T20 WC 2021: Rating batting line-ups of top 8 teams ahead of the tournament

The International Cricket Council, on Tuesday, put forth the schedule for the upcoming T20 WC to be played in Oman and the UAE. The tournament is set to get underway on October 17 with the final scheduled for November 14. Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah will host the matches in the mega event. The WC will start after the end of the second leg of the 2021 Indian Premier League. With less than two months left, the teams must be busy giving final touches to their line-ups for the event. New Zealand have already named their squad two months prior to the T20 WC. The pitches in the UAE have generally helped the spinners, though batters have also tasted quite a bit of success. Hence, having a strong batting lineup with enough depth is paramount for a team to succeed. In the article, let’s rate the batting line-ups of the teams for the T20 WC 2021 8. Bangladesh- 6/10 Liton Das and Tamim Iqbal. (Photo Source: Twitter) The fact that Tamim Iqbal has played only three T20Is in the last 20 months is a matter of concern for Bangladesh. His average of around 13 in T20 WCs against the ICC’s current top 10 teams doesn’t show a lot of promise either. Mohammad Naim Shaikh has shown a lot of promise in the last one and half years. Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar need to display a bit more consistency for the Tigers. Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad form the core of their middle-order. Afif Hossain Dhrubo and Mahedi Hasan played decently against Australia and they should be high on confidence. Shamim Hossain Patwary has come up the ranks through age-group cricket and has played for the A team as well. Mohammad Saifuddin can also use the long handle to good effect. 7. South Africa- 6.5/10 Quinton de Kock. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images) South Africa’s batting has relied heavily on Quinton de Kock. In 2021, the left-hander has scored 302 runs from seven T20Is at an average of 43.14 with three half-centuries. The southpaw was also the leading run-scorer in the five-match series against the West Indies earlier this year. Temba Bavuma and Janneman Malan have opened of late but haven’t played a significant knock as of yet. Aiden Markram flourished as an opener against Pakistan, having scored three half-centuries. However, he was later demoted down the order for subsequent series. Rassie van der Dussen is going through a lean patch as well. David Miller played a 44-ball knock of 75 in Belfast and he has also shown his usefulness. The likes of Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder are handy with the bat as well. 6. Pakistan- 7/10 Mohammad Rizwan. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images) Pakistan have the strongest opening pair among all the teams on the list. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are in the form of their lives and opponents have found it tough to dislodge them. In his last 18 T20Is, Rizwan has averaged in excess of 90 with eight fifties and one century. Babar has also shown decent form after scoring a century against South Africa earlier this year. However, it’s Pakistan’s middle order that has shown a lot of inconsistency. Mohammad Hafeez was outstanding in New Zealand but has lost touch in recent times. Sohaib Maqsood is yet to score big despite giving glimpses of his power-hitting. Azam Khan didn’t have the best of outings in England. Sharjeel Khan has played three T20Is on his comeback and is yet to play a knock of substance. 5. New Zealand- 7.5/10 Tim Seifert and Kane Williamson. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images) New Zealand’s batting isn’t overly experienced but isn’t short of firepower. Martin Guptill is one of the leading run-scorers in T20Is and his role as an opener is expected to be crucial. Tim Seifert is still finding his feet and playing the T20 WC in the sub-continent is expected to challenge him. Devon Conway’s meteoric rise across formats has been inspiring and he needs to be on top of his game. Conway averages nearly 60 in T20Is with four half-centuries to his name from 11 innings. Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham form a power-packed middle order for the Kiwis. Phillips also has a T20I ton to his name that he scored against the West Indies last year. Mitchell Santner is a smart operator with the bat in hand. Tim Southee can also hit the big shots in the death overs. Mark Chapman is an exciting prospect as well. Not to forget Kane Williamson, their skipper. 4. West Indies- 8/10 Andre Russell. (Photo Source: Twitter) West Indies have a formidable opening pair in Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis going into the T20 WC. The left-right combo can give terrors to the opposition and put their team in command in the powerplay itself. Southpaw Nicholas Pooran and skipper Kieron Pollard form the core of the middle-order. Pooran, of late, scored a half-century against Pakistan, though it came in a losing cause. Shimron Hetmyer can also hit the long ball in the hour of need. In Jamaican Andre Russell, the Caribbean team has one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball. Fabian Allen and Dwayne Bravo aren’t mugs with the bat either. Depth in batting isn’t a concern for the Caribbean team by any means. Hayden Walsh Jr’s role is primarily with the ball, but even he can churn out the big shots. 3. Australia- 8.5/10 David Warner and Aaron Finch. (Photo Source: Twitter) Australia are likely to have a power-packed batting unit going into the T20 WC. David Warner should open the batting along with Aaron Finch if the latter recovers from his knee injury. If Finch doesn’t get fit, Matthew Wade is the most probable candidate as Warner’s opening partner. Daniel Christian recently scored 30 in one of the overs against Bangladesh and he can be used as an opener as well. Mitchell Marsh has been in jaw-dropping form in recent times while batting at No.3. It remains to be seen how the Aussie team management sets the batting lineup when Steve Smith returns. Glenn Maxwell can hit the boundaries from the word go and his utility can’t be undermined. The likes of Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc can also add valuable runs batting lower down the order. 2. India- 9/10 KL Rahul & Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter) Barring any surprises, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma should be opening the batting for India. Rohit’s average is in the 30s, but with four centuries under his belt, the 34-year-old has given nightmares to oppositions on his day. Rahul, on the other hand, is versatile and knows the art of tuning his game as per the match situation. Virat Kohli’s batting prowess needs no introduction as he averages 52.65. In the middle-order, Shreyas Iyer has been an asset for Team India over the last two years. Rishabh Pant is a fearless character and the opponents don’t drop their guard when the southpaw is in the middle. The Pandya brothers- Hardik and Krunal- can wield the willow to good effect on their days. Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, recently, showed the utility they bring to the fore. 1. England- 9.5/10 Jonny Bairstow & Jason Roy. (Photo Source: Twitter) England’s strength in T20 cricket lies in their batting without a doubt. Jason Roy and Joss Buttler are tried-and-tested customers at the top of the order in the shortest format. The middle-order, featuring Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and skipper Eoin Morgan, makes their batting even stronger. If even one of them has a good day with the bat, the opposition may end up chasing leather. Liam Livingstone recently scored his maiden T20I ton against Pakistan and followed it up with an unbeaten 40-ball 92 for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred. The likes of Tom Curran, Sam Curran and even Adil Rashid can add useful runs lower down the order. Even if oppositions make early inroads into their batting, the Brits have enough firepower to make a strong comeback.

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T20 WC 2021: Rating batting line-ups of top 8 teams ahead of the tournament

Having a strong batting lineup with enough depth is paramount for a team to succeed.

1. England- 9.5/10

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