International Left-Handers Day: 5 most dangerous left-handers in international cricket today ft. Rishabh Pant
The pool of left-handed batters in cricket adds a certain enriching diversity to the sport. Whether it be the class offered by the 'God of Offside' Sourav Ganguly, or the swashbuckling route taken by Chris Gayle, southpaws are a delight to watch.
Most teams nowadays prefer a left-right opening partnership. They also try to have lefties in the middle order to continue the combination for the rest of the innings as well, to not allow the bowling attack to settle.
Traditionally, left-handed batsmen have been regarded as synonymous with elegance. However, with the game now demanding more aggression than ever, stroke-making ability is equally important.
To celebrate the International Left-Hander's Day, let's take a look at the five most dangerous left-handed batters currently active in the international circuit.
#1 Rishabh Pant
The swashbuckling Indian batter is revolutionizing batting as we know it with his jaw-dropping exploits. Right from his penchant for unorthodox shots to his ability to turn the game around in the space of a few overs, Pant is a tough customer to bowl to.
His brute hitting enables him to clear the rope on most occasions. The Delhi-born wicket-keeper batter has already hit over 100 sixes in international cricket in a span of just over five years.
The one-handed sixes should be renamed as Rishabh Pant shot.
https://t.co/BewxGWVQ3k
Pant holds a strike rate in excess of 100 in white ball formats. His aggression template is imprinted in red-ball cricket as well, where he strikes at 72.65.
Pant has been a nightmare for left-arm spinners whom he mercilessly targets with slog sweeps over mid-wicket. However, he has also been very successful against off-spinners like Nathan Lyon.
Last year, in an innings against England, he played a reverse sweep against James Anderson that has gone down as one of the most stunning shots played in recent times.
His amazing stroke-making ability has already drawn comparisons with Adam Gilchrist for the Delhi-based player. He is well on his way to becoming a legend of the game for India.
#2 David Warner
The veteran Australian batter has embodied an aggressive brand of batting ever since he emerged on the international cricket scene in 2009. He is a nightmare for the new ball bowlers around the world with his exceptional ability to settle quickly, pick the gaps efficiently, and run hard between wickets.
The dangerous element in his batting undoubtedly comes through his forte of scoring boundaries on a consistent basis. Well equipped to tackle both pace and spin, Warner has scored 247 sixes in international cricket, out of which 100 have come in the shortest format of the game.
The first two sixes of Warner's international career!
#AUSvSA09 https://t.co/W7agacPJqT
He is regarded as one of the most dangerous batters in world cricket, let alone among left-handed batters. The New South Wales-born player has an exceptional strike-rate of 140 in T20Is. He is no slacker in the other formats too, striking it at 95.14 and 71.29 in ODIs and Tests respectively.
Despite nearing the 36-year-old mark, the southpaw has not slowed down by any means. He showed his prowess in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, where he came second in the run charts to empower Australia to their maiden trophy in T20Is.
#3 David Miller
The Proteas middle-order ace is renowned as one of the best hitters of the ball on his day. The hard-hitting southpaw failed to make an appearance for South Africa in Test cricket, but has done enough damage in white-ball cricket.
Having played in excess of 100 matches in both formats, Miller has a strike rate of 142 in T20Is and 101.28 in ODIS. He has already played countless cameos in the death overs for his country and the 33-year-old has donned the role of finisher for the Proteas for quite a while.
My favourite video,David miller 103 m six http://t.co/WEh3R8NSk3
Miller is brutal when it comes to playing with the bottom hand. He is devastating when the ball is around the leg stump line and often targets the region over midwicket and square-leg.
It is also to be noted that Miller has played 90 T20I innings without ever recording a duck. Despite a brief slump in recent years, the Natal-born batter has made a strong statement with his exploits in franchise cricket to cement his place in the national side.
#4 Ben Stokes
When it comes to dangerous cricket and aggression, Ben Stokes might be the epitome of it at the moment. While he chose to retire from ODI cricket, he is still a huge advocate of 'Bazball' and will be all for aggression when he comes out to bat.
The current England Test captain is a hard-hitter of the ball. Capable of playing in the middle-order as well as at the top of the order in T20 cricket, Stokes has an impressive strike rate of 138.
Ben Stokes' 258 against South Africa in 2016 in boundaries.
A phenomenal display of ball-striking.
https://t.co/I1hsCSRuFx
What is impressive about Stokes is that despite being a naturally aggressive batsmen, he possesses a very good technique. The English Test captain has a solid defence and can play according to the situation.
However, his six-hitting ability is second to none when it comes to red ball cricket, as he is only the third player to hit 100 sixes in the format. Additionally, he is only seven sixes away from breaking the all-time record of 107, which interestingly enough, is held by England's current Test team coach Brendon McCullum.
The ace left-handed batter's ruthless prowess has been on show in several instances, whether it be his stellar 258* in Cape Town or his match-winning effort against Australia in Leeds.
#5 Nicholas Pooran
The current West Indies white-ball skipper is one of the cleanest hitters of the ball. While he is yet to ply his trade in Test cricket, he has made a name for himself as one of the most impressive batters in town through his efforts in franchise cricket as well as the national team.
A fine exponent of the slog sweep, Pooran has the natural ability to hit sixes. Good with the use of his feet and endowed with great timing, the left-hander has great potential. He also boasts a magnificent swing of the bat, enabling him to clear the ropes by a significant margin.
Interestingly, he has scored more sixes than fours in his T20 career. He has 329 sixes compared to 309 fours from his 241 appearances so far.
Nicholas Pooran scored 143 runs from 160 balls including 14 fours and 6 sixes against Australia in the quarter-final of U-19 World Cup 2014. At one stage West Indies was 70 for 8 then he played one of the best knocks in this age group cricket.
Link: youtu.be/CKEiuKApvko https://t.co/9ppzY0Sd66
Who are some of the other left-handers you think embrace the aggressive brand of cricket? Let us know what you think.