Kieron Pollard picked his top 5 T20 players, with MS Dhoni the only Indian making the cut. There was no place for Indian cricket stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or Jasprit Bumrah. The T20 stalwarts AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, and Andre Russell also didn’t find a place.
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Kieron Pollard Names West Indies Teammates Chris Gayle And Sunil Narine Besides Himself Among Top 5 T20 Players
Kieron Pollard, who is regarded as one of the greatest players T20 cricket has ever seen, remains a phenomenon. Even at the age of 34, the big-hitting West Indian hardly fails to mesmerize fans with his performances, be it with the bat or with the ball. Kieron Pollard is truly a trendsetter in T20 cricket, having played in various leagues across the globe, alongside some of the greatest players the sport has seen.
In a conversation with ICC ahead of the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE & Oman, Kieron Pollard spoke about some of the finest players he has come across in the shortest format of the game. But, quite surprisingly, there was no mention of India captain Virat Kohli, Kieron Pollard’s Mumbai Indians teammate & skipper, Rohit Sharma, or another MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
1. The first on the list of Kieron Pollard’s top 5 T20 cricketers was the legendary veteran opener, Chris Gayle. Even at the age of 42, Chris Gayle remains an active cricketer participating in the franchise leagues or the international stage for Windies, where he remains a fearsome batsman. He still sends chills down the spine of many bowlers.
In T20 cricket alone, Chris Gayle has played 446 matches and scored 14261 runs average of 36.94, with a strike rate of 145.87. The Caribbean batsman has amassed 4965 runs in the IPL. He is the third-highest run-getter among overseas players in the IPL, only behind Sunrisers Hyderabad opener David Warner, who has scored 5449 runs, and AB de Villiers (5083 runs). Chris Gayle’s feat includes six tons, which is the most by a batsman in the league.
The big-hitter holds the record for fastest IPL hundred, as he scored a ton in 30 balls against Pune Warriors India in 2013. His 175 not out against PWI is still the highest individual score in the league.
2. Second on Kieron Pollard’s list was Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga, arguably the first true T20 pace specialist bowler that world cricket has seen. His unconventional bowling style truly made him a difficult bowler to play against, and the Sri Lankans made the most use of it. In 295 T20 games, Lasith Malinga has 390 wickets at an economy of just over 7. In T20Is, Lasith Malinga is the highest wicket-taker in the world with 107 scalps to his name. Lasith Malinga is also the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, with 170 scalps averaging a mere 19.8 in 122 matches.
3. Third on the list is another West Indian, Sunil Narine. A big-hitter of the ball and a mystery spinner who continues to deceive the opponents with his bowling, Sunil Narine is the perfect cricketer for every team when it comes to the shortest format T20s. Sunil Narine is capable of opening the batting or playing down in the middle-order as a slogger. With the ball in hand, Sunil Narine has the third-most wickets in the shortest format of the game, with only Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo ahead of him. He has picked up 419 scalps in 379 T20s.
Kieron Pollard Picks MS Dhoni As The Only Indian Among Top 5 T20 Players
4. Next on the list is former India captain MS Dhoni, who is the only Indian to have made a list. MS Dhoni is a name that needs no introduction. After winning the maiden World T20 in 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup after a hiatus of 28 years to leading Chennai Super Kings to three Indian Premier League titles, the list of MS Dhoni’s achievements in white-ball cricket matches doesn’t have an end. In the shortest format, the wicket-keeper batsman has 6861 runs to his name at an average of 38.54 and a strike rate of 134.82.
5. Picking himself for the 5th and the final spot, Kieron Pollard completed the list.
“If it is my World XI T20, then I’ve got to be there, I have got to play. My records speak for themselves when it comes to T20 cricket,” said Pollard.
Kieron Pollard is the second-highest run-getter in T20 cricket, with only compatriot Chris Gayle ahead of him when it comes to sheer statistics. Not just that, the big-fellow has also picked 298 wickets with the ball in the shortest format, making him one of the perfect players in the T20s. Kieron Pollard has scored 3255 runs in 177 IPL games averaging about 30, and a phenomenal strike rate of 150. He has also taken 65 scalps in IPL.