Cricket has become more popular with the inception of T20 cricket, mainly 2007 T20 WC & the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. The 2007 T20 World Cup held a lot of potentials, and the experts understood that the game would never be the same again. It’s been more than a decade, and the game has undoubtedly evolved from a one-day activity to a three-hour spectacle.
The ICC T20 WC is scheduled from 17th October to 14th November this year held in the UAE, immediately post the second phase of the IPL. It is being held after five years & the fans all across the world can’t wait for the tournament to start. Players can’t hope for a bigger and better platform to showcase their talent to the cricketing world.
Teams are now on the lookout for X-factor players, who can turn the game around in a few overs. Such players become essential in the most dynamic and shortest format wherein every ball is an event in itself. Let’s take a look at-
One X-Factor Player from each team ahead of T20 World Cup
1. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
An absolute no-brainer for this list, Rashid Khan is considered the best white-ball spinner in today’s time. He is one bowler who can cause some of the biggest upsets in this year’s T20 WC.
He has played 51 T20Is and taken 95 wickets at a bowling economy of 6.22 runs per over and two five-wicket hauls to his name as well. He has started focusing on his big-hitting skills as well and till now has chipped in with 179 runs at a strike rate of 128.78. Even though the opposition knows he is the biggest threat & tries to play him without taking much risk, Khan manages to take crucial wickets in the middle overs to break the momentum of a team.
He spins the ball both ways at over 90 km/h which is his biggest strength as batsmen don’t have enough time to read him and play accordingly. Recently after dropping Afghanistan’s captaincy, he still is the leader of the pack and would like to pave the way for success and bring a bit of joy to the troubled nation. Still only 22 years old, if he continues to work hard and woo batsmen, don’t be surprised if his name comes in the same breath as Shane Warne & Muttiah Muralitharan.
2. Mitchell Marsh (Australia)
A career that didn’t flourish due to frequent injuries, Mitchell Marsh has always had the capability to become one of the best all-rounders Australia has ever produced. He possesses the skill set of a hard-hitting fast-bowling all-rounder, one of the toughest skills to master and achieve success in international cricket.
He has played 30 T20Is and scored 700 runs including four fifties at an average of 28 and a strike rate just over 120. He is also quite decent with the ball chipping in with 15 wickets at a bowling economy of 7.66 runs per over. Though these numbers look like those of an X-factor player, his recent form in the T20I series vs West Indies and Bangladesh was fabulous. Though Australia lost both series, Marsh always put up a fight and scored runs when most of the Australian batsmen struggled to do so.
The team management’s move of promoting him to number 3 has paid dividends as he was Australia’s highest run-scorer in both series. His clean ball-striking especially coming at number 3 and bowling two to three overs every match makes him the player to watch out for in the Aussie camp.
3. Liam Livingstone (England)
Though England has a plethora of match winners like Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone is currently stepping on no foot wrong and is in the form of his life. He has been smacking the ball to all parts of the ground for the last two to three months. He was also the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Hundred, scoring 348 runs at a whopping strike rate over 170.
He has played 8 T20Is and scored 206 runs including a solitary hundred at an average of 34.33 and a gigantic strike rate of 167.48, England’s best by far. He also bowls a bit of leg-spin and has added two wickets to his kitty at a bowling economy of 7.2 runs per over.
Due to the absence of the mighty Ben Stokes, Livingstone could be given the responsibility of batting at number 4 or 5 and the license to smash right from ball one. The 28-year-old has an exciting future and if he fires at the biggest stage of them all, he can guarantee his place in the strongest white ball team in the world.
4. Hardik Pandya (India)
The Caribbean by heart due to his nature on the field and clearing the ropes consistently without breaking much sweat, Hardik Pandya is one asset that Indian cricket has to preserve and nurture in the years to come. He is the best fast bowling all-rounder in India at the moment — a skill set that is rare to find in the craziest cricketing nation.
He has played 49 matches and scored 484 runs at an average of 19.36 and a strike rate of 145.35. He has also contributed with the ball, taking 42 wickets at a bowling economy of 8.18 runs per over. Though his international records don’t speak for the talent he possesses, he has wreaked havoc on bowlers in the IPL as well in ODIs. He also bowls the back of the length slow cutters during the middle overs which are very difficult for a batsman to take on and is probably the most athletic Indian on the field at the moment.
The biggest reason why he is instrumental to the balance of the team is the drastic difference in the skill level brought to the table by his competition. Post the Koffee with Karan controversy, he has become more mature as a player which is a great sign for the balance of the Indian team. If he keeps himself fit, Hardik Pandya may end up being one of the best all-rounders India has ever produced.
5. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
New Zealand cricket has been blessed with an outstanding captain and Kane Williamson is probably the best of the lot. A successor of MS Dhoni in terms of his captaincy, he is the coolest guy on the field even when the entire stadium is able to feel the pressure. To top it all, he is probably the best batsman New Zealand has ever produced.
He has played 67 T20Is and has scored 1805 runs including 13 fifties at an average of 31.67 and a strike rate touching below 125 — something he would be working hard to improve on. He is the prime example that one doesn’t need immense strength to hit every ball out of the ground to succeed in international cricket. He is a batsman for all conditions as he can counter swing and seam, pace & bounce, and also can play spin equally well.
He is right up at the top in terms of soaking pressure and delivering for the team in extremely fragile situations. His ability to make the right decisions at the right time and taking calculated risks while batting as well as in captaincy makes him the main man of the Kiwis. If he continues to play the way he has been playing throughout his career, captain Kane may end up being the first Kiwi to score 10,000 runs in a format.
6. Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Undoubtedly Pakistan’s best batsman & the best Pakistani batsman ever according to some experts, all of Pakistan’s expectations would be on the shoulders of their captain, Babar Azam. He has publicly acknowledged that he idolizes Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers and boy isn’t he doing a great job out there in the middle.
He has played 55 T20Is scoring 2120 runs including 19 fifties and a solitary hundred at an average of 48.18 & strike rate just below 131. His strike rate is often considered low but the form Babar is in, once he has seen the attack, he can single-handedly win matches for Pakistan. At 26, he has already seen great success and fame as he is the captain and the poster boy of Pakistan cricket.
He is probably the only Pakistani batsman who doesn’t look scratchy and uncomfortable while playing quality bowlers. The equation is absolutely simple. Pakistan has a chance of winning the WC only if Babar Azam leads from the front & ends up at least in the Top 3 run-scorers of the tournament. If he continues with similar dedication and grit, he is likely to become the greatest Pakistani batsman in the history of the game.
7. Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
The best South African batsman & probably the best keeper-batsman in the world, Quinton de Kock is the most vital cog in the Proteas batting line-up. He may look like a teenager, but he surely is an assassin with the bat as well as with the gloves behind the stumps.
He has played 55 T20Is and scored 1641 runs including nine fifties at an average just below 33 and a strike rate of 137.32. Over the years, he has matured quite well and has understood what his wicket means to the opposition. His biggest strength has been his attacking style of play right throughout his innings irrespective of the opposition.
After declining captaincy of South Africa, he would be eager to show his worth as a player in big tournaments & be the man his country requires him to be to be able to lift the T20 WC. With age on his side, if he continues to play similarly, don’t be surprised if his name is taken in the same breath as the likes of Adam Gilchrist, MS Dhoni, and Kumar Sangakkara.
8. Andre Russell (West Indies)
Even though the entire West Indies team has an abundance of X-factor players, Andre Russell is probably the most impactful of them all in T20s with his ability to clear the ropes consistently, bowl at various stages of the match, and field at high traffic positions. He has figured out a new bowling tactic of going around the wicket with a bit of a slinging action, angling away from the right-hander, forcing him to hit mostly on the offside, or letting him take the risk of hitting against the angle.
He has played 62 T20Is and scored 716 runs including a solitary fifty at an average a touch above 21 and a colossal strike rate of 156.33. He has also picked up 36 wickets at a bowling economy of 9.18, probably on the higher scale but acceptable as he bowls mostly in the death overs. Though his T20I record isn’t the best by any means, his IPL stats speak for themselves big time. He has been the player of the tournament twice (2015 and 2019) despite playing only six seasons regularly.
Being injury prone is arguably the biggest bane for him. He is the deadliest in the last few overs when he gets a few balls to face early in the innings, probably a strategy which WI may consider. If WI manage to bring out the best in him and give him consistent opportunities to bat up the order, don’t be surprised if Muscle Russell manages to lead WI’s title defence successfully.
