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Cricket: A game of destiny and lady luck

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Cricket: A game of destiny and lady luck

BY YAJURVINDRA SINGH
(Yajurvindra Singh is a former Test cricketer)

There were tears of joy and sorrow, disappointment and happiness at the end of the biggest tournament of cricket – the World Cup. These are emotions that normally emerge when one watches any sporting encounter, especially when it involves a world title.

Cricket won the day on July 14, 2019 in England at Lord’s. The final between England and New Zealand, which for most of the match seemed boring, looked like two boxers whose bouts lacked punches and were waiting for the other to blink. The English teams’s hero and their brilliant allrounder, Ben Stokes, summed it up beautifully at the end.

Stokes was the bowler who was hit for a six in the last over when the West Indies won the World T20 final in Kolkata in 2016. He had also seen Bangladesh losing against India in an encounter when Mushfiqur Rahim, their batsman, failed to clear the line.

Stokes, a hard-hitting batsman, known to clear the fence at will, batting on 83 runs, did not succumb to his natural instinct. His explanation thereafter seemed to substantiate that he decided to play safe rather than be sorry at the end. This shows how important it is with regards to the mental state of a cricketer at that moment, as the negative thoughts of his previous failure came forth strongly.

England managed to tie the encounter through a ball that Stokes could have hit effortlessly out of the park. Retrospectively, his decision did prove to be successful when England finally got the verdict favouring them in the Super Over through a mindless rule of hitting more boundaries in the match.

Like all things in life, a cricketer needs lady luck on his side. The most popular saying amongst the cricketers is “Khelna hai to khelo, par Aisa hi hoga” (If you want to play, play, but this is how it will happen). Thinking deeply, the words are so appropriate.

A cricketer’s life from the first day he holds the bat or the ball till his final adieu revolves around the word “destiny”. The phrase “it evens out”, because of a bad umpiring decision or “practice makes one more perfect” or the most common one of all — “the more you practice, the less you depend on luck” are all sayings fabricated to make one get over failures. I do not believe in such random reasoning, as cricketers at all levels practice as hard as the other and, at most times, the chances of evening out during one’s career, are far and few between.

The New Zealand cricket team is a prime example of lady-luck leaving them when most required. A freak over-throw, bad umpiring decisions and a ridiculous ruling can only be related to their fate and destiny. How else can one describe their defeat?

The easy viewing of cricket through television and the mobile phone and numerous replays are now amplifying the luck factor that goes into the success of a cricketer. Earlier, this never got highlighted the way it is today. Rohit Sharma may have scored 5 centuries in the recent World Cup but if he did not have good fortune to help him, 4 of the innings would have had him back in the pavilion for a single-digit score. In the semi-final, his luck ran out, unfortunately for India, and the technical defects in his batting that one was aware of, became his nemesis once again.

Cricket is full of such stories and the popular cliché — “fortune favours the brave” is how a lucky and blessed cricketer is looked at after his successful performance. The conclusion from such a random statement is that England, whom the gods blessed, were the only brave side in the tournament. Yes, hard work, developing one’s skills, hours of practice does culminate into making one better at execution, but this is not unique as every cricketer goes through the same ritual.

In all my years of playing cricket, I have never been able to understand as to why at times I did do so well and as to why at times did I fail. I often wondered why I was selected to play for my country from among hundreds of other aspirants and finally why I was dropped from the Indian team. Chartering a path in cricket, especially with its ups and downs are what makes this game uncertain and thrilling.

Jimmy Neesham’s heartbreaking message posted after New Zealand’s defeat “kids don’t take up sports, take up baking, you will die at 60, fat and happy”, truly signifies the frustration and disappointment that a cricketer faces in defeat.

The two best sides of the World Cup tournament, India and Australia, in just 45 minutes of misfortune, never recovered to justify their seedings. Both the sides must be wondering as to what they did wrong to be struck by the wand of defeat. They were the two favourites after the group stage and their coach, support staff and strategies were all that the cricket media, fans and followers were eulogizing about.

One defeat is all that it took to bring them down.

The matured followers that are Australian cricket fans took their defeat as a “stroke of fate”. The Indian fans, on the other hand, have gone into an emotional state of madness. Sack the coach and the support staff, change the captain, retire the old and bring in the new are immature and unreasonable demands being flashed across every news medium around the country.

No one has blamed lady-luck and unfulfilled prayers that evaded us when most needed. Most foreigners are amused at the popular Indian saying of, “we are like this only” when things are not going well. However, the game that lives, breathes and revels on uncertainty is never given that excuse by an Indian.

This is what makes cricket a religion in India and maybe like life, Indians need to accept their destiny. Kane Williamson was not only the man of the tournament, which he was so rightly awarded but also the cricketer to marvel at. He was miles ahead, not only as the captain of the losing side on the field but way ahead off the field as well. A great leader, who came out winning even while losing. Well done Kane, let’s hope the rest are able to follow.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Tough questions await Shastri & selectors after semifinal loss

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Tough questions await Shastri & selectors after semifinal loss

Till the time results are going in your favour, you can even get away with murder. But the time has finally arrived when India coach Ravi Shastri and the coaching staff will have some answering to do. Always ready with a counter, Shastri has time and again shut the critics — even honest ones at times — with his words.

But it will be interesting to see how the India coach explains Wednesday’s semifinal defeat against New Zealand and the failure to find a middle-order that would have been good enough to stand up and get counted on a day when skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma failed in unison at the Old Trafford.

Coming into the World Cup, the Indian team management had kept the media at an arm’s length and was even reluctant to send players for the mixed zone sessions during the warm-up matches, which is a rule at ICC events.

In fact, ahead of their first World Cup game against South Africa, the Indian team had decided to send in the net bowlers who were training with the team in the run up to the showpiece event. The reason given was that the likes of Deepak Chahar and Avesh Khan were to go back and this would be the perfect stage to ask them on their experience of bowling to the Indian batsmen.

The media for once stood ground and decided to boycott the session. On paper there is no proof as to who was behind the idea of taking the Indian media contingent for a ride, but the efforts of the Indian cricket team to treat media personnel with disdain is no secret.

Any question asked has been met with a twisted answer. But the question on everyone’s mind now is whether the team management was waiting for calamity to strike rather than being prepared for the challenges that were visible to everyone.

Apart from the trio of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and K.L. Rahul, none of the other batsmen looked good enough even as the team management kept avoiding the obvious. To think that the middle-order consisted of two batsmen who weren’t even first-choice players when the original team was announced shows that there are questions staring at the likes of Shastri and Co.

While Rishabh Pant was flown in only after Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out with a thumb injury, Dinesh Karthik was said to be a cover for M.S. Dhoni. Chief selector M.S.K. Prasad had said that Karthik was in fact picked over Pant as the second wicketkeeper because he would be needed only if Dhoni got injured. But both were part of the playing XI against New Zealand. Both floundered on the big stage and interestingly, one of the better middle-order batsmen in the set-up — Ambati Rayudu — announced retirement from the cricket after being overlooked for the showpiece event.

Clearly, living in the present has hurt the team when it mattered the most. The same coach who claimed that this Indian team was one of the best touring teams after the success in Australia must now stand up and answer as to how they failed to live up to the favourites’ tag against a New Zealand side which troubled them not once, but twice in the tournament.

For the record, India were handed a defeat in the warm-up game by the same Kiwi outfit in London. Clearly, lessons are there to be learnt.

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45 minutes of bad cricket cost us a place in final: Kohli

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45 minutes of bad cricket cost us a place in final: Kohli

India skipper Virat Kohli rued the manner in which India lost the World Cup semifinal against New Zealand at the Old Trafford on Wednesday, saying the team played so well throughout the tournament only to bow out in the last-four stage due to a poor stretch of “45 minutes”.

“Forty-five minutes of bad cricket puts you out of the tournament. Difficult to take it — but New Zealand deserves it. Our shot selection could have been better, but we played good cricket throughout. New Zealand were braver in crunch situations and they deserve it,” Kohli said at the presentation ceremony, referring to the period in which India lost four top-order batsmen, including Rohit Sharma and Kohli, inside 10 overs.

India lost to New Zealand by 18 runs after restricting them to 239/8 in the rain-hit semifinal played over two days.

Indian batters were undone by Matt Henry’s brilliant opening spell as he returned figures of 3/37. Ravindra Jadeja (77) and MS Dhoni (50) shared a 116-run stand for the seventh wicket, but in the end that proved to be not enough, especially after Dhoni was caught short of crease by a brilliant direct hit by Martin Guptill.

“We got what we needed in the field. We knew we had a good day yesterday, we felt like we had the moment, but credit has to go to NZ bowlers for the swing and help they got from the surface,” Kohli said.

The skipper also showered praise on Jadeja, saying: “Jaddu had an outstanding couple of games. He went with so much clarity… MS had a good partnership with him. It was a game of margins and MS was run-out.”

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India crash out of World Cup after top-order collapse

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India crash out of World Cup after top-order collapse

He came, he put on a show, but Ravindra Jadeja failed to conquer as India crashed out of the World Cup after losing to New Zealand by 18 runs in the semifinal at the Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Questions about India’s over dependence on the top-order was time and again shot down by the team management over the past month, but it did finally haunt them on the big stage — the semifinal of the World Cup.

On a wicket tailor-made for the bowlers, Jadeja did play a blinder (77 off 59 balls, 4×4. 6×4). But it was too late in the day as the top-order collapse came to haunt India at the end. Credit also goes to the Kiwis for making it to their second consecutive final after finishing runners-up in 2015.

Needing 52 off the last five overs, Jadeja looked to be guiding India home under the tutelage of former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but Trent Boult had the last laugh as he dismissed Jadeja in the 48th over to bring New Zealand right back into the game. Jadeja’s 77-run knock was the highest in the history of World Cup for a batsman batting at number eight in the second innings, but it was just not enough to take India home.

The untimely run out of Dhoni (50 off 72 balls, 4×1, 6×1) in the 49th over was the final nail in the coffin. It was ironic that the man who is known as one of the best judges of run was run out while going for a double. Martin Guptill’s direct hit was too good even for Dhoni.

Chasing 239, India were 92/6 and looking down the barrel before Jadeja joined Dhoni and raised hopes of a counter. In the end, their partnership of 116 runs was the highest in the history of World Cup for the seventh wicket.

But the start was a disaster for India as the in-form Rohit Sharma (1), skipper Virat Kohli (1), opener K.L. Rahul (1) and Dinesh Karthik (6) were done in by some beautiful bowling by Matt Henry and Trent Boult.

While Henry sent Rohit back with a beauty, Boult was slightly lucky to get Kohli leg-before to a ball which looked to be high to the naked eye. Kohli did call for a review, but it was umpire’s call and a dejected skipper had to walk back withe scoreboard reading 5/2.

Rahul refused to learn from the mistakes of the senior batsmen as he kept the bat hanging outside as a Henry delivery took the edge and landed in the hands of wicketkeeper Tom Latham. Karthik too looked like a cat on a hot tin roof in his short stay in the middle, which came to an end when Jimmy Neesham picked a beauty at point to hand Henry his third wicket.

The top-order collapse saw India stranded at 24/4 when Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya joined hands to weave a 47-run partnership for the fifth wicket before a slog sweep off Mitchell Santner saw Pant (32 off 56 balls) walk back to the pavilion, much to the dismay of skipper Virat Kohli in the dressing room. The score read 71/5 when Dhoni walked in to join Pandya.

The scoring rate was slow, but the fact that Dhoni was guiding Pandya meant that India were in the game. The Kiwi bowlers kept bowling a tight line and that finally saw Pandya lose his cool and try a hoick over mid-wicket. But the ball went straight up and Kane Williamson took a brilliant catch.

But the wicket turned out to be a blessing in disguise for India as Jadeja seemed to be batting on a different track altogether as he hit the Kiwi bowlers all around the park. Going into the last 10 overs, India needed 90 runs and it was always a question of picking that one wicket for the Kiwi bowlers.

Earlier, resuming on 211/5, New Zealand finished on 239/8 in their 50 overs after rain interrupted play 46.1 overs into their innings on Tuesday. Jasprit Bumrah had spoken about wickets slowing down towards the business end of the tournament and it was evident during the first semifinal as the Indian bowlers made full use of the conditions after Williamson won the toss and opted to bat.

Ross Taylor was the only bright spot for New Zealand as he hit a 90-ball 74 before being run out, courtesy a direct hit from Jadeja in the 48th over. Jadeja then followed it up with a brilliant catch off the first ball of the next over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/43) as Tom Latham had to walk back for 10. On Tuesday, Williamson also played his part by hitting a 95-ball 67 as former cricketers criticised the slowness of the pitch for the crucial encounter.

Slower bouncers, cutters and the knuckle balls ruled the roost as the Indian bowlers showed why they are considered one of the best in world cricket at present. Even as the team management surprised many by deciding to drop the in-form Mohammad Shami, the trio of Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar and all-rounder Hardik Pandya showed that they were up for the challenge.

Such was the struggle of the Kiwi openers that the first run in the innings came in the 3rd over, the 17th ball to be more precise. And as they say, morning did show the day as it was a struggle for the New Zealand batsmen right through. In fact, even the in-form Williamson looked a pale shadow of his ususal self as he looked to dig in and score some runs for his bowlers to defend.

While Nicholls did all the hardwork, he was dismissed in the 19th over by a beauty from Jadeja which turned just enough to beat the edge of the bat. The 51-ball 28 was just not the knock he would have wanted to play after digging in deep.

But it wasn’t any easier for Ross Taylor either as he looked to have hit a rut. In fact, at one stage he wasn’t even able to pick the singles. But the two did try their best to spend time in the middle to stretch the partnership and keep wickets in the bag.

Taylor was given a half-life on 22 as Dhoni failed to latch onto one that dropped almost in front of his gloves off Bumrah. A front leap instead of a sideways dive could have seen him pick that up. Williamson was finally dismissed against the run of play by Chahal as one seemed to grip just enough to have the skipper play it early. The literal lob was gobbled up by Jadeja behind point as Williamson walked back for a 95-ball 67 in the 36th over.

The move to have Jimmy Neesham come in as a pinch-hitter didn’t work any wonders as he managed just 12 off 18 balls. Taylor continued his struggle and was also saved by DRS after the umpire gave him out on 56. While rain then cut short the innings on Tuesday, the Kiwis managed to score 28 runs off the remaining 23 balls for the loss of three wickets on Wednesday. In total, 84 runs came off the last 10 overs.

Brief Scores: New Zealand: 239/8 in 50 overs (Ross Taylor 74, Ken Williamson 67; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/43); India: 221 all out in 49.3 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 77, M.S. Dhoni 49, Matt Henry 3/37)

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Can Vijay Shankar deliver at No.4 tomorrow versus England in CWC 2019

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Can Vijay Shankar deliver at No.4 tomorrow versus England in CWC 2019

Post Dhawan’s exit from World Cup, India is struggling with Middle order woes since Rahul who was batting at No.4 is opening in the innings now. Vijay Shankar has been picked to replace No.4.

However, if you look into his last 2 innings versus Afghanistan and West Indies he did not play to his potential and threw away his wicket at a crucial juncture. Luckily his performance got overshadowed with India winning both the matches. Vijay Shankar has struggled to put forward a convincing display after being slotted at the much-discussed No. 4 slot in the Indian batting line-up at World Cup 2019.

His contribution is very vital since No.4 slot is very important and normally, a specialized batsman mans this position. Smith from Australia, Morgan from England and Ross Taylor from New Zealand are playing at No.4 in this world cup. Cricket legends like Sachin, Dravid and Yuvraj from India also played in No.4 and provided valuable contributions. For Vijay Shankar, this is a huge responsibility and he is not able to do justice for now. Adding to it, there is huge criticism for playing him in the team keeping Karthik and Pant on the bench.

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar asked India to address batting woes, adding that Shankar might get to play one more game to prove himself.

“As for brass tacks – India can be happy about the win but must look to address the batting issues starting with putting pressure on KL Rahul to get the big one once he gets a start and I guess, one more game for Vijay Shankar,” Manjrekar tweeted.

Fans and India Management are expecting that Vijay Shankar will deliver well when playing with England tomorrow.

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Pakistani fans clean Edgbaston stands post New Zealand win

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Pakistani fans clean Edgbaston stands post New Zealand win

Ahead of the Australia game in the ongoing World Cup, Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed had spoken about how much Pakistani fans are passionate about cricket and how much they support the team and the players.

After Pakistan’s loss to India, Pakistani fans had slammed the team for their poor performance against the arch-rivals. They had questioned the players’ fitness and even their commitment towards the sport.

However, once Sarfaraz and his boys returned to winning ways by registering wins against South Africa and New Zealand, the same fans showered praise on the team for their remarkable return in the tournament.

While many Pakistani have been trolled for their reactions after the India game and memes were created on them, many of the supporters also garnered appreciation for showing sportsman spirit.

Now, a video is making rounds on the internet in which some of the Pakistani fans can be seen cleaning the stands at Edgbaston where the Green Brigade defeated the Black Caps by six wickets on Wednesday.

Several Pakistani fans stayed back after the match and were seen collecting the trash from the stands, thus setting an example for the ones who litter.

Pakistan, with seven points from as many games, need to win their remaining two games against Afghanistan and Bangladesh in order to make it to the semifinals. They would also require the results of matches of other teams to go in their favour if they have to enter the knockout stage.

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Satta Bazaar bids cross Rs 100 cr on India-Pak tie

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Satta Bazaar bids cross Rs 100 cr on India-Pak tie

On the eve of the World Cup clash between India and Pakistan, the betting bazaars in Delhi have gone crazy: the police estimates that the bids in the illegal Satta (betting) market could have crossed the Rs 100-crore mark in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Punters, mostly from the trading class, and bookies linked to underworld syndicates are known to have a wider network in Delhi’s adjoining towns of Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurugram.

Delhi Police have put their electronic surveillance in top gear. “We are taking all measures to monitor the Satta operators in the wake of the crucial India-Pakistan match on Sunday. We are keeping a tab on five-star hotels and guest houses, particularly in Karol Bagh and Old Delhi area that are hired by big-time punters. These operators have strong networks, which are often difficult to crack, but we are on the job,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told IANS.

“On previous occasions, the police arrested top bookies from north Delhi, who had a sophisticated internet software of betting linked with mobile phones,” said Verma.

Police sources said odds are placed on Pakistan as India seem favourites in Sunday’s tie. Bookies are well aware of India’s recent dominance over Pakistan. The bids are not only placed on who wins, but also over-to-over and ball-to-ball.

Individual bids are placed on who will take maximum wickets or who will hit the most sixes. The betting starts rigt at the toss. “Most punters place their bids on which team will win the toss. Besides, after winning the toss, bids are placed on the decision of the captain, whether he would decide to bat or field. This time the base betting rate on Team India is Rs 1.55 and Rs 45 on Pakistan,” a punter from west Delhi told IANS.

The punters in the capital’s Satta market — in Khari Baoli, Karol Bagh, Old Delhi and south Delhi’s guest houses and big hotels — are siding with Team India. But they have not handed them a clean sweep, like in 2011 World Cup.

“Like every year during IPL matches, in this World Cup, most college youths, businessmen, hoteliers, cricket lovers, traders, corporate women and hawala operators are betting with us. Over 60 per cent bidders are in favour of India’s victory. That means thumbs-up for skipper Virat Kohli and his team,” a punter told IANS.

Bets are also being placed on the margin of victory in terms of runs and wickets and also on whether runs scored by India and Pakistan could be 400-plus or below 400.

An interesting bet is on who will take more than three wickets from both sides — whether it would be spinners or pace bowlers. Also, will it be Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz or India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal?

The base betting rate of Indian players, for example, Jasprit Bumrah, is Rs 15, while for Amir it is Rs 6, said a source.

The other bets are on star batsmen — whether they would score half-century or century. For instance, could it be skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma or Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman?

Vaibhav Krishna, Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, said the police were keeping an eye on known gamblers. “We have made a list of old and recently caught gamblers,” said Krishna.

The satta bazaar operators are closely monitoring the tweets of the players, captains and coaches to know the status of the players who will be in or out. They are also keeping a tab on weather reports and local newspaper clippings.

Police sources said this time, punters have sent some of their middlemen to the UK to keep tabs on all updates, the weather included.

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Video: Rohit Sharma Smashes A Ton In The First Match of World Cup

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Video: Rohit Sharma Smashes A Ton In The First Match of World Cup

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10 power hitters who can take the World Cup by storm

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10 power hitters who can take the World Cup by storm

With just 15 days remaining for the start of the much-awaited 2019 World Cup, all the participating teams are busy getting their combinations right and are preparing themselves mentally and physically for the showpiece event.

It can be predicted without a doubt that the World Cup that starts on May 30 will be a high-scoring affair where teams would be posting gigantic totals on batting-friendly England pitches in the second half of summer. Thus, almost all teams will rely on their power hitters to come to their own and score big in the prestigious quadrennial event.

IANS takes a look at the top 10 power hitters who could play crucial roles in the showpiece event and take centre-stage:

Jos Buttler (England)

Jason Roy a couple of days back said this batsman can demoralise teammates with his hitting abilities which sums it all. Buttler has been one of the most destructive batsmen at the death in recent times. Since the 2015 World Cup, he strikes at 181.2 in the last 10 overs, more than any player in the final phase of an innings.

In the second ODI against Pakistan, Buttler scored century of just 50 balls. In fact two of the fastest centuries for England have been scored by Buttler. He has a 360 degree hitting zone and that makes him a difficult customer for bowlers.

Jonny Bairstow (England)

The wicketkeeper-batsman from England has been in ominous form in the last two years. Bairstow not only has the ability to play big shots, but he also knows how to rotate strike and keep the scoreboard ticking.

His power-hitting was in full display during the IPL where he scored 442 runs in 10 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In 62 ODIs he has played so far for England, Bairstow has scored 2297 runs at a strike rate of over 106.

Andre Russell (West Indies)

Andre Russell is one of the hardest hitters of the ball among the contemporary batsmen. Like Virender Sehwag and Adam Gilchrist, Russell can inflict fear in any bowler. His ability to hit the ball a long way is not an unheard story anymore.

In the just concluded IPL, Russell was in tremendous form as he singlehandedly won many games for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He amassed 510 runs in the 14 matches at a breath-taking strike rate of 204.

For sure, all teams will make special plans for Russell when they face the West Indies in the World Cup.

Chris Gayle (West Indies)

The big hitting Jamaican is one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket. He has been in great form in the recent times. In 2019, Gayle has scored 424 runs in five ODIs, which include two centuries and a highest of 162.

In the just concluded IPL, Gayle scored 490 runs in the 13 matches he played for Kings XI Punjab. He smacked 34 sixes and had a strike rate of over 150 in this IPL edition.

What makes Gayle a terror for the bowlers is his ability to clear any boundary despite having a technique that has its flaws.

Hardik Pandya (India)

Hardik is the seaming all-rounder India had been looking for ages. Not only can he bowl those crucial overs in the middle overs and pick wickets, he can hit the ball really hard and score maximums on any ground across the world.

Although he hasn’t featured in many successful chases, but his 76 off 46 against Pakistan in Champions Trophy final and a match-winning 83 off 66 against Australia in Chennai are some of the highlights of his career so far.

His recent form has been outstanding as he scored 402 runs in the 16 matches he played for Mumbai Indians in this edition of the IPL. Also, he has now added M.S. Dhoni’s famous helicopter shot to his arsenal, thus bringing more variety to his batting.

The 25-year-old, who has an overall strike rate of 116 in ODIs, has matured enough to understand what the situation demands of him and has been a regular fixture in all formats for India.

M.S. Dhoni (India)

The former India skipper is not only one of the greatest finishers in the game but also holds the distinction of being one of the most clean hitters of the cricket ball. Dhoni, time and again, has proved that no one is better than him when playing in the death overs.

He might be 37, but his fitness and agility makes him one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket. His recent form has also been great as he scored the bulk of the runs in the ODI series in Australia and England which India won comfortably.

In IPL 2019, people got to once again witness the vintage Dhoni on many occasions as he collected runs towards the end of the innings in numerous matches and single-handedly won games for the Chennai Super Kings.

If Dhoni continues with his tremendous form, chances of India clinching their third World Cup title will improve by leaps and bounds.

David Warner (Australia)

The swashbuckling Australian opener has been on a roll ever since he has returned to international cricket post serving his one-year ban for ball tampering. Warner won the Orange Cap in IPL 2019, scoring 692 runs in the 12 matches he played for the Sunrisers.

Short in stature, this big hitting Aussie has the ability to make any bowler have a run for his money. He, alongwith Steve Smith, will be one of Australia’s main weapon when they begin their title defence in England.

David Miller (South Africa)

The 29-year-old South Africa batsman, on his day, can tear apart any bowling attack. Miller not only has the game suited against pacers but is also one of the few Proteas batsmen who can score big against spinners as well.

His overall strike rate in ODIs hovers around 100, making him a serious threat for the opposition. However, his recent form has not been great and he has struggled to middle the ball, a cause of concern for Faf du Plessis going into the World Cup.

Colin Munro (New Zealand)

Munro holds the distinction of being one of the most powerful hitters in the game of cricket at the moment. When on song, this big hitting left hander can be absolutely ruthless and can score against any opposition.

Munro, who has been scoring big for New Zealand in T20s, has an overall strike rate of 105.5 in 50 ODI matches he has played for the Black Caps. He is predominantly a leg-side player and whenever he gets the ball in his arc, more often than not, he makes sure that it reaches the fence.

Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)

The left-handed batsman has been in the limelight ever since his brilliant century in the Champions Trophy 2017 final against India, which saw Pakistan lift the trophy for the very first time. The 29-year-old, who holds the record for being the only Pakistani batsman to score a double century in ODIs, is one of Pakistan’s batting mainstays and has been among the runs in the recent past.

Zaman has scored 1585 runs in 34 ODIs he has played for Pakistan with a strike rate of 97.83.

He made a strong statement before the World Cup by scoring a 84-ball hundred in the second ODI against England in Southampton and rang warning bells for the opposition teams.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

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