Top 5 T20I batting performances of 2021
2021 saw Australia finally end their T20 World Cup jinx and lift their maiden men’s T20 World Cup title. In terms of overall stats, Pakistan had the most impressive numbers. They won 20 out of the 29 T20I matches they featured in, giving them a win percentage of 76.92. However, they faltered on the big stage, going down to Australia in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
In contrast, Australia lost 12 of the 22 T20I matches they played in 2021. However, they won the matches that mattered the most and were crowned the new champions of the T20 format. The stats are, of course, a bit misleading, as Australia were without their key players for the twin tours of West Indies and Bangladesh, losing both series' by 1-4 margins.
Among the other top teams, England won 11 of 17 T20I games, but went down to New Zealand in the T20 World Cup semis. India, meanwhile, won 10 of 16 but crashed out in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup. New Zealand, the T20 World Cup runners-up, emerged victorious in 13 of 23 T20I games, while South Africa won 15 of 23 and Sri Lanka eight out of 20.
Memorable T20I batting efforts of 2021
Batters played a key role in their teams' success this year. With 2021 drawing to a close, we rewind to the top five memorable batting performances of the year.
#5 Mohammad Rizwan (104* off 64 balls)
Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan hardly put a foot wrong in 2021 when it came to T20Is. He shattered records, becoming the first batter to score 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year and 2000 runs in T20s. Rizwan was also among the top run-getters in the T20 World Cup.
The 29-year-old scored a blazing 104* off 64 balls in a T20I against South Africa in Lahore. The knock featured six fours and seven sixes as Pakistan batted first and posted 169 for 6 on the the board. Rizwan jumped to a 35-ball fifty with three sixes in an over from Junior Dala. He was dropped twice as he reached the 90s and eventually crossed three-figures by hoicking Andile Phehlukwayo for a maximum over deep midwicket.
Mohammad Rizwan in 2021:
First T20I: 104(64)* vs SA
Last T20I: 86(45) vs WI
Setting up the tone for this year & also finishing it on high! An exceptional year for this guy comes to an end!! 🙌🏻🔥🔥💯🇵🇰
#PAKvWI https://t.co/4a8B5zheBe
Reeza Hendricks (54) and Janneman Malan (44) kept the Proteas in the hunt during the chase of 170. However, Usman Qadir and Haris Rauf claimed two wickets each as Pakistan sneaked home by three runs.
#4 Babar Azam (122 off 59)
Pakistan captain Babar Azam was in tremendous form in T20Is in 2021, finishing as the second-leading run-getter of the year in the format and the leading run-scorer in the T20 World Cup. He also smashed the second-highest individual score of the year. Azam hammered 122 in 59 balls against South Africa in Centurion in April as Pakistan chased down a target of 204 in emphatic fashion - with nine wickets in hand and 12 balls to spare.
Responding to South Africa’s 203 for 5, Azam led from the front, featuring in an 197-run opening stand with Mohammad Rizwan (73*) in 17.4 overs. Azam went completely berserk during the course of his innings, whacking 15 fours and four sixes.
Babar Azam surely knows how to knock it out 🏏. He scored 122 runs in a T20I, making him the highest scorer in an inning. Which of his match performances you liked the best?
#harhaalmaincricket https://t.co/3zgOKcMWUm
The Pakistan captain needed only 27 balls to reach his fifty and progressed to three-figures off 49 balls, clobbering Tabraiz Shamsi for a six and a four. Azam was eventually dismissed off a bouncer by Lizaad Williams, but Pakistan eased to victory.