Cricket has become more popular with the inception of T20 cricket, mainly 2007 T20 World Cup and Indian Premier League in 2008. The 2007 T20 World Cup held a lot of potential 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.
Apart from the ones who can hit the textbook shots, the teams are now on the lookout for power-hitters. The strike rate, not the averages or the number of runs, is the most important factor. Players who can turn the game around in a few overs are essential in a format like T20. And it's for this reason that strike rates are the most important factor to consider when selecting a T20 player.
Also Read | Top 5 Highest Individual scores in T20Is
Here are the top 10 innings with highest strike rate:
10. Quinton de Kock (65 runs off 22 balls vs England)
Currently one of the best keeper batsmen in world cricket and South Africa's best batsman, Quinton de Kock is bound to have a great career ahead and may end up being one of the greatest Proteas batsman.
Chasing 205 on a flat Durban wicket against England, de Kock decided to attack the opposition from ball one and scored 65 runs off 22 balls with a strike rate of 295.45 including 2 fours and 8 sixes. At one point, it seemed like South Africa would chase down the total with 4-5 overs to spare. But once he got out, England came back into the game and won a thriller by a mere margin of 2 runs.
9. Chris Jordan (27* runs off 9 balls vs West Indies)
A T20 specialist, Chris Jordan was brought into the England side for his ability to bowl yorkers at will in the death overs and slog a few at the end if needed.
He did exactly what he was brought for against West Indies at Bridgetown in 2014. He played a cameo of 27 runs off 9 balls with a strike rate of 300 including 4 sixes. He also ended up taking 3 wickets for 39 runs. England won by 5 runs and he was awarded the man of the match.
8. Abdul Razzaq (34* runs off 11 balls vs New Zealand)
One of the best all-rounders Pakistan has ever produced, Abdul Razzaq was a treat to watch at the end of the innings with the bat, clearing the straight boundary with ease and with the ball, bowling reverse swing to batsmen.
A decade ago in 2010, he displayed a dream performance by scoring 34* runs off 11 balls against New Zealand at Christchurch at a strike rate of 309.09 including three fours and three sixes. He also had fabulous bowling figures taking 3/13 in 4 overs at an economy of 3.25 runs per over. Pakistan won that match by 103 runs and he was awarded the player of the match.
7. Dwayne Bravo (35* runs off 11 balls vs New Zealand)
The "Champion" as he is popularly called by his fans, DJ Bravo displayed a champion performance against New Zealand in 2012 at Lauderhill. He scored 35* runs off 11 balls at a strike rate of 318.18 including one fours and four sixes. In addition to this, he also ended with bowling figures of 2-23 in 2.4 overs. He was awarded the Player of the Match for this performance.
Also Read | 5 lowest totals in T20Is
6. Jos Buttler (32* runs off 10 balls vs South Africa)
One of the best white ball players in the world and a batsman who can open as well as be the finisher of the innings, Jos Buttler is an asset and an automatic selection to any team in the world.
This knock was played way back in 2012 against South Africa in Birmingham when Buttler burst on the international scene by consistent performances at the domestic level. He scored 32 runs off 10 balls with a strike rate of 320 including two fours and 3 sixes. This proved to be the turning point as the match was reduced to 11 overs per side and England's score of 118 was just too much for South Africa to chase.
5. Carlos Braithwaite (34* runs off 10 balls vs England)
Remember Ian Bishop's iconic commentary after West Indies won the T20 World Cup 2016-" Carlos Braithwaite, Carlos Braithwaite, remember the name". Exactly these words came out of the mouth of Bishop after Carlos Braithwaite's best T20I knock in the final of the ICC World Cup 2016 against England in Kolkata.
19 runs were required in the last over for West Indies to clinch their second T20 World Cup title. Braithwaite easily cleared the massive boundaries of Eden Gardens, four balls in a row against the bowling of Ben Stokes and became a hero within 5 minutes.
4. Kieron Pollard (38 runs off 11 balls vs Sri Lanka)
If the list is of batsmen having played an innings with the highest strike rate, a name with which this list can't be completed is Kieron Pollard.
He showed his exploits against Sri Lanka in Coolidge, scoring a quickfire 38 off 11 balls at a strike rate of 345.45 including six sixes in a single over of Akila Dhananjaya- one of the best Sri Lankan spinners at the moment. However, Pollard just decimated him with his brute strength.
Also check out here Top 5 Highest Partnerships in T20Is
3. Moeen Ali (39 runs off 11 balls vs South Africa)
A very talented player who hasn't got enough chances at spots where he can prove himself with the bat or overs with the ball due to an extremely strong English white ball set-up, probably the strongest England have ever had.
Moeen Ali was blazing all guns out in this match winning cameo of 39 runs off 11 balls with a strike rate of 354.54 including three fours and four sixes against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban which propelled England's score to 205.
2. Colin Munro (50* runs off 14 balls vs Sri Lanka)
Colin Munro's international records speak for themselves as he has scored 1724 runs at a strike rate of 156.44. He also has the most T20I hundreds (3) after Rohit Sharma (4). All these records are a testimony of how good a player he is.
He, alongwith Martin Guptill, smashed the Sri Lankan attack left right and centre. He scored 50 off 14 balls with a strike rate of 357.14 including a solitary four and seven sixes. This was the second fastest fifty in T20IS.
1. Yuvraj Singh (58 runs off 16 balls vs England)
Who can forget this innings from one of India's best players ever, Yuvraj Singh? He struck six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad after being pumped up from a fight with the English all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff.
Yuvraj smashed Broad to all parts of Kingsmead, Durban quite easily. He not only smashed six sixes in an over but also recorded the fastest ever T20 half century in T20 cricket (12 balls). He scored 58 runs in that innings off just 16 balls at a strike rate of 362.50 with three fours and seven sixes.
Must Read | Top 5 players with highest sixes in T20Is
