Babar Azam’s Top-Class Innings in T20Is
Pakistan cricket team captain, Babar Azam, has been a consistent performer in the shortest format of the game. He has led his team from the front and has played 100 T20Is for Pakistan. Babar is famous for his sophisticated and flamboyant batting style. In T20Is, he forms an intimidating opening pair with Mohammad Rizwan.
Babar Azam’s top-class innings in T20Is have won several admirers all around the globe. He played a sensational innings of 122 off 59 against South Africa at Centurion in 2021. This inning earned him recognition as one of the best T20I batters in the world. Other than this, he also scored 110* off 66 against England in Karachi in 2022, 97* off 58 against West Indies in Karachi in 2018 and his recent top innings of 79* off 53 against New Zealand contributed significantly to Pakistan’s victory in Christchurch.
Babar Azam’s contributions were critical in Pakistan’s win against India during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. He hit the winning run that sealed Pakistan’s triumph over their arch-rivals.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Struggle to Maintain Form
Suryakumar Yadav is one of India’s most talented batsmen who started his international career strongly but had a few struggles recently. Despite struggling for runs while playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023, he still holds the top spot according to the latest ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings. Yadav’s last outing saw him bagging a golden duck which makes it his fourth golden duck in the last six outings.
However, his recent poor form does not affect his standing in the T20I rankings. Yadav’s potential is well documented and he has the backing of the team captain and management. This was further evident during his conversation with Delhi Capitals’ head coach, Ricky Ponting, after his dismissal in the last game.
Battle for Top Spot Continues
Yadav’s struggles have opened up an opportunity for other T20I batters to seize the top spot from him. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam from Pakistan are closest rivals to Yadav, with Rizwan currently holding the second position with 811 rating points while Azam moves up to third place with 755 points.
Furthermore, Aiden Markram from South Africa and Devon Conway from New Zealand are placed fourth and fifth respectively. The latest set of T20I rankings also witnessed some big winners thanks to their recent performances. Amongst them are Kusal Mendis from Sri Lanka and Tim Seifert from New Zealand who have risen significantly in the batters’ rankings.
Moreover, Maheesh Theekshana from Sri Lanka has secured equal fifth-place on the rankings for bowlers which is a significant achievement. Interestingly, Afghanistan holds the top two spots in the T20I bowler rankings with Rashid Khan leading Farooqi.
In conclusion, Babar Azam and Suryakumar Yadav continue to hold their top spots in ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings despite their recent struggle for runs. The battle for supremacy amongst the top T20I batters looks set to continue as players gear up for crucial upcoming series.
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