In T20 cricket the main emphasis is on scoring runs quickly rather than individual batters getting high scores. As a result, batters try to maximise their hitting prowess, even though their stay at the crease might be short. 

In this way, teams can put huge totals on board as a collective effort of all the batters. The chances of more batters playing cameos compared to individual batters making high scores are higher.

And even if batters come up with big scores, it is really difficult to maintain consistency while making the runs at a beneficial scoring rate for the team. Hence it is challenging to see batters scoring hundreds in T20s. 

And if they are backing it up with more than one in a short span, then the achievement becomes commendable and praiseworthy.

In this article, we go through the list of players who have scored the most T20I centuries in a calendar year. A total of 10 players have scored at least two T20I centuries in a calendar year with Sanju Samson leading the list with three hundreds in 2024.

Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma are the other Indians with two hundreds in a calendar year. Get the list of players to score the most T20I centuries in a calendar year.

Players to score most T20I centuries in a calendar year: Get complete list

Player	Country	Year	T20I Hundreds
Sanju Samson	India	2024	3
Tilak Varma	India	2024	2
Suryakumar Yadav	India	2023	2
Phil Salt	England	2023	2
Suryakumar Yadav	India	2022	2
Rohit Sharma	India	2018	2
Rilee Rossouw	South Africa	2022	2
Colin Munro	New Zealand	2017	2
Gustav Mckeon	France	2022	2
Faheem Nazir	Switzerland	2022	2
Sabawoon Davizi	Czech Republic	2022	2

Sanju Samson | 3 hundreds

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson leads the list of batters with the most hundreds in T20Is in a calendar year with three centuries in 2024.

Samson started his scoring spree with a 40-ball century against Bangladesh in the final T20I of a three-match series against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. He smashed 11 fours and eight sixes in his 47-ball 111 which powered India to their highest total in T20Is and also to a 133-run win.

Samson backed it up with another century against South Africa in his next game in Durban to become the first Indian batter to score consecutive hundreds in T20Is. He hit 10 sixes and seven fours in his 50-ball 107 to help the visitors win by 61 runs.

Samson created history in Johannesburg by becoming the only batter to score three centuries in T20Is in a calendar year. He remained unbeaten on 109 from 56 balls in the final T20I against the Proteas hitting nine sixes and six fours to help India win the match by a massive 135 runs. 

Tilak Varma | 2 hundreds

Tilak Varma became the second Indian batter after Samson to record consecutive T20I centuries during a four-match series against South Africa in 2024.

Batting at number three, Tilak smashed an unbeaten 107 off 56 balls including seven sixes and eight fours in the third T20I against the Proteas in Centurion. His knock helped India past the 200-run mark and set up a thrilling 11-run win over the home side.

In his very next match, Tilak once again notched an unbeaten 120, this time off just 47 balls, smashing 10 sixes and nine fours. His unbroken 210-run association for the second wicket with fellow centurion Samson helped India post a gargantuan 283/1  and the visitors pocketed the four-match series 3-1 with a 135-run win.

Suryakumar Yadav | 2 Hundreds

Suryakumar Yadav owns the rare feat of notching up more than one hundred in a calendar year on multiple occasions. He first achieved it in 2022 before going on to repeat the feat the next year, in 2023.

Both of Suryakumar’s hundreds in 2022 came outside India, the first against England in Nottingham and the next against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. He capped a dream year in T20Is amassing 1164 runs from 31 innings at an impressive average of 46.56 and a strike rate of 187.43.

In the next year, Suryakumar scored hundreds against Sri Lanka and South Africa showing remarkable consistency to accumulate 733 runs at an average of 48.86 and hitting at 155.95. 

Photo credit: Imago

The National Cricket League 2024 will start on October 5 and run till October 15 in Dallas, Texas.

As many as six teams will compete in a total of 19 T10 matches in the National Cricket League 2024.

Atlanta Kings CC, Chicago CC, Dallas Lonestars CC, Los Angeles Waves CC, New York Lions CC and Texas Gladiators CC are the teams that are participating in the T10 cricket tournament.

As per the National Cricket League 2024 schedule, each team will play the other five sides one in a single round-robin format. The top four teams in the standings after all the league matches will qualify for the playoffs.

The top two teams in the standings will clash in the Qualifier 1 for a place in the final. The third and fourth-placed teams will square off in the Eliminator to stay alive in the tournament.

The winner of the Eliminator will then face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 for the other spot in the final.

The National Cricket League 2024 final will take place on October 15.

All matches in the National Cricket League 2024 will be played at the University of Texas in Austin.

Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Sam Billings, Tim David, Chris Lynn, Dawid Malan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Cutting, Colin Munro Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendoff, Tabraiz Shamsi and Dominic Drakes are some of the well known cricketers that are featuring in the T10 tournament.

Where to watch National Cricket League 2024 live in India

Live streaming of the National Cricket League 2024 will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.

There will be no live telecast of the T10 tournament on any TV channel in India.

National Cricket League 2024 schedule and live match start times

All match times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Saturday, October 5

Dallas Lonestars CC vs Texas Gladiators CC - 6:00 AM

New York Lions CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:30 PM

Atlanta Kings CC vs Chicago CC - 11:00 PM

Sunday, October 6

Texas Gladiators CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:30 PM

New York Lions CC vs Dallas Lonestars CC - 11:00 PM

Tuesday, October 8

Atlanta Kings CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 5:30 AM

Chicago CC vs Texas Gladiators CC - 8:00 AM

Wednesday, October 9

Dallas Lonestars CC vs Chicago CC - 5:30 AM

New York Lions CC vs Atlanta Kings CC - 8:00 AM

Thursday, October 10

Atlanta Kings CC vs Dallas Lonestars CC - 5:30 AM

Friday, October 11

New York Lions CC vs Chicago CC - 5:30 AM

Dallas Lonestars CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:00 AM

Saturday, October 12

Atlanta Kings CC vs Texas Gladiators CC - 5:30 AM

Chicago CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:00 AM

Qualifier 1 - 9:30 PM

Sunday, October 13

Eliminator - 12:00 AM

Qualifier 2 - 11:00 PM

Tuesday, October 15

National Cricket League 2024 final - 5:30 AM

National Cricket League 2024 teams and squads

Atlanta Kings CC: Shivam Sharma, Angelo Matthews, Tom Bruce, Baswant Rao, Danish Aziz, James Neesham, Karthik Gadeela, Sam Billings, Tom Moores, Ansh Patel, Ben Russell, Imran Tahir, Naseer Jamali, Shubham Chopra

Chicago CC: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chris Lynn, Hamid Wafa, Ian Souness, Michael Leask, Ravi Bopara, Simon Harmer, Arjun Mahesh, Leonardo Julien, Robin Uthappa, Kaleem Sana, Karthik Gattepalli, Rehman Qaiser, Sohail Tanvir

Dallas Lonestars CC: Colin Munro, Gourav Bajaj, Sohaib Maqsood, Chris Green, Matt Critchley, Sai Praveen Posani, Saikanth Akunuri, Samit Patel, Dinesh Karthik, Binura Fernando, Chris Wood, Hayden Walsh, Naqash Basharat, Pragyan Ojha

Los Angeles Waves: Joe Burns, Tim David, Majjid Zubair, Pankaj Kampli, Rumman Raees, Shakib Al Hasan, Waqas Saleem, Adam Rossington, George Munsey, Stephen Eskinazi, Jagpreet Singh, Rishi Ramesh, Todd Astle, Tymal Mills

New York Lions CC: Abdullah Syed, Ben Cutting, Saurish Chakraborty, Suresh Raina, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez, Sujit Nayak, Manvinder Bisla, Upul Tharanga, Awais Tariq, Dominic Drakes, Oshane Thomas, Shaurya Gaur, Tabraiz Shamsi

Texas Gladiators CC: Dawid Malan, Jathin Varijakshan, Nick Kelly, Romeel Afzal, James Fuller, Ashton Agar, Keemo Paul, Shahid Afridi, Kennar Lewis, Smit Patel, Jason Behrendoff, Nisarg Patel, Usman Rafiq, Wahab Riaz

Photo credit: Imago

The Brian Lara Stadium is a multi-purpose venue located in Tarouba, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.

Located in southern Trinidad, just outside the heart of the city of San Fernando, beside the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, the Brian Lara Stadium is named after West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara.

Between 1990 and 2007, Brian Lara scored over 22,000 runs for the West Indies cricket team. He led the West Indies to the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy as a captain, their first major ICC trophy since winning the 1979 Cricket World Cup in England.

The Tarouba cricket stadium was initially planned to host warm-up matches during the ICC World Cup 2007 and later serve as a cricket academy after the marquee tournament. However, the stadium would not be completed in time for the ODI World Cup.

The Brian Lara Stadium was later completed and inaugurated in 2017. It has a seating capacity of 15,000 spectators.

Part of a US$850 million elite sports complex at Tarouba, the stadium staged its first international cricket match, a T20 played between West Indies and India. Led by Rohit Sharma, India won the game by 68 runs.

Later in 2023, it hosted its first one-day international (ODI) that featured West Indies and India. The visitors secured a 200-run victory in the only ODI played at the venue so far.

The Brian Lara Stadium was selected as one of the venues for the T20 World Cup 2024. It will stage five T20 World Cup 2024 matches including a semi-final clash.

Apart from international cricket, it has also staged multiple Caribbean Premier League (CPL) matches including finals from 2017 to 2020.

Let’s have a closer look at the Brian Lara Stadium T20 records and stats.

Brian Lara Stadium T20 records and stats

Highest total

The England cricket team holds the record for the highest total at the Brian Lara Stadium in T20 cricket. During the fourth T20I of England’s tour of the West Indies in December 2023, the visitors posted a mammoth score of 267/3 in their 20 overs. England rode on Phil Salt’s 119 off just 57 balls along with contributions from captain Jos Buttler (55) and Liam Livingstone (54) to post a record T20 total at the venue. In reply, West Indies were bowled out for 192 in 15.3 overs as England won the game by 75 runs.

Lowest total

The Uganda cricket team registered the lowest total at the Brian Lara Stadium in the T20 format. Put in to bat, Uganda were bundled out for 40 in 18.4 overs against New Zealand in a T20 World Cup 2024 group match. Kenneth Waiswa (11) was the only Uganda batter to reach double digits in the innings. For New Zealand, Tim Southee picked up three wickets while Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra bagged two wickets. New Zealand later chased down the target in 5.2 overs to register a nine-wicket win in Trinidad and Tobago.

Most runs

Former New Zealand international cricketer Colin Munro has scored the most runs at the Brian Lara Stadium in T20 cricket. Having represented the likes of Saint Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Colin Munro amassed 517 runs in 15 matches at an average of 51.70 and a strike rate of 127.33. He slammed five T20 fifties at the venue. West Indies cricketer Johnson Charles features second on the list with 375 T20 runs in 15 games. He has played for the likes of Barbados Tridents and Saint Lucia Kings in the CPL and the West Indies in international cricket. 

Most wickets

West Indies spinner Sunil Narine has picked up the most wickets at this venue in the T20 format. Having played for Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL, Sunil Narine has bagged 18 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 18.55 and an economy of 5.56 between 2017 and 2023. Narine’s teammate Akeal Hosein is second on the list with 16 T20 wickets in 15 matches at this venue. The left-arm spinner has represented Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL and the West Indies cricket team in international cricket.

Highest individual score

England wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt has registered the highest individual score at this ground in T20 cricket. Opening the batting, Phil Salt slammed 119 runs off just 57 balls against West Indies in the fourth T20I of a five-match series in Trinidad and Tobago. His magnificent knock was laced with seven fours and 10 sixes. Salt’s knock powered West Indies to 267/3 in their 20 overs. England later bowled out West Indies for 192 in 15.3 overs to secure a 75-run victory.

Best bowling figures

Afghanistan cricketer Naveen-ul-Haq has the best bowling figures at this venue in the T20 format. While playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors, the right-arm pacer registered match-winning figures of 4/14 against Barbados Tridents in a CPL encounter in September 2020. Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed Kyle Mayers, Ashley Nurse, Raymon Reifer and Rashid Khan to help skittle out Barbados Tridents for 92 in their 20 overs. Guyana Amazon Warriors later chased down the target in 16.4 overs to register an eight-wicket win.

Highest partnership

Trinbago Knight Riders�Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo hold the record for the highest partnership at the Brian Lara Stadium in T20 cricket. Chasing 155, Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo stitched an unbeaten 138-run partnership for the third wicket against St Lucia Zouks in the CPL 2020 final. Lendl Simmons scored 84 not out while Darren Bravo remained unbeaten on 58 to help Trinbago Knight Riders clinch their fourth CPL title.

Photo credit: Alamy

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and India’s Rohit Sharma share the record for the most centuries in T20I cricket.

Since his T20I debut against England during a T20 World Cup 2007 clash in Durban, Rohit Sharma has smashed five hundreds in international cricket's shortest format.

Flamboyant right-handed batter Glenn Maxwell also has the joint-most centuries in T20I cricket (5) after he hit a scintillating ton during the second T20I of West Indies' tour of Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav of India is second on the list for most centuries in T20I cricket, having slammed four hundreds each in T20 internationals.

The likes of Czech Republic’s Sabawoon Davizi, New Zealand’s Colin Munro and Babar Azam of Pakistan share the third spot for the most centuries in T20I cricket. All three cricketers have recorded three centuries in T20I format. 

Meanwhile, Muhammad Waseem, Evin Lewis, George Munsey, Glenn Phillips, Martin Guptill, Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, David Miller, Brendon McCullum, and Chris Gayle have hit two tons in T20Is. Know the cricketers with the most centuries in T20I cricket.

Most centuries in T20I cricket

Player	Span	Matches	Innings	Centuries
Glenn Maxwell	2012-2024	102	94	5
Rohit Sharma	2007-2024	151	143	5
Suryakumar Yadav	2021-2023	59	56	4
Sabawoon Davizi	2019-2023	31	31	3
Colin Munro	2012-2020	65	62	3
Babar Azam	2016-2023	104	98	3
Muhammad Waseem	2021-2023	41	41	2
Evin Lewis	2016-2022	53	52	2
George Munsey	2015-2023	62	60	2
Glenn Phillips	2017-2023	63	56	2

Glenn Maxwell | 5 T20I centuries

Glenn Maxwell currently shares the record for the most centuries in T20I cricket. Nicknamed The Big Show, Glenn Maxwell scored his first T20I hundred during the first game of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2016. Opening the batting, Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 145 off just 65 balls. His blitzkrieg knock was laced with 14 fours and nine maximums. Maxwell later slammed his second T20I hundred (103*) against arch-rivals England in Hobart in 2018. The flamboyant batter hit his next two T20I centuries against India, both in winning causes. He scored 113* against them in Bangalore in 2019 while his second one (104*) was in Guwahati in 2023 in his 100th T20I match. Maxwell's latest T20I ton came against West Indies after he scored unbeaten 55-ball 120 at the Adelaide Oval in 2024.

Rohit Sharma | 5 T20I centuries

India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma was the first player to slam five centuries in the T20I format. The right-handed batter scored his first T20I ton against South Africa in Dharamsala in 2015. Rohit clobbered 106 off just 66 balls, including 12 fours and five sixes. Despite Rohit’s hundred, India lost the game by seven wickets. He smashed his second T20I century (118) versus Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017. Rohit’s next two T20I hundreds came in 2018. He scored 100* against England in Bristol while hammering 111* versus West Indies in Lucknow. The India skipper now has the most centuries in T20I cricket after he smashed unbeaten 121 off just 69 balls against Afghanistan at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium the final game of a three-match series in January 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav | 4 T20I centuries

Since his T20I debut against England in 2021, Suryakumar Yadav has made the format is own. SKY’s first two T20I tons came in 2022. He hit a quickfire knock of 117 runs from 55 balls against England in Nottingham to become the fifth Indian men’s cricketer to score a hundred in the format before smashing another century thanks to a 51-ball 111 against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in November. His third century in T20 Internationals was against Sri Lanka in January 2023 at Rajkot when he scored 112 runs off just 51 balls. Suryakumar's last T20I ton was a 56-ball 100 against South Africa in December 2023.

Sabawoon Davizi  | 3 T20I centuries

Among associate cricketers, Sabawoon Davizi has the most centuries in T20I cricket. The left-handed Czech Republic batter has registered three hundreds in T20 internationals. Davizi’s first T20I hundred came against hosts Malta in the semi-final of the Malta Quadrangular T20I Series in 2019. Davizi scored 101 off just 68 balls to guide Czech Republic to an 82-run victory. He slammed his next two T20I hundreds in 2022. While Davizi hit 59-ball 115 not out against Bulgaria in the Valletta Cup, he later smacked unbeaten 111 versus Austria in the Central Europe Cup.

Photo credit: Alamy

The Big Bash League (BBL) 2023-24 started on December 7, 2023 and will run till January 24, 2024 in Australia.

As many as eight teams are competing in a total of 44 matches across seven weeks in the 13th edition of the Big Bash League.

Some of the most talented T20 batters including the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Colin Munro, Chris Lynn, Aaron Finch, Moises Henriques, Alex Hales and Aaron Hardie are featuring in the Australian T20 League.

New Zealand batter Colin Munro slammed the first fifty of BBL 2023-24. Representing Brisbane Heat, Munro scored an unbeaten 99 off just 61 balls against Melbourne Stars in the opening match of the ongoing T20 tournament at The Gabba in Brisbane. 

Australian talisman Steve Smith has also started his BBL 2023-24 campaign on a good note. Steve Smith scored a scintillating half-century for Sydney Sixers against Melbourne Renegades at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The likes of Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques, Will Sutherland and Jordan Silk have also produced some brilliant batting performances for their respective franchises in the ongoing BBL.

Australia’s Aaron Hardie finished with the most runs in the Big Bash League last season. Playing for his BBL franchise Perth Scorchers, Aaron Hardie scored 460 runs in 15 matches at an average of 41.81 and a strike rate of 141.10. 

Adelaide Strikers�Matthew Short was the second-highest run-scorer with 458 runs in 14 matches. 

Meanwhile, Australian swashbuckling batter Chris Lynn holds the record for the most runs in Big Bash League history. Between 2011 and 2023, Lynn has scored 3,421 runs in 113 matches with one century and 27 fifties to his name.

Here’s a look at the players with most runs in BBL 2023-24.

Most runs in BBL 2023-24

Player	Team	Matches	Runs
Colin Munro	Brisbane Heat	2	145
Steve Smith	Sydney Sixers	1	61
Daniel Hughes	Sydney Sixers	1	60
Moises Henriques	Sydney Sixers	2	60
Will Sutherland	Melbourne Renegades	2	51
Jordan Silk	Sydney Sixers	2	49
Jake Fraser-McGurk	Melbourne Renegades	2	48
Josh Philippe	Sydney Sixers	2	45
Caleb Jewell	Hobart Hurricanes	1	42
Sam Billings	Brisbane Heat	2	41

Photo credit: Alamy

The record for most centuries in T20I cricket belongs to Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, who has hit four tons in the shortest format of the game.

Rohit, the second leading run-getter in T20I cricket, made his T20I debut against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup. He didn’t get to bat in the iconic match, which is famous for Yuvraj Singh slamming six sixes in an over.

On his first outing with the bat, the Mumbai-born batter slammed an impressive unbeaten half-century off 40 balls against South Africa. The knock included seven boundaries and two sixes.

Rohit’s first century in T20I cricket came eight years after his debut. In the 2015 Dharamsala T20I against South Africa, the opener slammed a 66-ball 106 and became the second T20I centurion for India after Suresh Raina (101 vs West Indies, 2010). The game, however, ended in South Africa’s favour as the Proteas won by seven wickets.

The Hitman’s second century has a bit of history attached to it. Rohit Sharma notched his ton in 35 balls against Sri Lanka in 2017, and ended his innings with 118 runs in 43 balls. His effort saw him become the joint-fastest centurion in T20I cricket with South Africa’s David Miller (vs Bangladesh, 2017).

In the 2018 home series against West Indies, Rohit slammed an unbeaten 111 in 61 deliveries and would become the first cricketer to score four centuries in T20I cricket. The knock, laced with eight boundaries and seven sixes, led India to a convincing 71-run victory in Lucknow.

Most centuries in T20I cricket

Player	Matches	Runs	Centuries
Rohit Sharma	147	3,826	4
Glenn Maxwell	98	2,159	3
Colin Munro	65	1,724	3
Aaron Finch	103	3,120	2
Chris Gayle	79	1,899	2

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and New Zealand’s Colin Munro are joint-second on the list for most centuries in T20I cricket. The batters have three T20I tons to their name.

Maxwell, one of Australia’s most prolific batters in the shortest format, took 49 balls to register his maiden century in T20 internationals against Sri Lanka in 2016. He would end the game with the third-highest individual score in T20I cricket - 145 not out in 65 balls.

His next two centuries came against England and India. As a matter of fact, Glenn Maxwell has remained unbeaten in every 100-plus knock he has scored so far. The all-rounder is also the first overseas cricketer to score a T20I ton on Indian soil (115* vs India, Bangalore).

Colin Munro has hit his T20I centuries against India, Bangladesh and the West Indies. His highest score came in India, where he slammed an unbeaten 109 runs off 58 balls to guide New Zealand to a 40-run victory.

Eight players have scored two centuries in T20I cricket, of which Australia’s Aaron Finch and West Indies icon Chris Gayle are record makers. Finch, on one hand, holds the record for the highest individual score in T20I cricket with his 76-ball 172 against Zimbabwe in 2018.

Gayle, the highest run-getter in T20 cricket, is remembered as the first cricketer ever to hit a century in T20 international cricket. In the opening match of the 2007 T20 World Cup against hosts South Africa, the Universe Boss hit 117 off 57 balls to guide the Men in Maroon to a score of 205/6 in 20 overs. However, his efforts went in vain as the Windies slumped to an eight-wicket loss.

 

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / Dibyangshu SARKAR

Islamabad United (ISL) take on Lahore Qalandars (LAH) in match 20 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE on Sunday, June 13.

Led by Shadab Khan, ISL have won four of their six matches this season and are currently placed second in the PSL 2021 points table. 

Lahore Qalandars, on the other hand, have been the most dominant team in the ongoing edition of the PSL. The Sohail Akhtar-led side has won five of their six matches and are positioned at the top of the standings.

ISL vs LAH Dream11 prediction

In the Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars head-to-head record in the last five matches of PSL, Islamabad have won four of the five encounters played between these two sides. However,the Qalandars defeated United by five wickets in their recent meeting at the same venue. Going by current form, LAH will start as slight favourites against ISL on Sunday.

ISL vs LAH Dream11 team

Top Tip: Best batsmen

Islamabad United opener Colin Munro smashed 90 runs off just 36 balls to help his side secure a 10-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators in their last encounter. Munro will look to continue his good form against Lahore Qalandars on Sunday.

The Qalandars will bank on their opening batsman Fakhar Zaman to provide a solid start against United. The 31-year-old failed in his last two outings in Abu Dhabi so he will look to contribute with a big score.

Top Tip: Best bowlers

In the bowling department, Hasan Ali has been the standout bowler for Islamabad since the tournament shifted to UAE. Ali has picked four wickets in their last two matches and he is likely to add a few more scalps on Sunday.

For LAH, Rashid Khan has been the wrecker-in-chief for his side. The 22-year-old claimed a five-wicket haul in their previous encounter against Peshawar Zalmi. He will undoubtedly be the bowler to watch out for once again.

Top Tip: Best all-rounder and wicket-keeper

Several quality all-rounders will be on display in the ISL vs LAH encounter, however, one must pick James Faulkner in their fantasy cricket team. Since the rescheduled PSL started, the Australian all-rounder has picked five wickets and also scored 22 runs in two matches.

For the wicket-keeper spot, Lahore Qalandars keeper Ben Dunk will be the preferred choice over inexperienced Rohail Nazir. Dunk has scored 123 runs in four innings along with fulfilling his wicket-keeping responsibilities.

ISL vs LAH probable playing XI

ISL playing XI (probable): Usman Khawaja, Colin Munro, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Shadab Khan (captain), Iftikhar Ahmed, Hussain Talat, Asif Ali, Muhammad Musa, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Akif Javed

LAH playing XI (probable): Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar (captain), Muhammad Faizan, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (wicket-keeper), Tim David, Rashid Khan, James Faulkner, Ahmed Daniyal, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

SportsAdda will bring you Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars live scores.

Play fantasy cricket with SportsAdda. Create your team, track your progress and win prizes. Start here.

Featured photo: Twitter/PakistanSuperLeague

Big Bash League 2020-21 season promises to be another big affair. Set to begin on Thursday, December 10, the tenth edition of the competition has undergone several changes which includes bonus points, free-hit for wides and even substitutions. 

The alterations have received its fair share of criticism, but it will rather be interesting to see how the teams would utilize them. Furthermore, in what comes as a major boost, all eight teams will play BBL 10 in front of their home fans this season, subject to the pandemic situation in the country.

Big Bash League 2020 will have several players under the scanner, and here are five names who will need to up their ante during the course:

Alex Hales - Sydney Thunders

England batsman Alex Hales scored 272 runs in nine Pakistan Super League (PSL) games this season at an average of 45.33 and a strike rate of 148.63. Now, the figures are truly impressive on paper for T20 cricket, but note that a majority of his PSL runs came before the lockdown was imposed in Pakistan. In his last two outings of the competition, the 31-year-old has accumulated a mere 33 runs. In fact, since September this year, the England batsman has scored just 176 runs in 10 games, which translates to just above 17 runs per innings.

Hales has an above-average T20I record, but finding a place in the first team has been hard to come by. He played his last T20I against West Indies in March 2019, and a good BBL might uplift his stature as we near the T20 World Cup 2020.

Alex Carey - Adelaide Strikers

Matthew Wade’s surge in form means Alex Carey’s place in the Australian T20I setup is now in jeopardy. The 29-year-old wicket-keeper batsman has registered scores of 4, 14, 14*, 2 in his last T20 outings (first three in the Indian T20 League for team Delhi) and the Big Bash League 2020 gives him a perfect chance to resurrect his career in the shortest format. With the T20I World Cup looming, the Australia cricket team as well as the player would want to assert a claim in the upcoming T20 extravaganza as his figures in T20I (average of 12.57) certainly doesn’t help either party.

Chris Lynn - Brisbane Heat

Hard-hitting batsman Chris Lynn didn’t bat for the entirety of the Indian T20 League 2020, but went on to smash 154 runs off 55 balls in a Queensland Premier Cricket T20 match last week. Playing for Toombul, the 30-year-old scored 140 of his 154 runs in boundaries, hitting 20 sixes and five boundaries to help his team post 266/6. It may well and truly be a booster, one cannot overlook how sub-par he was in the 2020 edition of the Caribbean Premier League. Scoring a mere 138 runs in nine games at an average of 17.25, Lynn failed to score even a single half-century, with his best being 34.

Lynn has always found it difficult to get into the Australian T20I team, and BBL 2020 could well and truly be his last hurray. 

James Vince - Sydney Sixers

A month after testing positive for the global virus, England batsman James Vince will return to action, playing for Sydney Sixers. Vince’s average of 28.33 in T20I may look decent but his recent performances paint an entirely different picture altogether. His last cricketing action came in September 2020 in the Vitality Blast, and he failed to get past the 10-run run mark in four of his last six outings. With the competition within the team itself looking strong, Vince will have to put in an assertive performance in the tournament.

Colin Munro - Perth Scorchers

Colin Munro missed out on a New Zealand central contract for 2020-21 and that has deterred his performances in one way or the other. The 33-year-old has as many as six single-digit scores in his last seven outings. Coming fresh at the back of a 207-run tally in eight innings with an average and strike rate of 34.50 and 133.54 respectively, and a mere 11 runs in the Ford Trophy, Munro will have to be at his very best to regain the lost touch.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @OptaJim

New Zealand’s 2-0 T20I series win against West Indies was hardly a surprise. Apart from being a formidable side at home in all the three formats, the Kiwis also enjoy a superior home record against West Indies, against home their last and only home loss has come in 2008. 

However, what makes their recently concluded T20I series win special is their ability to pull it off with the same dominance without Kane Williamson, Colin de Grandhomme, Trent Boult, and Colin Munro.

All the four above cricketers are quintessential to New Zealand’s T20I side, and yet none of them was needed to seal the series against the reigning T20 World Cup champions.

Let's look at a potentially full-strength New Zealand side as they build up for the T20 World Cup in India next year.

Top-order

Options: Glenn Phillips, Kane Williamson, Tim Seifert, Colin Munro, Martin Guptill

From Tim Seifert to Glenn Phillips, New Zealand’s top-order is filled with options. Colin Munro is arguably their most destructive opener and would walk back to the side, even if it means demoting Kane Williamson down the order - a role he did well in the Indian T20 League. The plethora of options up top means New Zealand could actually afford to bench Martin Guptill, who has been a hit and miss proposition of late. 

Middle-order

Options: Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Tom Bruce, Ross Taylor

While there are options aplenty at the top, that's not exactly the case in New Zealand’s middle-order. Devon Conway had a fantastic debut series and is likely to be persisted with in the middle. Williamson could join him there as there's no room at the top and we could see one of Mark Chapman or Ross Taylor slot in. 

While Taylor is an effective ODI batsman, he takes time to get off the blocks in T20s and it was time the Kiwis moved on from him. And if everyone except Guptill from the top-order play, Taylor may not be needed at all. However, that will also potentially mean a role change for a top-order batsman as Conway is best suited in the top three place, if not four. 

All-rounders

Options: Colin de Grandhomme, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Doug Bracewell, Michael Rippon

Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham and Mitchell Santner are frontline options here and all three should ideally start with de Grandhomme and Neesham splitting overs. Santner is a terrific T20 bowler and more than capable of holding his own at no.7. Daryl Mitchell and Bracewell are handy back-ups, but it's hard to see them jump over the other three into the starting XI.

An x-factor pick and a likely replacement for Taylor in the middle is Michael Rippon, the Dutch-South African who migrated to New Zealand. A handy batsman and a left-arm wrist-spinner, Rippon adds something to New Zealand's spin cupboard that's pretty much bare. 

Spinners

Options: Ish Sodhi

It's here that New Zealand lack options. Santner is a definite starter but he has little support with an unreliable Ish Sodhi. Rippon, as such, is an enticing pick for New Zealand as he is eligible for selection now. Sodhi might continue to be around with the T20 World Cup in India and given his performance there in the last T20 World Cup, but it's only a matter of time before a domestic performer displaces him. For now, the options are slim in the domestic circuit too.

Pacers

Options: Scott Kuggeleijn, Hamish Bennett, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Blair Tickner, Kyle Jamieson

With options in plenty, New Zealand have a terrific pace attack at their disposal, all with varied skillsets. Lockie Ferguson is terrific in all phases while Trent Boult is a lock for the powerplay and possibly even in the death overs, after his showing for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League. Hamish Bennett and Kyle Jamieson remain outside candidates for a place but Shane Bond has thrown his weight behind Jamieson who debuted in the West Indies series. Scott Kuggeleijn had a terrific Caribbean Premier League where he topped the wickets chart and could be in the mix for sure.

Feature Image courtesy: Michael Bradley / AFP

Bringing up his century in just 46 deliveries, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips became the fastest T20I centurion for his country on Sunday, November 29, as the Kiwis registered a 72-run victory over West Indies.

With New Zealand sealing the three-match T20I series 2-0, we look at three of the fastest T20I centuries scored by Kiwi batsmen before Glenn Phillips arrived.

Colin Munro (47 balls)

The left-handed batsman held the record for the fastest T20I ton by a Kiwi batsman before Phillips broke it. Interestingly, Munro’s scintillating knock had come against the same opponents (West Indies) and at the same venue. Hitting 104 runs in 53 deliveries, Munro had propelled New Zealand to a massive total of 243/5 in 20 overs. West Indies were bundled for just 124 runs while chasing the lost cause as New Zealand won by a massive margin of 119 runs.

Martin Guptill (49 Balls)

Martin Guptill’s century had come in the very next month when New Zealand fans hadn’t yet gotten over Munro’s heroics. Taking 49 balls to reach the milestone, Colin Munro's knock had come against their trans-Tasman rivals, Australia, in Auckland. Guptill had ended up with a score of 105 off in 54 deliveries, which helped New Zealand post a total of 243/6. However, Guptill's century went in vain as half-centuries from David Warner and D'Arcy Short, and cameos from their middle-order saw Australia chase the target with five wickets and seven deliveries to spare.

Brendon McCullum (50 Balls)

Before Munro and Guptill, it was Brendon McCullum who held the record for the fastest T20I hundred by a Kiwi batsman. It came against Australia once again, at Christchurch in 2010. McCullum remained unbeaten on 116 in 56 deliveries to help New Zealand post a total of 214/6. It turned out to be a thriller as Australia mustered the same number of runs in their quota of 20 overs as well. The tie was eventually won by New Zealand in the Super Over.

Feature Image courtesy: Marty Melville / AFP