4 Batsmen who can scale ‘Mt. 200’ in T20s
The game of cricket has been evolving ever since its inception. The latest phase of this cricketing evolution is the T20 format. The first T20 competition was played in England in 2003 and the format has garnered unparalleled popularity ever since.
The advent of T20 cricket has enhanced the skill-set of players exponentially. Batsmen these days can come up with shots all around the park while bowlers have developed variations that are hard to decipher. Despite the improvement from both sides, one can say that it is the batsmen who have benefited more.
Nowadays, limited overs cricket is characterized by better bats, smaller outfields and pitches resembling runways. ‘Reverse Swing’, which had been a potent weapon for the bowlers at the end of the 20th Century, has been on the wane. The lush green outfields are a major culprit. This has led to the batsmen getting more joy than ever before.
Recently, Aaron Finch notched up the highest individual score in a T20 international when he bludgeoned the Zimbabwean bowlers on his way to a score of 172. He fell three runs short of the highest individual T20 score ever, a record which currently belongs to Chris Gayle.
These hitting sprees coupled with better batting conditions lead one to believe that a T20 double hundred may not be too far away. At this juncture, it looks more a case of when, rather than if.
Through this article, we will look at 4 batsmen who have the ability to scale the seemingly insurmountable ‘Mt. 200’ peak.
1. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma or ‘Hitman’ has been a devastating limited overs batsmen since he made the move to open the innings. He is the only batsmen to hold the unique record of having three T20 international hundreds and 3 ODI double hundreds.
Though consistency is not his biggest asset, when he's in form, he can wreak havoc even against the best of bowling attacks.
Rohit’s highest score in T20s is 118, which came against Sri Lanka in December 2017. His century came off a mere 35 balls. His other T20 international hundreds include impressive knocks against South Africa and England.
Rohit has shown a penchant for going on hitting sprees, with his monumental 264 against Sri Lanka being another example.
He has a T20 strike rate of 133 and is equally comfortable playing seam and spin. With shots all around the park, the ‘Hitman’ is the prime suspect to break the T20 double hundred barrier.
