3 most consistent T20I batsmen in the last 5 years
T20 is generally considered the most loved and well-attended format. But for some cricketers, it also happens to be the toughest format.
For example, Shikhar Dhawan, Steve Smith and AB de Villiers have been superb in ODIs, but have a mediocre T20 international record.
There could be various reasons for this, like format pressure, player's adaptability, the need for scoring quickly, the lack of innovative shots, etc.. Not many players can fulfill all the criteria required to be a T20 great.
With the recent India vs West Indies T20 series breathing fire, there couldn't be a better time to list the current most consistent players in T20 internationals.
Now the definition of consistency varies from person to person. For some, consistency refers to getting good starts regularly; for some, it is concerned with scoring big scores regularly; for some, it means scoring well in pressure situations; and for some, it is defined as performing well in all the conditions.
Reaching a conclusion is difficult with varied mindsets and thought processes. Therefore, similar to our methodology for ODIs, we have kept things simple in T20 Internationals too. However, considering the format, and the number of low scores, we have added another important parameter to the formula, in order to be fair to players batting at different batting positions.
Methodology
Consistency = ((A+B)/(C-D))*100
Where,
A = Number of 25+ scores || B = Number of not-outs between 15-25
C = Total number of innings || D = Number of not-outs below 15
General Criteria
1. A 25+ score is generally considered a good score by any player, and definitely creates a value in the match. A score below that is psychology considered below average.
2. The data covers the last five years (7th November, 2013 to 6th November, 2018)
3. Not-out score below 15 generally does not create any impact in the match, hence it is not considered as a qualified innings, and thus subtracted from the total number of innings.
4. A player should have played at least 25 Innings in this time period.
All that said, let's find out who are the current three most consistent players in T20 Internationals are.
#3: MS Dhoni
Alright, before you jump on my throat and start making judgmental comments, let's look into MS Dhoni's numbers.
In the last five years, Dhoni has scored 715 from 40 Innings at an average of 44.68 and a strike rate of 143.57.
Prior to November 7 2013, Dhoni had scored 772 runs from 40 innings at an average of 32.16 and a mediocre strike rate of 114.88.
Clearly, from an overall numbers standpoint, Dhoni has had a tremendous turnaround in terms of average as well as strike rate.
Analyzing it further, Dhoni may not have scored big in this time period, but he has constantly chipped in with useful innings such as 22* (12), 27*(18), 20*(12), 20*(6), 18*(10), 15*(9), 43(25), 56*(36), 39*(22), etc. This shows his importance in the Indian side, purely as a finisher.
In the same time period, no batsman batting at 5 or below has had a better record than MS Dhoni.
Dhoni may have been dropped from the T20I squad last month, but when it comes to his performances over the whole of the last five years, he has certainly been Invaluable.
Overall, MS Dhoni gets a consistency rating of 60.71% and low-scores rating of 22.5%.