Top 5 Indian T20I batsmen of the decade
T20 internationals came into existence in 2005 and, within two years, India had taken a grand liking to the format. They won the inaugural edition of the World T20 in South Africa, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in a pulsating final at Johannesburg. The triumph, coming only a few months after India’s disastrous World Cup exit, gave fans a lot of cheer, and made new heroes out of youngsters.
Just a year after India lifted the World T20, the Indian Premier League (IPL), BCCI’s cash-rich domestic T20 league was born, and it changed the face of the T20 format. A number of players from both India and overseas progressed from the IPL to play for their country successfully.
For the young and restless Indian cricket fans, part of the WhatsApp and TikTok generation, T20 has become the go-to format, where they can instantly chill out.
As T20I gains further popularity with each passing year, we take a look at the top 5 Indian T20I batsmen of the decade that just went by.
#5 Shikhar Dhawan
Matches - 58, Innings - 57, Runs - 1,504, Average - 27.85, Strike Rate - 128.21
While Shikhar Dhawan has formed a formidable pairing with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in ODIs, he hasn't quite been able to repeat the magic in the T20I format. Still, he has done enough to feature at number five in this list.
Dhawan has had his moments in T20Is. In fact, he was the leading run-scorer in the format in 2018 with 689 runs at an average of 40.52 and a strike rate of 147.22.
The left-hander smashed as many as six fifties in that year and even registered his career-best of 92 from 62 balls against West Indies at Chennai. In the very next match, he blasted 76 from 42 against Australia at Brisbane. Earlier in the year, he also smashed 90 from 46 against Sri Lanka in the Nidahas Trophy.
The southpaw, however, does not have a single half-century in 2019. While he scored six fifties in 2018, Dhawan has managed only three more fifties in the period before and after that - too little for an opener. Also, his strike rate of under 130 is slightly on the lower side.