ENG vs IND 2025: 3 reasons why Ben Duckett is the best all-format batter in the world at present

England opener Ben Duckett produced one of the best fourth-innings batting performances in the side's five-wicket win over India in the first Test at Leeds. With the hosts chasing a massive 371 for victory, the 30-year-old smashed a stroke-filled 149 off 170 deliveries, including 21 boundaries and a maximum.

His knock at the top of the order helped England complete a seemingly daunting run chase in only 82 overs. Duckett also scored a valuable 62 in the first innings to help England reduce India's overall lead to just six runs.

His heroics had former England captain Michael Vaughan calling him arguably the best all-format batter in world cricket today.

In his column for the Telegraph after the first Test, Vaughan wrote:

"At the heart of this win was Ben Duckett. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves in this team. Pound for pound, I reckon he is the best all-format batsman in international cricket right now. There may be players who are better at one of the formats, but none of them are as good at all three."

Duckett's name has rarely been mentioned among the best all-format batters by former players or fans. Yet, a closer look at the left-hander's exploits and ability across formats might have many reconsider their stance on him.

On that note, here are three reasons why Ben Duckett is the world's best all-format batter.

#1 Ben Duckett's sensational 2025 exploits across formats

Ben Duckett's numbers across formats this year have been inarguably the best among all batters. He is the fourth leading run-scorer in Tests despite playing only two matches, with 351 runs at an average of 117, including two centuries and a half-century.

Duckett is also third among ODI runs in 2025, with 476 at an average of 52.88 and a strike rate of 115.25 in nine matches. While his total runs of 212 in T20Is may not be as high up the list in 2025 compared to the other two formats, his average of over 26 at a remarkable strike rate of 168.25 speaks to his impact at the top of the order.

For context, the England opener is the only batter with over 1,000 runs across formats this year, with the next best at 734 runs by Scotland's George Munsey. Furthermore, Duckett is the only batter in world cricket to be in the top five for runs in two of the three formats in 2025.

#2 Duckett ticks the three key boxes in all formats

It is hard to measure the pedigree of a batter across formats, considering the variances in the quantitative numbers position-wise. Hence, the best metric for measuring a batter's overall standing in world cricket could be ticking three key boxes - consistency, winning impact, and dominance.

Duckett is possibly the only batter who ticks all three boxes in all three formats in international cricket. The 30-year-old averages almost 30 in T20Is at a strike rate of over 153. If these reflect reasonable consistency and a high dominance level, his average of 46 at a strike rate of 163.45 in wins highlights his incredible winning impact.

Similarly, Duckett's Test average of 43.68 at a strike rate of 86.18 showcases a remarkable combination of consistency and dominance. The average and strike rate shoot up to an extraordinary 54.31 and 90.37 in England red-ball wins, demonstrating his massive impact.

The ODIs are no different, with Duckett averaging 49 at a strike rate of 105.47 in 25 matches.

#3 Duckett's adaptability and appetite for big centuries

Ben Duckett scored one of the best Test centuries of 2024 against India in Rajkot (Credit: Getty]

Only a select few batters who bat at a high tempo can also claim to be equally adept against pace and spin across formats, like Ben Duckett. The English left-hander has scored half of his six Test centuries in turning conditions in India and Pakistan, thanks to his rare ability to neutralize spinners with unorthodox shots.

Even his highest ODI score of 165 came against Australia in Pakistan during the 2025 Champions Trophy. Duckett also has the incredible ability to convert his centuries into bigger scores.

Five of his nine three-figure scores across formats have been above 140, with three over 150. The combination of adaptability to conditions and the type of bowler, combined with a high appetite for big centuries, makes Ben Duckett undeniably the best all-format batter in world cricket.