Top 5 most destructive T20 top orders in world cricket right now
Virat Kohli has emerged out as the best T20I batsman for IndiaThe ICC World T20 2016 is just around the corner, and since the event is being held in India, the batsman-friendly conditions warrant for a strong batting line-up,from the participating teams.Moreover, the T20 format has always been the one for the batsmen- not that the others haven't become similar- and a repetition of what we saw during the Asia Cup T20 2016, wherein the pitches assisted the bowlers throughout the tournament and only one 150+ score was registered, is highly unlikely in India.Given such circumstances, and the history of cricket matches that have been played in this part of the subcontinent, it is imperative for each team to bolster their batting department and put in place a strong batting line-up.The batsmen batting at numbers 1, 2, and 3 define the pace and the tempo of the innings, as the middle and the lower middle-order need a set platform to showcase their prowess, especially in the shortest format of the game.Here, we have a look at the top 5most destructive T20 top orders in world cricket that could play a major role in shaping the course of the tournament.
#5 England: Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Root
The pair of Alex Hales and Jason Roy has done considerably well for England in limited-overs cricket since they started to open together post the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The two of them might not have big scores to show their T20I credentials of late, but the opening stands that they have been providing England with, has often laid the platform for their big-hitting middle order, comprising of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Jonny Bairstow to launch the innings towards the end.
Following them at number 3 is Joe Root, one of England’s most promising batsmen, and the only man from the top order to play all three formats of the game on a consistent basis.
Again, the lack of sample space, when it comes to the number of T20I that England have played in 2016- just two, against South Africa- makes Root’s form look ordinary in the shorter format.
To get a better picture, one can look into the ODI series that preceded the T20I series against the Proteas, to find that Root had scored back-to-back centuries along with a 50 in the five-match ODI series.
His scores from that series read 27, 109, 125, 38, and 52. Add to that his ability to tackle spin successfully, and he becomes the best customer for the turning tracks that we might get in the World T20.
Root, in many ways, has been the fulcrum of England’s batting order, be it any format, and he would look to do the same in the World Cup as well.