Ranking top 5 T20I captains at the moment
These players have led their team admirably over a decent period of time.
T20 cricket represents the current era. A surrounding full of hustle and bustle, with people having little time to devote to cricket, this format acts as a perfect entertainment medium for the millennials. Well, the debate whether T20 cricket is best or Test cricket might go on forever. Amongst the most popular formats in international cricket, the T20 format is quite the most popular.
With each side allowed to score as many runs possible in 20 overs, this format looks like a bowler’s nightmare. However, things didn’t turn out as such because the bowlers have found their way to survive. To give a clear picture on this topic, the ICC awarded the International T20 cricketer of the decade to a leg spinner named Rashid Khan. The world of T20 cricket is liked by almost every section of society.
As two T20I World Cups are approaching, the fans might look forward to brushing their memory as to who is the best in the business. Captaincy is an important role as it determines the outcome of the game. Take one poor decision, boom! Your team might end up on the losing side.
Here are Top 5 T20I captains in World Cricket Right now:
5. Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Pakistan was a dominant force in the shortest format of the game from 2007 to 2010. During that period, they won the 2009 T20 World Cup and they had some big names in their arsenal. Their consistency can be measured from the fact that they reached the finals of the inaugural 2007 T20 World cup, and the semifinals of the 2010 T20 World Cup. Post-2010, the team’s performance was affected by the retirement of some big names.
However, the team management found their messiah in the form of Babar Azam. If we look at the batsmen with impressive averages in all three formats, Azam comes up second, the first being the Indian captain Virat Kohli. In 44 T20I games, the Pakistani captain has scored over 1681 runs with an impressive average of 50.94. Well, for Babar, this is only the initial phase of his career.
Talking about his captaincy, he led Pakistan to six wins in the 2019-2020 season. Under his captaincy, the Pakistani team has played eleven matches with a win percentage of 66.66. Till now, his captaincy has been decent. The matches Pakistan lost under his captaincy was mostly because of poor cricket from the team as a whole. Well, because of his decent win percent ratio, he stands fifth on this list.
4. Aaron Finch (Australia)
The 2018 ball-tampering scandal had shocked the entire cricketing fraternity. With the Australian team in disarray, the management was looking for a leader who could bind the team together. Well, the Australian team found an excellent leader in the form of Aaron Finch. The Victorian batsman has been an inspiring leader as he was able to form a team that can decimate any bowling lineup in the world!
Talking about his performance, he has scored 2149 runs in 66 matches. As the shortest format of the game requires brutal ball-striking ability, Finch’s strike rate of 154.05 speaks volumes of his ability as a batsman. The Aussie skipper has the highest score of 172 in the shortest format, which paved the way for more centuries by other batsmen as it injected a sense of self-belief amongst other cricketers.
Well, as a batsman, Finch is highly rated as one of the most valuable players in world cricket. Speaking of captaincy, he has led Australia in 39 matches so far. Under his leadership, the Australian team has won 20 games and was on the losing side for 17 matches. A win percent of 54.05% is acceptable given the fact that Australia plays against strong teams and in difficult conditions. Therefore, Finch ranks fourth in this list.
3. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
During the initial stages of the T20I format, many people had anticipated that the Test specialists will not be able to survive in these conditions. Their ball-striking ability might not be up to the T20I standards. Well, they were wrong! The Kiwi skipper’s timing has shut down his critics as Kane Williamson has been quite successful in the shortest format of the game.
The Kiwi has represented the New Zealand national team for 62 T20I matches so far. And he has been a consistent contributor with the bat as he has scored 1723 runs. A decent strike rate of 125.04 makes him a valuable addition to the squad as he can change gears when required. In the shortest format, Williamson has the highest score of 95.
Williamson has captained New Zealand in 44 T20I matches. During his tenure, the Kiwis have managed to win 20 games out of 44. Well, this figure might be misleading as they have played most of the matches in difficult conditions and against top-quality teams. This enables Williamson to be ranked third in this list.
2. Virat Kohli (India)
Post MS Dhoni’s captaincy, Virat Kohli had to face the heat whenever India lost a match. Well, it seems like it is a difficult task to captain a team that has the support of 1.2 billion people! But Virat Kohli has defied every odds and has performed exceptionally. Without any doubt, he is one of the most complete batsmen in the modern era!
The ICC Cricketer of the decade has dominated every format since 2010. With averages over 50 in all three formats, he has been the anchor of the Indian batting lineup. In 84 T20I matches, the Indian skipper has amassed 2928 runs at an average of 50.48. Currently, he is the best batsman in the world when we look at the averages in all three formats!
He has been criticized because he failed in the IPL. But, when we look at his T20I records as a captain, he has a stellar record as he has guided the Indian team to 24 victories in 40 matches so far. Kohli has a win percent ratio of 65.78 in T20Is and has been a valuable contributor to the team’s cause. Because of this, Virat Kohli is ranked second on this list!
1. Eoin Morgan (England)
The English national team was facing an identity crisis post the 2015 World Cup. With the team’s morale was blown away, they needed someone who could lift the team’s spirit. Even after a poor captaincy stint, Eoin Morgan stood up and continued his duty as the captain of the English cricket team. Although West Indies managed to clinch the T20 World Cup trophy in the last over, they had found their perfect team combination.
And as a result, they won their first ODI World Cup. Morgan has played in 97 T20I matches so far. With a run tally of 2278 against his name, he is one of the most prolific batsmen in the shortest format of the game. A strike rate of 138.99 is excellent for someone who bats at the middle order in the lineup. And apart from that, he has been the kernel of the English squad!
Under his captaincy, the English team has won 31 T20I matches in 54 games. In the list of most matches as T20I captain, Morgan ranks third, with the legendary MS Dhoni being the first name in the list. The credit of the rise of English cricket post-2015 World Cup debacle goes to Eoin Morgan.
Under his captaincy, the English team has become a formidable force in world cricket right now. Therefore, Morgan is the best T20I captain in the world right now!
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