Top 5 T20I batsmen in the current era
T20 cricket is potentially the most difficult format to maintain consistency in. With batsmen having no guarantees of whether they face 6 balls or 60, they are forced to adapt very quickly. Unlike ODIs, there is rarely any time for a batsman to "play himself in" either. Add to this unpredictability, the expectation of scoring quickly regardless of the conditions, and it is a challenging format to retain one's place in the side in.
Unlike other formats therefore, T20 is heavily tipped towards top-order batsmen. While T20 is most remembered for bursts of power-hitting, counterattacking knocks and exciting finishes, it is the "boring" aspects - placement, shot selection and strike rotation - which allow a player to establish himself as an asset in the format. Brilliance in the field, along with part-time bowling skills, also allow a batsman to guarantee selection.
Here is a list of the top 5 batsmen in world cricket at the moment, based on recent form as well as their record over the years. While players like Rassie van der Dussen and Aaron Finch are in the top 5 in the ICC Rankings due to recent performances, this list includes players who missed out recently but have been dominant otherwise.
#5 Glenn Maxwell (AUS)
Despite his well-documented woes in the Indian Premier League, including in the 2020 season, Glenn Maxwell has maintained a solid international record since 2016 where he first entered the top 3 in the ICC T20I rankings. Not only is he an electric fielder, Maxwell has also been shunted lower in the Australian batting lineup as an all-rounder. He currently is sixth on ICC's T20I Batting Rankings.
Arguably Maxwell's finest moment in the format was a blistering century opening the innings against Sri Lanka in 2016 as he racked up 145. Since then, he has scored two further international centuries to go with eight half-centuries in the format. A strike rate just shy of 158 over 67 T20Is is a commendable achievement, and the Melbourne Stars skipper's reverse sweeps, scoops and switch hits provide a nightmarish challenge to captains and bowlers alike.