Top 10 World's Best Opening Batsmen
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In limited-overs cricket, the job of openers has changed significantly over the years. For a long time, openers would try to hold on to their wicket, so they could build in the middle overs. But after Sanath Jayasuriya's tremendous feats of strength at the 1996 World Cup, this notion shifted tremendously. The new-found pattern has persisted ever since.
An opening batsman's key responsibility is to take advantage of the field limitations and lead the team to a strong start. Today, we have opener batsmen who want to take their time to understand the situations and read the pitch. But they make up for it once they get going. The foundation of the batting order in cricket is the opener batsman. They start their team off well by taking on fast bowlers.
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Below is a list of the top 10 world best opening batsmen who have been the most consistent in providing a stable and strong start to their teams.
Top 10 Best Opening Batsman.
1. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma, India's limited-overs captain, is undoubtedly the world’s best opening batsman. His career has been tumultuous, like a roller coaster ride. Considering that he was mocked for being overweight and unimpressive during the start of his career, he has managed to make a comeback pretty well!
Sharma has radically changed as a batter since 2013 when he began to lead his squad. Years after making his debut in the white-ball format, he made his red-ball debut in 2019 and enjoyed tremendous success in the tests. He has played in 227 ODIs, 43 Tests, and 119 T20 International matches so far, totaling 9205, 3047, and 3197 runs, respectively.
2. David Warner
David Warner, one of the most accomplished cricket captains, is a member of the Australian squad. Apart from that, he also represents New South Wales in domestic cricket. Additionally, he bats as an opener for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
He has also played regularly for a number of other local teams, including Sydney Thunder and Delhi Daredevils. Although Rohit Sharma tops this list of the world’s best openers in cricket, there are huge supporters of Warner who consider him the world’s best opening batsman.
3. Shai Hope
On our list of the best openers in cricket, West Indian Shai Hope is ranked third. When we think of Caribbean players, explosive batting immediately springs to mind but Shai Hope is an exception. When the right-hander comes to bat, he has a very composed mindset and is difficult to get rid of.
Most of the time, hope serves as an anchor for the team’s batting performance. In ODIs, the right-hander often comes out as an opener whereas in Tests and T20s, he bats in the middle of the order.
4. Jason Roy
Jason Roy, one of the best cricket openers in the world, is a member of the England cricket squad. Additionally, he participates in domestic cricket for Surrey. He is also a member of Sylhet Sixers and Quetta Gladiators.
He has played for the Delhi Daredevils and Gujarat Lions in the IPL. Roy was part of the England side that took home the title of 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup champions.
Ever since he made his England debut, the opener has consistently been listed in the ICC ODI ranking. In one-day international cricket, he also holds the title for the most runs scored by an English batsman.
5. Aaron Finch
While Warner is essential to Australia's ODI strategy, Aaron Finch's role as his opening partner cannot be underestimated. The 33-year-old is a well-known T20 player who continues to retain the global record for the maximum score in a single T20 (172) game. Thus, you can count him as one of the best T20 openers.
He has been equally effective for Australia in ODIs, with 16 hundreds and 26 half-centuries in 122 innings. Finch is an aggressive batter who, once he gets going, has a propensity for playing the crucial innings flawlessly.
6. Imam-ul-Haq
Imam-ul-Haq, one of the world's best opening batsmen, represents Pakistan. Additionally, he represents Balochistan in the national league and Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL. He has also previously opened for a number of other teams, including Habib Bank Limited and Lahore Shalimar. His inclusion in the Pakistani team competing in the 2019 World Cup was noteworthy.
Haq currently holds the title of being the second batsman to record a century in his debut game itself. He has sealed a deal with PCB for further seasons. Haq is not only known for being a strong opener but he is also Inzamam-ul’s nephew, a former Pakistani team captain.
7. Quinton-de-Kock
Ever since making his debut, the left-hander opener has been a sensation for the Proteas, proving to be one of the best ODI openers of all time. He has been breaking all records in ODI. His consecutive three centuries in a three-3 ODI series against India in 2013 propelled him to fame and he has continued to score ever since.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 2037 runs at a strike rate of 98 and an average of 43.34, with six hundreds and ten fifties. The opener has the ideal balance of aggression and consistency. Over the past several years, it has been clear that he can bat deep and jumpstart his team's attack.
8. Johnny Braistow
The English cricket wicket-keeper spent a long period on the bench but has just rediscovered his footing. Bairstow, who was once viewed as a middle-order batsman, seized Morgan's opening slot and hasn't looked back since.
Despite the fact that Bairstow has fewer games under his belt than the other players on this list of world’s best cricket openers, his average of 48.02 across 50 innings is impressive enough. Additionally, with a strike rate of 104.56, he is among the world's most frightening batsmen. Currently, Bairstow ranks among the best cricket openers.
9. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan, one of cricket's top power hitters, is now the opening batsman for the Indian cricket team. Additionally, he participates in domestic cricket for the Delhi squad. He also represents the Delhi Capitals in the IPL. He had previously played for a number of different IPL teams, including the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians, and Delhi Daredevils.
In 2013, Shikhar Dhawan earned a spot in the historical ICC World ODI XI. He amassed the most runs throughout the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. In 2018, he was named CEAT International Batsman of the Year. In ICC Cricket competitions, he has the title of the fastest batsman ever to reach 1000 runs.
10. Martin Guptill
After the legendary Brendon McCullum retired, New Zealand cricket needed to replace a significant opening berth. When this happened, Martin Guptill came in to fill the spot and showed how destructive he could be both on the field and as an opener.
As New Zealand advanced to the World Cup finals in 2015, Guptill was a standout for his nation. The opener became the first non-Indian to register an ODI double hundred by hitting a superb double century against the West Indies in the quarterfinal. Without his mention, this list of world best opening batsmen would have remained incomplete.
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