Top 10 most explosive batsmen

Brutal, lusty power-hitters have always had a huge fan following in cricket. Let us celebrate this Diwali by looking at the top ten explosive batsmen in the history of cricket.A variety of factors like the strike-rate, consistency and the overall contribution have been taken into consideration. Batsmen like Dhoni or Tendulkar who were explosive at the beginning of their careers but later slowed down, have been excluded from this list for the sake of objectivity.

#10 Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen took the world by storm with his power-hitting when he first burst on to the scene. Over the years, he transformed himself into a fine match-winner as he combined his big hitting with his enviable run of form scoring heavily for his team and often in a winning cause.

It is sad to consider that a batsman of Pietersen's ability has been shown the door by the national selectors because of a difference of opinions. But he remains a truly explosive batsman as he features in T20 leagues around the world and continues to score heavily for his teams.

#9 Vivian Richards

Cold, clinical and destructive, Sir Vivian Richards is widely considered to be one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game. Known for his explosive style of batting, he had perfected to his credit the art of totally demoralising the opposition with his stroke-play.

Quintessentially a quiet figure, Richards, with his nonplussed gum chewing and fearless batting, could easily intimidate the opposition bowlers. His innings of 208 against Australia in the boxing day test in 1984 at the MCG is still remembered as a rare display of audacious and exciting batting.

Known for his trademark swagger, Sir Viv Richards was the ultimate master who could quietly pull the strings like a skilled virtuoso and dictate terms to the opposition.

#8 Brendon McCullum

Having taken his side to the final of the 2015 world cup, Brendon McCullum in a way epitomises the new brand of fearless cricket played by the Kiwis now. Universally loved for his aggression and winning temperament, McCullum always wears his heart on his sleeves in the cricket field.

With a strike-rate of 95.03 in ODIs, McCullum is one of the most explosive batsmen, he can be dangerous when he looks to capitalise on the fielding restrictions in the first few overs. Known for his carefree attitude, McCullum is not afraid to give the charge to the fastest bowlers and can be relentless in his power-hitting once he gets going.

#7 Adam Gilchrist

With an ODI strike-rate of 96.94, Adam Gilchrist in many ways inaugurated the tradition of attacking wicket-keeper batsmen in modern cricket. Not only did Gilchrist over the years transform himself into a successful ODI opener for Australia, but also he carried forward his good form into Test cricket.

With his ability to score briskly at number 6 in Tests, Gilchrist was a dangerous lower order batsman who lent the team more balance and stability. And in limited overs cricket, he formed the backbone of the Australian invincibles for more than a decade. He set the benchmark for the other wicket-keeper batsmen to look up to in later years.

#6 Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya is remembered as the explosive opener who caused a radical shift in the style of ODI batting by showing the world in the late 90s how to take advantage of the fielding restrictions in the first 15 overs in ODIs. With his brutal cuts and penchant for going over the top, Jayasuriya dominated world cricket as one of the most explosive batsmen for over a decade.

He took a particular fancy to Indian bowlers and is popularly believed to have ended Manoj Prabhakar's career - bamboozled by Jayasuriya's onslaught, Prabhakar had to resort to bowling spin during the 1996 world cup. He scored heavily in ODIs finishing with 13,430 runs at a strike-rate of 91.20.

#5 Glenn Maxwell

Belonging to the generation of new age fearless batsmen having grown up playing T20 cricket, Glenn Maxwell has transformed himself into one of the most feared batsmen in modern cricket. Remarkable for his odd quirks and unpredictability, Maxwell is not shy of trying the most outrageous of shots at the most unexpected of times.

Be it the reverse sweep to a fast bowler or the back away tennis shot to a short delivery, Maxwell is not afraid to experiment and has the potential to pull it off. With a strike-rate of 126.44, Maxwell is the maverick power-hitter that can make a difference within the matter of a few overs. His 51-ball century against Sri Lanka in the 2015 world cup remains the second fastest century in world cup history.

#4 Virender Sehwag

Though Virender Sehwag has been out of contention for some time now, his recent retirement left a lot of people disappointed. Considered by many to be the most explosive batsmen produced by India ever, Sehwag changed our perception of batting in Test matches by attacking the opposition from the very beginning.

Sehwag enjoyed an awe-inspiring run of form in ODIs as well as he, for more than a decade, made sure that India got off to flying starts. Famous for his 'play the ball and not the bowler' philosophy, the nonchalance with which he dispatched deliveries made him known as the smiling assassin. With an ODI strike-rate of 104.33, Sehwag has been an explosive batsman in the true sense of the term and entertained us remarkably for over a decade.

#3 Chris Gayle

Known for his strong bottom hand and brute force, Gayle knows how to stand and deliver in the true sense of the term. No West Indian batsman in the modern times has inspired as much awe and fear in the opposition as Chris Gayle.

Regarded as a dangerous T20 player with a strike-rate of 142.59, Gayle is considered to be one of the most dangerous batsmen in the limited overs format. He has scored the fastest century in the history of professional cricket when he brought up his hundred off just 30 balls while batting for RCB in the IPL in 2013. With his ability to hit the ball a country mile, whatever Gayle hits stays hit.

#2 Shahid Afridi

Though somewhat marred by inconsistency, Shahid Afridi is still considered to be one of the most destructive batsmen in limited overs cricket. The man who earned the sobriquet of 'Boom Boom' for his explosive antics at the top of the order, Afridi was the batsman who taught the world that even the first ball of a match can be dispatched for a six without getting your eye set.

His 37-ball hundred long held the record of being the fastest century in limited overs cricket. Repeatedly blamed for his immaturity- for playing needless attacking shots in challenging situations - Afridi has remained incorrigible and explosive till date. He will surely be remembered as the crazy genius to gave power-hitting a whole new dimension.

#1 AB de Villiers

Considered to be the most outrageously versatile and magical batsman of the modern generation, AB de Villiers has been called the Lionel Messi of cricket. Unarguably the most gifted batsman of our times, de Villiers can turn on the heat and score at an alarming rate whenever he chooses to.

Also known as Mr. 360 degree for his ability to play all round the field, de Villiers has, with his immaculate skill, truly taken modern batsmanship to the next level. He has scored the fastest ODI century (off 31 balls) and also hold the record for the fastest 50 and 150 in ODIs. His magical abilities make him seem superhuman at times.