The year 2021 has been a mixed bag for all the players in the cricketing circle. Covid-19 has forced the sport to become more adaptive and cautious keeping in mind the well-being of all the individuals concerned. Many players have been instrumental and have showcased their abilities in the life of bio-bubbles and quarantines.
While some young players made use of their opportunities, some players also redeemed themselves and represented their squads with full energy and vigour. In recent years, the batters have embraced the game of cricket. Its regulations now favour batters far more than they did previously.
It’s worth noting that several batters put in outstanding performances throughout the year, carrying the team’s hopes on their shoulders alone across all three formats.
In the article, let’s rank the best five all-format batters who have played in the year 2021:
5. Rishabh Pant
The year 2021 is regarded as the year of emergence of Rishabh Pant. The young left-handed batter has been outstanding in all formats of the game and has been the cornerstone behind some of India’s most memorable victories. Rishabh scored 1070 runs across all of the game’s formats.
He rallied his way into the Playing XI of India in every format courtesy of his improvement in performances. Rishabh started the year with a spectacular 97-run innings in Sydney which helped India salvage a historic draw in Australia. In Gabba, Pant played one of the most memorable innings in the history of Indian cricket.
His 89* helped India script a historic win against the Aussies at their fortress Gabba. His exceptional performances on the Australian trip ensured his inclusion in all formats of the game. He continued to shine in India’s home series against England, hitting crucial runs across all forms and establishing himself as the team’s most dependable player.
Though he declined a little on the subsequent foreign tour of England, he still made a few key cameos that were essential in the context of the game. One of the great highlights of cricket in 2021 was his resurgence in wicketkeeping and batting.
4. Joe Root
In the year 2021, Joe Root had a dream run in the game’s longest format. He was successful for England in both home and overseas conditions and carried the batting singlehandedly. In all formats of the game, he scored 1777 runs. His valiant contributions in the current year has established him as a legend of the game.
He began the year with a remarkable double century against Sri Lanka, for which he was named ‘Player of the Series.’ He subsequently continued his hot streak against India, scoring another double hundred and leading England to victory in Chennai.
His ability to play spin effectively in subcontinent conditions helped him script some of England’s most memorable victories. In the subsequent home series against New Zealand and India, he sustained his rich form.
In the Ashes, he has made significant contributions and has been England’s lone warrior against a formidable Australian squad. He has amassed 1630 runs and is only the fourth player to achieve the 1600 run milestone in the history of Test matches.
3. Babar Azam
Babar Azam, the Pakistani skipper, is on his way to become one of the greatest players of international cricket. The amount of class and talent that the 27-year old possesses speaks volumes about his ability. He has been pretty effective in translating his talent into consistent performances, and he has established himself as one of the greatest in the business.
Babar scored 1760 runs in all the formats of the game. In the year 2021, Babar dominated T20 cricket. He scored 939 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 127.6. His heroic exploits propelled Pakistan into the T20 World Cup semifinals.
With 303 runs in the competition, he was the leading run scorer. Babar maintained his dominance in One-Day Internationals, scoring 405 runs at an average of 67.5. The game’s longest format hasn’t met his expectations, but a player of his calibre can’t be kept silent for long.
He continues to make significant contributions in every game he participates in. Pakistan has made tremendous progress in international cricket under his leadership and could become the team to beat in the future.
2. Rohit Sharma
In terms of Rohit Sharma’s career, the year 2021 has been quite significant and lucrative. In the face of adversity, his comeback has been magnificent. He was instrumental in India’s memorable series victory in England. His resurgence in overseas conditions has been spectacular. Rohit’s success in Test cricket was largely due to a tweak in his technique and an awareness of the off-stump.
In total, he scored 1424 runs across all formats of the game. He was arguably the best batter for India in both home and overseas conditions. He began the year by making significant contributions on the Australian tour and continued his strong form in the home series against England.
In Chennai, where most of the other batters struggled to score runs, he hit a stunning 161 on a rank turner. The visit to England, when he made 368 runs, including a century at the Oval, was his highlight of the year.
This innings transformed everyone’s opinion of Rohit as a Test player. He also provided substantial contributions in the T20 format and carried the batting lineup of India. His contributions were duly rewarded when he got the white-ball captaincy for Pakistan.
1. Mohammad Rizwan
2021 will be remembered as the year of Mohammed Rizwan. From the start, the brilliant batter displayed exceptional skills and dominated the opponents. One of his career’s major highlights has been his consistency. He possesses a dexterous batting technique and a diversified batting arsenal that he employs to win in all formats of the game.
Rizwan amassed a total of 1915 runs across all formats of the game. He sparkled in the T20 format, scoring 1326 runs in 2021 which is the most by any batter in a calendar year. His career-best innings of 104 runs off 64 deliveries against South Africa earlier this year is remembered fondly.
Rizwan steered the Pakistan’s team batting during the T20 World Cup 2021 and was the third highest run scorer in the tournament. He also has proved his worth in the longest format of the game scoring 455 runs with a hundred.
Given his consistency and talent, the wicketkeeper batter is an incredible future prospect for Pakistan. If he continues batting with this form, he can help Pakistan become one of the most dangerous sides in the world.
from CricTracker https://ift.tt/3sApEjT
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