the first ever edition of the league and was absolutely on fire. In only 9 games, Shahzad scored 344 runs to end as the leading run scorer in the tournament. It was a tough pick between him and Chris Gayle who performed equally well and scored 315 runs in 7 games. It would be fair to say that Shahzad rode his team alone in the tournament. Aaron Finch | T20 Blast Aaron Finch of Surrey celebrates his century. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images) Australian limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch joined the T20 Blast at the later stages of the tournament. Yet, such is the impact that he created that he can easily be the best batsman of the league. In just a few games that he featured in, the Aussie opener managed to finish as the second highest run scorer. Finch played eight games for Surrey in the tournament and tallied up 589 runs at an average of 147 and strike rate of 182. He hit two centuries and three half-centuries in addition to 60 boundaries and 31 sixes. Australia will love to see him in this kind of form in the ODIs in the lead up to the World Cup. Colin Munro | Caribbean Premier League Colin Munro of Trinbago Knight Riders. (Photo by Ashley Allen – CPL T20/Getty Images) In the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), it was the Kiwi batsman Colin Munro who turned out to be the biggest star with the bat. The 31-year-old was always considered to be immensely talented. But, he often failed to convert his talent into match-winning contributions. But, in the last two years, he has developed on his game significantly and has been a vital cog for all the teams that he plays. Playing for the Trinbago Knight Riders, the left-hander piled up 567 runs in 13 games at an average of 52 and strike rate of 140. He hit six half-centuries in the tournament while none of the other players managed to score more than three. Chris Gayle | Bangladesh Premier League Chris Gayle. (Photo Source: Twitter) The Universe Boss needs no introduction here and he was absolutely brutal in the Bangladesh Premier League this year. There was some scepticism about his form before the tournament started and many doubted his abilities. Chris Gayle is into his late 30s and hence there were a few question marks that were raised. However, the Caribbean star shut all his critics down with his performances. He was far ahead than any other batsman in the league and was a treat to watch. In 11 matches, he scored 485 runs at an average of 54 and strike rate slightly over 176. The big man cleared the fence on 47 occasions and also struck two centuries in the BPL 2018. Luke Ronchi | Pakistan Super League Luke Ronchi. (Photo Source: Twitter) Former New Zealand cricketer Luke Ronchi witnessed many ups and downs in the year 2018. However, the wicket-keeper batsman was at his best in the Pakistan Super League. Representing the Islamabad United, Ronchi set the stage on fire with his hitting abilities. He provided the side with a good start on almost all the occasions. In 11 games, the right-hander scored 435 runs at an average of 43.50 and a mammoth strike rate of 182. He struck five fifty-plus scores in the league even as the United reached the final on the back of his scintillating form. Kane Williamson | Indian Premier League Kane Williamson. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS) The New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is technically very sound as a batsman. He is one of the most gifted players around. However, Kane is not known to be a highly dominative force in T20 cricket. His role is usually restricted to anchoring the innings and playing around the big hitters. But, in the IPL this year, he proved that the shortest format is not only for the big hitters. Williamson with all class and sheer talent in a way redefined how T20 cricket is played. He was never bogged down by expectations and didn’t attempt playing rash shots even in the high-pressure situations. He led the Sunrisers Hyderabad from the front and scored 735 runs in 17 games at an average over 52 and a strike rate of about 142. The Orange Army qualified for the final only to fall short of the glory. Get the latest Cricket News and all the Cricket in 2018 articles, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

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