If you consider Modern day cricket, batting in limited overs format has a lot to do with power hitting. Larger bats and massive hitting have seen many decent bowlers being dispatched to and beyond the boundary on numerous occasions.
The fine art of playing along the ground these days looks like a mere excuse for an apparent inability to guide the ball into the stands.
In terms of T20 matches, this thing is even more acute. If you discuss T20 batting, the likes of Chris Gayle, David Warner, and AB de Villiers will take the front seat and rightly so, because these massive hitters have actually made the format what it is today with their superhuman stroke-making.
And T20 leagues like the Indian Premier League are the perfect arena for such kind of performances to be displayed in front of a hungry audience. But one can never deny the fact that as this very game evolves, so does its parameters. Nothing remains forever and dynamics also chose new way season to season.
And this IPL, the general idea that T20 batting is all about power-hitting has been challenged in many ways.
Back in 2014, the top four run-getters in the IPL were Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Smith, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner. All these batsmen are meant for the T20 style of play, capable of guiding the ball over the infield at their own wish. So no surprises there.
But last year, the scenario changed to some extent. Interestingly the second most prolific batsmen of the 2015 edition was none other than Ajinkya Rahane. No doubt the Mumbai batsman happens to be one of the most technically gifted talented players in India and goes for traditional shots to get snatch runs.
As we have seen, whichever position he has been sent, Rahane is more than capable of hitting over-boundaries and can also maintain a high scoring rate. But his lively presence on that list proved that players who are gifted with timing the ball exceptionally well and hit the gaps can also make a big difference in the shortest format.
This year, we have witnessed the scenario even changing more. So far, the top scorer has been Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli, who is enjoying the most fruitful phase of his career considering his batting performance. And giving him a healthy company in the top five batsmen’s list are Rahane and Gautam Gambhir. RCB’s KL Rahul has also impressed everyone with his consistent batting performances.
So let’s take a quick look at Kohli and Gambhir. Both of them don’t bully the bowlers into submission. While the Indian Test skipper tends to find the gaps in the field and running really hard between the wickets, occasionally hitting it over the fence; Gambhir is comfortable with nudging the ball behind the wicket to get going before expanding his range of shots.
One thing is for sure, those who can hit the massive shots will always be in demand, but this game is evolving rapidly and those who are boosted with a good technique are finding ways to meet the all new challenges.
You may think probably it’s only a coincidence but this year, we saw some unexpected team decisions like Gayle being benched. It can be a strange feeling for the Jamaican to not be selected in a T20 league match despite being in the team. But it has actually happened on several occasions so far and considering his recent performances, not a completely surprising one.
Nobody even thought a ‘traditional’ batsman would lead the way in a 20-over extravaganza. But as it happens in most aspects in our life, only those who have a solid base can succeed in the long run. And as Virat Kohli and Rahane have shown, you don’t have to act like batting Hulks to get the job done in the T20 format.
When talking about the best T20 players, Gayle and de Villiers just automatically fits the bill.
Generally, when we try to choose the best players in any format, we have a knack to pick either batsmen or bowlers. But all-rounders very rarely stand out as our first picks. They come just a little lower on the list. That’s the trend
Over the years, we have seen some great all-rounders play the game with great distinction. Most have been excellent in one aspect and good or decent in another.
Although Jacques Kallis was an exception, he was technically flawless in everything he did on the cricket field but many believed he lacked the charisma. So in a sense, there seemed something missing in most all-rounders.
But when you look at West Indies’ Andre Russell, no such thought comes to mind. He happens to be a T20 fan’s dream come true.
Russell is, first of all, an outstanding limited-overs bowler. He can bowl decent fast, even close to 150kmph on responsive wickets and can vary his pace when the surface is a bit slow. He takes wickets more often and this IPL has seen him maintaining an economy rate of less than eight per over.
While with the bat, he can challenge the biggest stroke makers having a career strike rate of 165, scoring more than 2900 runs in T20s, is definitely proof that he is super consistent too.
As a fielder, Russell is a live wire, throwing his body around, taking some stunning catches and affecting run outs.
While this shortest format has been gifted with many players who have contributed heavily to the popularity of T20s, probably no other cricketer actually personifies the format better than Andre Russell.
He has this unique ability to make substantial contributions you can say in every aspect of the game in whichever capacity he is on the field. And that’s a special talent to witness.
So what do you think, is T20 cricket all about power-hitting or technique and all-round performance still prevail?