Ranking top 3 most successful T20I openers of all time

The game’s shortest format has often seen a batter bias; big-hitting and high-scoring encounters in T20Is are mostly what fans anticipate. As such, it is no surprise that an opening batter’s role in any T20 game becomes very crucial. Some national and franchise sides are blessed because they can boast some of the best T20 openers among their rank. Here is a list of the best T20 openers of all time in the brief history of the game’s shortest format.

3. Babar Azam, Pakistan

We start this list with a current star of the game who has elevated his image among the fans in the recent time. Babar Azam has almost become synonymous with cricket in Pakistan; he is the game’s biggest face. While opening the batting in T20 matches, Babar has made a visible mark as one of the best in the business.

He has played in 99 T20Is, scoring 3335 runs at an impressive average of 41.41, the fourth highest run-tally among all T20 batters. He has the highest score of 122 and has scored two centuries and thirty half-centuries in his illustrious career. He is currently in action in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Peshawar Zalmi.

2. Rohit Sharma, India

On number two, we have another very consistent opener of the game for both franchise and International Cricket. India’s Rohit Sharma is one of the star names of cricket in India, and as long as opening batters go, Sharma has become synonymous with longevity. He had two memorable batting partnerships in T20Is for India with Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul; both counted among the best opening partnerships in the shortest format for India. However, regarding the argument for the best opener, Rohit Sharma wins it by a landslide.

The batter has 3853 runs in T20Is, scored at an average of 31.32 runs. This is also the second-best run tally after India’s star batter Virat Kohli in the game’s shortest format. He has the highest score of 118 runs while registering four centuries and 29 fifties. He will soon be in action in the Indian T20 League with the Mumbai franchise.

1. Aaron Finch, Australia

T20 is a power-hitting game; because of this key quality, Australia’s opening batter Aaron Finch wins the contest for being the most successful T20 opener. He has a mammoth strike rate of 142.53 while tallying a total of 3120 runs in T20Is for Australia. He has the highest score of 172, scored against Zimbabwe in 2018, another record to beat for other batters in the game’s shortest format.

Finch has had successful spells in key franchise leagues like the Indian T20 League and Big Bash League. He has played for nine franchises in the Indian T20 League, leaving his mark on each of them for his power-hitting capabilities. Alongside David Warner, Finch formed one of Australia’s most successful T20 opening partnerships.