England vs West Indies, T20 World Cup 2021: Who will score the most runs in today's match?

In a rematch of the 2016 final, England will face West Indies in Match 14 of the T20 World Cup 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. It will be the second game of the Super 12 stage in Group 1.

A lot has changed since Carlos Brathwaite clobbered Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes at the Eden Gardens five years ago. England revamped their white-ball cricket and went on to lift the 2019 50-over World Cup on home soil. West Indies, on the other hand, are clinging to their aging warriors, hoping they can still deliver the goods.

England had a mixed run in the warm-up matches. They went down to India by seven wickets despite putting up 188 on the board. They did better against New Zealand, winning the practice game by 13 runs. West Indies, meanwhile, did not have a great run in their warm-ups. They were hammered by seven wickets by Pakistan and also succumbed to a 56-run loss to Afghanistan.

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England vs West Indies: 3 batters to watch out for

A number of talented batters from England and West Indies will be on show during the T20 World Cup 2021 encounter on Saturday. We look at three players who could end up scoring the most number of runs.

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#3 Shimron Hetmyer

West Indies have high hopes from Shimron Hetmyer. Pic: Getty Images

West Indies' top order is not in great form. Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle and, to an extent, Evin Lewis have all struggled for runs times. Vice-captain Nicholas Pooran had a horror IPL 2021 campaign, which extended across two halves. Given the circumstances, the Windies' batting fortunes could depend on rising star Shimron Hetmyer.

The smashing left-hander had a major role to play in Delhi Capitals’ (DC) impressive showing during IPL 2021. He played a number of key knocks under pressure and bailed the franchise out of trouble. In 14 matches, he hammered 242 runs at an excellent strike rate of 168.05. Hetmyer will be high on confidence following his success in the cash-rich T20 league.

Hetmyer scored 28 from 24 against Pakistan in the warm-up clash before being dismissed for 2 against Afghanistan. In his T20I career, the 24-year-old has 539 runs from 37 matches at a strike rate of 116.91. Not great numbers, but he has a golden opportunity to turn things around on the big stage.

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#2 Jonny Bairstow

Experienced England batter Jonny Bairstow. Pic: Getty Images

While his Test credentials are questionable, Jonny Bairstow has been one of England’s most consistent match-winners in white-ball cricket. He has been part of the team's setup for a decade now and is expected to play a pivotal role in the England’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign.

Bairstow displayed good form in the warm-up games, smashing 49 off 36 against India and 30 off 21 against New Zealand. The advantage England have with someone like Bairstow in the team is that he can bat in the middle order, like he did in the practice games, or even open the innings if needed.

The 32-year-old will be high on confidence heading into the clash against West Indies. In an impressive T20I career, he has smashed 1143 runs for England in 57 matches at a strike rate of 137.05. He will be keen to make an impact in the T20 World Cup 2021 as well.

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#1 Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler in action during a T20I against Pakistan. Pic: Getty Images

Given his no holds barred approach to batting, Jos Buttler could get England off to some spectacular starts or he could be back in the hut cheaply. See ball, smash ball - that’s the only way he knows to play and that’s exactly how he has tasted all his success in international cricket.

When we talk about England’s renaissance in white-ball cricket and their remodeled approach to the shorter formats, Buttler has been a key figure in this change. He has launched brutal assaults on bowlers all over the globe and has fashioned a number of famous England wins with his cavalier style of hitting.

Of late, he has struggled for consistency and fluency. The tour of India earlier this year saw him struggle for runs in rather unexpected fashion. However, England would be mighty pleased that Buttler got some runs in the warm-up against New Zealand. His 51-ball 73, featuring 11 fours and two sixes, will be exactly the type of knock that will be expected of Buttler in the main tournament.

Minus Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and a captain woefully short of runs, England’s fortunes at the T20 World Cup 2021 could heavily depend on Buttler and his batting exploits.