Top 3 T20I batting performances from the month of June this year
After a successful IPL 2022, June 2022 saw jam-packed cricketing action all the way, with quite a number of exciting T20I series.
India, with their second-string squad, featured in two different series. They first hosted South Africa for a five-match T20I series before traveling to Dublin for a couple of games against Ireland.
Meanwhile, Australia, during their ongoing all-format tour to Sri Lanka, played three T20Is earlier in June. India's neighbors Afghanistan too played three T20Is when they whitewashed Zimbabwe away from home.
With the T20 World Cup 2022 less than four months away from us now, all sides have used their bilateral series to prepare for the marquee event. With so many high-octane T20I encounters, numerous batters shone and put in spectacular performances.
Here, we take a look at three top-quality batting displays in T20Is in June. On that note, let's get started:
#3 David Miller's 64* off 31 vs India
Well played, David Miller. He scored Incredible 64* runs from 31 balls including 3 Fours and 5 Sixes against India in the successful run chase in first T20I match. What an Innings from him. https://t.co/7SiiqsySvz
Following his impressive performance in IPL 2022 with Gujarat Titans, David Miller continued his great Indian summer when he scored 64* off 31 in the first T20I against India.
Chasing 212, South Africa scored at a brisk rate, but were reduced to 81/3 when Miller entered the crease in the ninth over. While his partner Rassie van der Dussen struggled at one end, Miller came out all guns blazing and put pressure on the Indian bowlers.
The southpaw smashed a total of three sixes and a couple of fours in the 12th and 13th overs to get his side back in the game. He didn't even let the Indian tweakers settle and kept finding gaps at will.
Seeing his striking from the other end, Van der Dussen (75* off 46) soon changed his gears as well and stitched together an unbeaten partnership of 131.
Miller made full use of the short boundaries in Delhi and smashed four boundaries and five sixes. Owing to the pair's six-fest, the visitors won the game by seven wickets.
#2. Dasun Shanaka's 54* off 25 vs Australia
An unbeaten 54 from the skipper Dasun Shanaka helped Sri Lanka seal a stunning four-wicket win over Australia in the third and final T20I 💥🇱🇰
#SLvAUS #CricketTwitter https://t.co/qMXPnC5E9N
Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka played a blinder to help his side avoid a whitewash in the third T20I against Australia. 'Leading from the front' is a popularly used phrase in cricket and Shanaka did exactly that against the reigning T20 champions in Pallekele.
Sri Lanka lost all hope at one point in time when they were 108/6 in 15.4 overs in a run chase of 177 runs. Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne were the last recognized batters left, and the target was still 69 runs away with only 26 balls in hand.
Coming to bat at No. 4, the Lankan captain struggled initially during his stay. His strike rate was just 50 after facing the first 12 balls. With 59 runs needed in the last three overs, only a miracle could've saved the hosts.
Josh Hazlewood, who was economical in his first three overs, was sent all around the ground by Shanaka, accumulating 22 runs in his fourth over.
Sri Lanka needs 59 runs in 18 balls
18th over - 1,6,6,4,4,1
19th over - 6,1,4,1,4,WD,1
20th over - WD,WD,1,1,4,4,6,WD.
Sri Lanka chased down this target in 17 balls vs australia in 3rd T20I - Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka unbeaten 54*(25). https://t.co/BOCPbGDthQ
The Lankan all-rounder then smacked Jhye Richardson for a six and a boundary in the penultimate over, bringing the equation down to 19 off last six balls. Aided by three wides in the over, Shanaka smacked two fours and a six to take his side home.
Shanaka finished unbeaten with 54 off 25 balls, scoring 48 runs in his last 13 balls. He became the first player ever to score more than 50 runs in death overs in T20I cricket.
#1 Deepak Hooda's 104 off 57 vs Ireland
🏏💙🇮🇳 https://t.co/bBizMXBudT
Deepak Hooda played some terrific cricket during the course of two T20Is against Ireland. He hit a game-changing knock of 47* in 29 deliveries in the first T20I before backing it up with a masterful century in the second match.
Hooda became only the fourth Indian male cricketer to register a T20I century as the Men in Blue put up an imposing 225/7 after winning the toss and batting first. He smashed 104 in 57 balls and featured in a second-wicket stand of 176 with Sanju Samson (77 off 42), the highest ever for India.
Promoted to bat at No. 3, Hooda was clinical with his shot selection and looked comfortable throughout his stay at the crease. With a healthy strike rate of 182.4, the Rohtak-born dasher smoked nine fours and four maximums. His brilliant innings ended when he sliced an attempted big hit.
Although 226 seemed to be an arduous task at first for the hosts, they showed great character and gave the Men in Blue a tough fight. On the back of skipper Andy Balbirnie's 60, Ireland reached 221 in their 20 overs and lost the game by a fine margin of four runs.