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ICC World Cup 2019: The batsmen to look forward to

The cricket World Cup is always a stage for the batsmen to deliver. Historically, some of the biggest names that modern batting has seen has done well at the quadrennial event.

kohli

Bengaluru, May 18: The cricket World Cup is always a stage for the batsmen to deliver. Historically, some of the biggest names that modern batting has seen has done well at the quadrennial event.

From India’s Sachin Tendulkar (most run scorers in two World Cups) and Rahul Dravid to West Indies’ Viv Richards to Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya – there are far too many names who have made the art of batting look incredibly easy at the WC.

The 2019 edition, which is set be held in an era when T20 cricket has transformed the definition of batting for ever, will also be special for a number of reputed batters.

Here are some of the top batsmen the cricketing world will be looking forward to in the showpiece event starting May 30 at the Oval:

Virat Kohli (India):

Virat Kohli (India):

It will be the Indian captain’s third WC but will be the one taking place when he is in the best of his batting form. No list of batsmen can be full without the presence of Kohli – a man with over 19k international runs and 66 hundreds.

Averaging almost 60 in the ODIs, Kohli will be key for India’s chances in the upcoming event and a special watch will be on how closer he gets to Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI tons.

David Warner (Australia):

David Warner (Australia):

The 12-month ban seems to have taken the edge of his batting little. The left-hander showed a thundering form in the recently included Indian Premier League (IPL) and will be a key for the defending champions’ batting prospects in the WC. Warner has 4,343 runs in 106 ODIs at an average of 43.43 with 14 hundreds. He had slammed a 178 against Afghanistan in the last WC in 2015. Australia will be looking for more such knocks from him this time.

Fakhar Zaman & Babar Azam (Pakistan):

Fakhar Zaman & Babar Azam (Pakistan):

These two batters have been mainstays of the Pakistan batting of late. Zaman, the quickest to complete 1,000 runs in ODIs and the first Pakistani to hit a double century in the 50-over format, will be crucial for Pakistan’s opening while Azam, an extremely talented batsman with an average of above 51, will spare no effort to make this WC a special one. Both the batsmen are playing in their maiden WC this time.

Andre Russell (West Indies):

Andre Russell (West Indies):

Though not a specialist batter per se, the Jamaican will still be a top draw of WC 2019, thanks to his rich exploits in the recently concluded IPL. Russell had made his debut in the 2011 World Cup in India and though he hasn’t played too many ODIs, yet the 31-year-old will be one of the Caribbean's biggest trump cards. Two short of 1k runs, Russell has a strike rate of 130 plus in the ODIs.

England’s 3 Js:

England’s 3 Js:

England’s ODI side has been a revelation since their humiliating exit from the last World Cup and three names have been particularly delivering. They are Jonny Bairstow, Jos Butler and Jason Roy. All three of them have dealt with the opponents’ bowlers with a hammer rather than a bat and their hitting could make a big difference for the English side this summer. All three of them have hit centuries in each game against Pakistan in their ongoing series by scoring 340 or more. While Bairstow has a strike rate of 106 in ODIs, Butler has 120 and Roy a staggering 145.

Story first published: Saturday, May 18, 2019, 17:10 [IST]
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