Sportskeeda Cricket Awards 2017: T20 cricketer of the year

2017 was a year that saw plenty of great performances in T20s. Plenty of cricket was played in the shortest format of the game and some stars continued to excel throughout the year. However, on the list of T20 cricketer of the year, no Indian makes the cut due to the lack of matches that they had.

Performances in T20Is and the various T20 competitions across the globe was considered for the top ten T20 cricketers of 2017. So who finishes on top? Here's the entire list:

#10 Shadab Khan

(Brisbane Heat, Islamabad United, Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Trinbago Knight Riders)

Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan has been a sensation in 2017. Only three bowlers finished with more T20 wickets in the calendar year than Shadab, who finished with 46 wickets in 35 matches. What was most impressive about him was not just the fact that he continued to be amongst the wickets but also had an economy rate of under 6.5.

He impressed in the PSL and also played a crucial part in his side's progress in the CPL and ended the year, making his debut for Brisbane Heat in the BBL.

35 matches | 46 wkts @ 17 | RPO 6.3 | BB: 4-14

#9 Andrew Tye

Tye made his mark in both the BBL and IPL

Most bowlers are happy if they pick up a hat-trick in their career. But thanks to his three hat-tricks in 2017, Andrew Tye takes the ninth spot on this list ahead of the likes of Wahab Riaz, Dwayne Bravo and Hasan Ali.

Although he played just 20 matches in the year, for Perth Scorchers, Gujarat Lions and Australia, the right-arm pacer made an immediate impact and continues to bamboozle batsmen with his vast array of variations.

20 matches | 34 wkts @ 15 | RPO 7.5 | BB: 5-17

#8 Hashim Amla

Amla was in sensational form in T20s in 2017(Cape Cobras, Kings XI Punjab, South Africa, World XI)

Breaking stereotypes has been a feature of Hashim Amla's career and that is just what he continued doing in 2017. It was a year that saw him amass over 1,000 runs from just 26 matches at an average of almost 50 with two centuries as well.

He is one of only eight players to have scored over 1,000 T20 runs in 2017 and yet despite those numbers, he continues to be overlooked for the majority of T20 competitions around the world.

26 matches | 1021 runs @ 48 | SR 143 | HS: 104*

#7 Mohammad Nabi

Nabi made an immediate impact for the Renegades

(Afghanistan, Comilla Victorians, Melbourne Renegades, Mis Ainak Knights, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi continued to show just why he is regarded as one of the finest all-rounders in T20s. His incredibly effective off-spin coupled with his ability to finish the innings makes him an invaluable asset. He showed why in 2017 as he picked up 43 wickets at an economy rate of under 7.

He also scored over 400 runs with the bat an average of over 20 and provided crucial contributions in the middle-order. He impressed in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad and it should come as no surprise if he earns another IPL contract ahead of IPL 2018.

41 matches | 43 wkts @ 20 | RPO 6.6 | 433 runs @ 20 | BB: 4-10

#6 Brendon McCullum

McCullum is the leading T20 run-getter in 2017

(Brisbane Heat, Gujarat Lions, Lahore Qalandars, Middlesex, Rangpur Riders, Trinbago Knight Riders)

No player managed to score more T20 runs in 2017 than Brendon McCullum. Despite finishing as the leading run-getter, he occupies only sixth spot as his runs came through sheer volume of matches.

Despite being the only batsman to amass more than 1300 T20 runs in 2017, McCullum didn't manage a single century and ended with an average of under 30. Still, no one scored more than his 11 fifties in the calendar year.

59 matches | 1518 runs @ 29 | SR 142 | HS: 91

#5 Chris Gayle

Gayle is still a force to be reckoned with

(Karachi Kings, Rangpur Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, West Indies)

If there were any doubts about Chris Gayle's credentials in T20s, he answered that in the Bangladesh Premier League, where he finished as the leading run-getter and became the first player to score a century in the tournament's final.

Only Brendon McCullum scored more T20 runs in 2017 but no player scored more than Gayle's two centuries. Age has certain not diminished the West Indian opener to hit sixes. He finished 2017 as the batsman with most sixes (101). In fact, he was the only player to hit 100 sixes in the calendar year, a feat he achieved in just 44 matches.

44 matches | 1291 runs @ 35 | SR 140 | HS: 146*

#4 Luke Ronchi

Ronchi was simply sensational in 2017

(Chittagong Vikings, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Leicestershire, New Zealand, Wellington)

The introduction of T20s and the various leagues around the world has offered retired cricketers with the opportunity to continue playing cricket. And Luke Ronchi was in sensational form in 2017 across a variety of T20 leagues.

At the top of the innings, he gave the perfect platform for his side, striking at nearly 180. In the 35 matches that he played in the calendar year, he scored almost 1,100 runs and finished as the seventh-leading T20 run-getter.

36 matches | 1098 runs @ 34 | SR 177 | HS: 102

#3 Evin Lewis

Evin was the leading T20I run-getter in 2017

(Dhaka Dynamites, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, West Indies)

Despite only playing in two domestic T20 competitions, Evin Lewis had a stellar year in 2017, which began with an incredible 62-ball 125 against India, which included 12 sixes. He was simply sublime in the Caribbean Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League and that helped him finish as the sixth-highest run-scorer in T20s in 2017.

The southpaw finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the CPL where he scored 371 runs at a strike rate of 184.57 with three fifties. In the BPL, he scored 396 runs at a strike rate of almost 160, finishing as the second-leading run-getter in the tournament behind Chris Gayle. He was also the leading run-getter in T20Is in the calendar year.

32 matches | 1124 runs @ 40 | SR 165 | HS: 125*

#2 Sunil Narine

Narine was sensational with both bat and ball

(Dhaka Dynamites, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lahore Qalandars, Melbourne Renegades, Trinbago Knight Riders, West Indies)

Rumors Sunil Narine's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Not only has he continued to be amongst the wickets but he has also been sensational with the bat ever since he was tried as an opener by Melbourne Renegades at the start of 2017. He finished the year as the second-leading wicket-taker and with over 700 runs at a strike rate in excess of 150.

In the IPL, his 16 games yielded just 10 wickets but his economy rate was under 7. In the CPL, he picked up 12 wickets at an economy rate of under 5.5 while he fared even better in the BBL where he picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 4.95.

64 matches | 62 wkts @ 24 | RPO 6.2 | 760 runs @ 15 | SR 151 | BB: 3-10

#1 Rashid Khan

Economical and incredibly effective

(Adelaide Strikers, Afghanistan, Band-e-Amir Dragons, Comilla Victorians, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The 19-year-old leg-spinner from Afghanistan was undoubtedly the best T20 cricketer of 2017. He finished as the leading wicket-taker and his tally of 80 wickets is 18 more than the bowler in second place, who also played eight more matches than the leg spinner.

The leggie made history when he took part in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad and has been simply unplayable wherever he has played. From Afghanistan to West Indies and even in Australia, Rashid Khan was phenomenal in 2017.

What was most impressive about Rashid was not just the fact that he is almost always amongst the wickets but the fact that he got those wickets at an economy rate of just 5.5. Unreal numbers for the teenager, who will only get better with age.

56 matches | 80 wkts @ 14 | RPO 5.5 | BB: 5-3