4 current cricketers who could break Aaron Finch's record of the highest individual score
Australian opening batsman, Aaron Finch, smashed the Zimbabwe bowlers to all the parts of the Harare Sports Club as he delivered an exquisite display of fierce hitting on Tuesday (July 04). He coupled brute force with exemplary skills so as to manoeuvre the ball expertly through the gaps, muscling his way to a record-breaking 172 off just 76 balls.
Finch was also involved in a record opening partnership of 223 runs with Big Bash sensation, D’Arcy Short, which is now the highest in T20 international cricket for any wicket. hosts Zimbabwe looked no match for the mighty Kangaroos, as they succumbed to a 100-run defeat despite getting off to a flyer in the second innings of the game.
Finch was in utmost control of the game and looked solid throughout, smashing a total of 16 fours and 10 sixes in his flabbergasting innings. He bettered his own previous record in the format, which came back in 2013, when he had scored 156 against England.
The right-hander missed out on becoming highest individual scorer across T20 cricket by a slim margin of 3 runs. Chris Gayle’s innings of unbeaten 175 runs that hit for RCB in the 2013 edition of IPL against Pune Warriors India remains at the top of the list. Ironically, it was Finch who lead the hapless PWI side that was taken to the cleaners by Gayle in that splendid innings.
Though it might sound unlikely at the moment, a number of current international batsmen have the ability to go one step ahead of this innings from the Australian. Here is the list of four players who could give Finch's record a run for its money.
Note: All stats are accurate as of 3rd July 2018
#4 Martin Guptill
Currently, the highest international run-scorer in the shortest format of the game, Martin Guptill packs the ability to steer past Finch's record of 172. In a T20I career that has spanned over 9 years, Guptill has scored a couple of centuries and 14 half-centuries to date.
The Kiwi opener is someone who plays straight batted shots with an exemplary degree of perfection. This continues to be his prime strength in the limited overs cricket, making him a great stroke-maker at the top of the order. When in flow, he becomes unstoppable and can take on any bowling attack, right from the word go.
The right-handed batsman is ranked 6th in the current T20I rankings.
With the knack of batting across all the innings, Guptill surely is a contender of breaking Finch's stupendous record. His ability to play with hard hands, coupled with his rich experience in the format, makes him a player to watch out for in T20 cricket.