10 Batsmen without a Duck in T20 Internationals

West indies team  celebrates for winning  during ICC World...
ICC World T20 2016 winners - West Indies

Being the most explosive and enthusiastic format, Twenty20 (T20) Cricket has had a significant impact in the past two decades. With smaller boundaries and heavier bats, it has predominantly been a batsmen's game leaving no mercy for the bowlers.

In the early stages, the intention of T20 cricket was to boost cricket at domestic level. In 2005, first ever men's international Twenty20 (T20Is) match was conducted between Australia and New Zealand in Auckland. Since then, it has gained a massive response from the fans.

With the beginning of IPL and other T20 leagues, it earned huge popularity among the business community with investment opportunities. However, the success of T20 cricket is considered a threat to Test cricket. Former players like Ricky Ponting had criticised the format for its part in diminishing technical skills of modern-day cricketers.

The nature of T20 format requires batsmen to score from the start, looking upon risky scoring options and hence getting out for a duck (naught) is a routine in the format. However, in our article, we will be coming across players who never dismissed for a naught in T20Is.


#10 Kusal Perera, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka v Bangladesh - 2nd T20 cricket match
Sri Lanka v Bangladesh - 2nd T20 cricket match

Kusal Perera, the wicket-keeper/batsman from Sri Lanka is one of the explosive openers in the world. The stylish left-hander is often compared with his idol Sanath Jayasuriya for similar batting style.

Considering his form, Sunrisers Hyderabad approached him as a replacement for David Warner in IPL 2018. Subsequently, he turned down the opportunity to take part in domestic league matches for a Test recall.

Being an elegant timer of the ball, Perera has scored 1020 runs at a healthy average of 30 in 34 innings and continues to make an impact with explosive starts for Sri Lanka.


#9 Ravi Bopara, England

Essex v Kent - Royal London One-Day Cup
Essex v Kent - Royal London One-Day Cup

The English all-rounder, playing for Essex now, made his debut in T20Is against the Kiwis in 2008.

He is only the second Sikh cricketer to play for England after Monty Panesar. Though Bopara has been part of many T20 leagues, he has struggled to keep up his place in the international team in the past 10 years.

In 35 innings, Bopara has notched up 711 runs at an average of 28.44 and has scalped 16 wickets with his medium-pace bowling.

#8 Aaron Finch, Australia

2018 International Twenty20 Cricket Australia v England Feb 10th
2018 international T20 cricket Australia v England

The hard-hitting Australian is considered as one of the clean strikers in the world. Captaining the team in T20Is, he has been the backbone of their batting line-up in white-ball cricket with Steve Smith and David Warner unavailable due to 'the sand-paper gate' incident.

Aaron Finch is the 2nd fastest batsmen to score 1000 runs in T20Is, just behind Virat Kohli. With 1206 runs in 36 innings at a strike-rate of 151.69, the Victorian was at top of the rankings during the 2015-16 season.

His innings of 156 off 63 balls against England is the highest score in T20Is since 2013.


#7 Chamara Kapugedera, Sri Lanka

CRICKET-PAK-SRI
Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka

With a lot of match-winning knocks in the early days of his career, Kapugedera was considered as an apt replacement for Mahela Jayawardene.

However, his ignorance for improvement let him down to struggle with the poor run of form. As he failed to justify his talent with the given number of opportunities, youngsters like Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis were considered for his spot.

Since his debut in 2006, Kapugedera has registered 703 runs with a solitary fifty in 38 innings.

#6 Francois du Plessis, South Africa

2018 SA v India: South African national cricket team training session
2018 SA v India: South African national cricket team training session

Francois du Plessis has emerged as one of South Africa's finest batsman and an inspirational captain leading from the front.

In 2012, with his rear-guard action against Australia in Adelaide, he was invited to lead the team in T20I format. Since his debut (T20Is), du Plessis has scored 1191 runs at an average of 36.09 in 39 innings.

Playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL, du Plessis was promoted as a top-order batsman to explore himself as an opener. The decision was a fruitful one as he had good seasons with CSK until the team got suspended for two years (2016-17).

Back in the yellow jersey in 2018, du Plessis scored a match-winning knock in qualifier-1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad taking the team into their 7th IPL final.


#5 Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka

CRICKET-WINDIES-SRI-LANKA-TRAINING
Dinesh Chandimal

The classy wicket-keeper batsman is the current Test captain of Sri Lanka and a former captain in ODI and T20I format. In T20Is, he has scored 738 runs, bagging four fifties in 45 innings.

Chandimal's temperament under pressure has been the key in his match-winning knocks. Being a key player for Sri Lanka in ICC World T20 2014, he led the team in group stages and eventually got suspended for slow over-rate.

His decision to sacrifice his place further in the tournament for senior players reaped benefits as Sri Lanka lifted their first World Cup in T20Is.

#4 David Miller, South Africa

SAFRICA-CRICKET-INDIA-T20
India's tour of South Africa, 2018

Fondly known as 'Killer Miller', the hard-hitting South African has been a most-wanted acquisition for various teams across T20 leagues.

Since his T20I debut in 2010 against West Indies, he has scored 1070 runs in 52 innings, becoming the 5th South African to cross the 1000-run mark. The left-hander became a part of Kings XI Punjab squad in 2013 scoring 3rd fastest IPL century in that season.

In 2017, Miller hit the fastest century in T20Is against Bangladesh scoring 101* off 35 balls.


#3 Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe v Hong Kong - ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier
Zimbabwe vs. Hong Kong - ICC Cricket World Cup qualifier

The stalwart has been a part of Zimbabwe side since his debut in 2001 (Tests). At the age of 17, Masakadza scored his maiden hundred in debut test of his career, being the youngest to do so (the record then was broken by Mohammed Ashraful).

Being the country's highest run scorer, Masakadza is the first Zimbabwe player to play 50 T20 Internationals. In 52 innings, he has registered 1460 runs at an average of 29.20 with 10 fifties.

#2 Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka

CRICKET-SRI-IND
Sri Lanka vs. India, 2017

After the retirement of three Sri Lankan legends- Mahela Jayawardene, Kumara Sangakkara, and Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews has been the only bright spot left in the Sri Lankan side.

Though suffering from a list of hamstring injuries, the former captain has been their best batsman across all formats. In 57 innings, Angelo Mathews has scored 1055 runs in the shortest format being the 4th Sri Lanka player to feature in this list.


#1 Marlon Samuels, West Indies

ICC World Twenty20 India 2016: Final - England v West Indies
ICC World Twenty20 India 2016: final - England v West Indies

Marlon Samuels has been a match-winner for the West Indies side in the shortest format. Samuels played a vital role in their World cup campaign, bagging man of the match award in the finals of ICC World T20 2012 and ICC World T20 2016.

However, since then, the Carribean has struggled to contribute with the bat due to the poor run of form. With 62 innings, Samuels has notched up 1573 runs with 10 fifties and holds the No.1 spot in our list.

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Edited by Shruti Sadbhav