Since the inception of T20 cricket, the world of cricket has been taken by storm. With the shorter and faster format preferred by many, Test cricket has lost the gleam, while ODIs have almost become archaic. Innovativeness and out-of-the-box methods are just a few of the major demands that can be associated with the new-age format.
Crisp drives and fine cuts are almost out of fashion, with modern day batsmen preferring to add a touch of uniqueness to their batting. The craze of the format has also hit the bowlers equally, ensuring bowlers come up with counter-attacking strategies in order to tackle the batting prowess.
Away from providing entertainment on the field, the format also promises great revenue which has seen T20 leagues crop up in almost all cricket playing nations across the world. IPL, BBL, CPL, PSL, BPL are few of the prominent ones apart from the Australian and English county tournaments. With T20 garnering plenty of attention, some players have suited their game to the format primarily. Following retirement, a large number of players have donned the role of a freelance T20 player, representing teams in different leagues to keep their cricket alive.
Here, we try to determine some of the best players who have ever graced the T20 format, with their experience and stats a major driving force to feature them in the list of the greatest ever.
#11 Lasith Malinga
Known to the world as ‘Slinga Malinga’, Lasith Malinga is one of the best fast bowlers going around in world cricket. Possessing a unique round-arm action, Malinga has bedevilled the best of the batsmen over time.
One of the major reasons for his huge success is the variations he brings to the table. A yorker specialist, the Sri Lankan has played a major role with every team he has represented since his debut in 2004. Skilled enough to swing the ball both ways, the seamer also has a flawless slower delivery which he has utilised to stem the flow of runs.
Winning captain of the ICC World T20 team in 2014, the Sri Lankan has been an integral part of the Mumbai Indians set up since the IPL’s inception in 2008. Owing to his ability to deliver at crucial times, Malinga has featured in almost all T20 leagues across the world and boasts of many records to his name.
| Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy | Best performance | 5-wicket hauls |
| 221 | 299 | 18.03 | 6.69 | 6/7 | 4 |
#10 Dale Steyn
One of the most feared bowlers in cricket for a long time, Dale Steyn comes from the African shores and has made a name for himself as one of the best new-ball bowlers in cricket history.
Highly capable of dishing out fast and accurate yorkers, adding to the swing factor, Steyn has often portrayed himself to be an aggressive bowler and has managed to send shivers down the spines of his opponent batsmen. He made his first appearance in T20 cricket against New Zealand in 2007 and has ever since been a familiar figure in T20s.
Picked in the inaugural season of the IPL, the pacer went on to represent RCB as their premier pacer prior to his shift to the Deccan Chargers in 2011 where he played for a year before representing Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Gujarat Lions.
| Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | Best performance | 5-wicket hauls |
| 179 | 201 | 22.00 | 6.67 | 4/9 | - |
#9 Sunil Narine
The West Indian spinner has blossomed in T20s as a mystery spinner with his bag of tricks which has managed to bamboozle plenty of batsmen. One of the best spinners ever, Narine shot into the spotlight at the back of his performances in the 2011 Champions League, where he stood out with a meagre economy of just over four and ten wickets to his credit.
In 2012, KKR procured his services for USD 700,000, a buy which showed it’s worth in gold as Narine led KKR’s charge with 24 wickets in the tournament and was declared as the ‘Man of the tournament’. Consistent performances gave the spinner his first look into the test scenario against England but was not at his best.
Narine was signed up for the BBL by the Sydney Sixers in 2012. Narine’s strength is his ability to turn the ball both ways without an obvious change in his delivery stride or bowling action, which has reaped rich rewards for him and has often outfoxed batsmen with his clever variations.
| Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | Best performance | 5-wicket hauls |
| 191 | 241 | 17.08 | 5.62 | 5/19 | 1 |
#8 Ravichandran Ashwin
India’s premier spinner in all formats of the game, Ashwin has tasted tremendous amounts of success throughout his T20 career. With over six years of T20 cricket experience, Ashwin has cemented his position in the Indian cricket team.
Drafted into the Chennai Super Kings line-up after a string of consistent performances for Tamil Nadu, Ashwin adapted superbly under Dhoni to emerge as the leading wicket taker in the Champions League T20 2011 and was also tagged as the ‘Man of the tournament’. Since then, the Arjuna Awardee has played almost the whole of his international career under the leadership of MS Dhoni and has swiftly fit into the role of Dhoni’s go-to man in pressure situations.
Over time, Ashwin has showcased his batting prowess, too, which has added another dimension to the all-rounder’s game. In addition to his batting, Ashwin has also added the arm ball and carrom ball to his kitty while making optimum use of his international experience to enhance his method of play.
| Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | Best performance | 5-wicket hauls |
| 193 | 198 | 23.31 | 6.74 | 4/8 | - |
#7 Shakib Al Hasan
The only player to have topped the all-rounders charts across all formats at one time, Shakib Al Hasan is without a hint of doubt, one of the finest all-rounders to have played the game. A die-hard fan of FC Barcelona, Shakib has etched his name on the wall of fame forever.
Since 2012, Shakib has constantly been a feature in the top 3 ranked all-rounders owing to his strong and persistent performances for Bangladesh. The first ever Bangladeshi to play for an England county team and represent a team in the BBL, Shakib has played a part in T20 leagues across the world.
In 2011, Shakib signed up with KKR for a price of US$425,000 and has played for them since then. A year later, Shakib played for the Khulna Royal Bengals as ‘icon player’ in the BPL.
Shakib emerged as the costliest buy of BPL 2, going to the Dhaka Gladiators for a hefty sum of $325,000. He has also played for the Barbados Tridents and the Jamaican Tallawahs in the CPL, Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades in the BBL, Karachi Kings in the PSL and currently serves as the captain of the Rangpur Riders in the BPL.
| Matches | Runs scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | Best performance | 5-wicket hauls |
| 208 | 3293 | 20.84 | 122.87 | 240 | 20.61 | 6.75 | 6/6 | 2 |
#6 Dwayne Bravo
With over ten years of experience in the T20 format, Dwayne Bravo has carved a wonderful career for himself so far. Since the start of his career with Trinidad & Tobago, the West Indian has modelled his cricket splendidly to add a Caribbean flavour to his game and is famously known for settling into varied celebrations following a wicket or a victory.
A right-handed batsman who usually comes in late down the order and a crafty death-overs specialist, he is flamboyant yet destructive with the bat and has often brought out a wide range of strokes to suit his role. The inside-out shot being his trademark – Bravo often brings his strong wrists to play in order to score a bulk of his runs and is a terrific fielder which adds quality to his resume as a cricketer.
Utilised majorly in the death overs, the West Indian enjoys the luxury of bowling a deceiving slower yorker from his array of varieties which he implements to perfection. Bravo played his first three IPL seasons for the Mumbai Indians, who bought him for a price of US $300,000 in the inaugural season before he shifted to the Chennai Super Kings in 2011. Currently, he plays for the Gujarat Lions, as a result of CSK’s two-year ban. This year, the Melbourne Renegades confirmed the resigning of the star all-rounder for the BBL 2016.
Recently, Bravo came out with a song titled ‘Champion’, bringing out his musical side out as well.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | Best Performance | 5-wicket hauls |
| 324 | 5037 | 25.31 | 125.39 | 341 | 24.29 | 8.07 | 5/23 | 1 |
#5 David Hussey
Prominently a T20 player, David Hussey is rated highly as one of the best all-rounders in cricket history. The younger sibling of the famous Hussey brothers, David has scored 5960 runs at a strike rate of 133+ apart from his 68 wickets from 258 matches and has been a major contributor in T20s.
The right-handed batsman shot into fame when he smacked a run-a-ball 212 for Victoria in the 2003-04 Australian season and as a result was contracted by Nottinghamshire the same year. The next three years saw Hussey turning into a run-machine courtesy his stunning form through all seasons in English and Australian cricket.
Primarily suited to the T20 format, Hussey was picked by KKR in the player auction of IPL 2008. He performed up to expectations, averaging just above 29 at the end of the first season. Notably, Hussey emerged as one of the costliest players bought in the 2011 auction, going to the Kings XI Punjab for a whopping US $1.4 million.
The subsequent year, he was appointed as the KXIP captain owing to Gilchrist’s unavailability for the season due to injury. In the Australian circuit, the off-spinner has represented the Melbourne Stars for six years now in the BBL, having joint forces with them in 2011.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | Best Performance | 5-wicket hauls |
| 258 | 5960 | 30.56 | 133.12 | 68 | 26.35 | 7.47 | 3/25 | - |
#4 AB de Villiers
One of the finest batsmen going around in international cricket, AB de Villiers belongs to the elite club of cricketers who have remained consistent in all three formats of the game since debut. Capable of tormenting the world’s best bowlers, de Villiers has already placed himself amongst the legends of cricket.
Currently the skipper of South Africa’s test and ODI teams, de Villiers’s biggest strength lies in his ability to judge every ball to perfection and adaptability to situations. During his career, the flamboyant right-hander has floated around in the batting order and has fit into every position perfectly.
Owing to his batting pyrotechnics and agility on the field, AB has generated a massive fan following and gifted with a skill to play on both sides of the wicket, has emerged as the epitome of inventiveness owing to his understanding of any situation that he faces when at the crease.
With a plethora of records to his name, de Villiers is one of the most sought after T20 players. He made his IPL debut for the Delhi Daredevils in 2008 and represented them for the next two years prior to joining RCB in 2011 for a sum of US $1.1 million and since then has formed an integral part of the RCB set-up. Surprisingly, he is yet to feature in the BBL, while he made his first entrance into the CPL, playing for the Barbados Tridents in 2016.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
| 216 | 5390 | 33.47 | 144.58 | 3/34 |
#3 Suresh Raina
IPL’s most experienced player, Suresh Raina has put up dazzling performances at the global level in the T20 format and has built a huge reputation for himself. Having featured in 147 matches across nine seasons in the IPL, Raina has amassed 4098 runs at an average of just under 34.
Along with the ability to hit the ball a long way into the stands, Raina is popularly known for his sweet timing and supreme athleticism on the field. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2005 and in the following year made his first T20 appearance in Indian colours against South Africa. The first Indian to score an international T20 century, the Uttar Pradesh lad has also led India in some T20s in the absence of regular skipper MS Dhoni.
Raina was contracted by the Chennai Super Kings in 2008 for a deal of US $5 million, which entitled him to represent the team for three years. Raina shone through his time with the Super Kings and was retained by them ahead of the 2011 season. The first player to cross 2000 runs in the IPL, Raina holds the record for most consecutive matches played in the IPL.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
| 242 | 6326 | 33.12 | 139.00 | 3/36 |
#2 Brendon McCullum
Arguably one of the most explosive openers in world cricket, Brendon McCullum’s impeccable method of play involves a fearless and bold display of batting. Often stepping out early on to the fast bowlers, McCullum’s game revolves around unsettling the bowlers initially to set-up the platform for a massive total.
Naturally an aggressive player, McCullum has provided explosive starts even in test matches. With a wealth of experience, the dashing opener leads the charts as the highest run-scorer in T20I’s. Famously known for his big hitting ability and glovework, McCullum’s services were procured by KKR in IPL 2008 for a sum of US $700,000.
In his first match for them, the New Zealander blazed his way to an unbeaten 158 off just 73 balls which included 10 fours and 13 sixes against a hapless RCB bowling line-up and is regarded as one of the best T20 innings ever.
After three seasons with KKR, McCullum moved to the now defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala and in the same year joined forces with Brisbane Heat in the BBL and is now a regular member of the Heat’s lineup. Following KTK’s ouster from the IPL, McCullum has represented CSK and now plays for the Gujarat Lions. In the CPL, he plays for the Trinbago Knight Riders.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
| 251 | 6955 | 31.32 | 137.07 | 7/33 |
#1 Chris Gayle
Supremely powerful at the top of the order, Chris Gayle has had exceptional progress in the limited-overs scenario. With a mighty physique, the Jamaican's penchant for scoring majorly through boundaries has managed to instil fear in the minds of opposition bowlers.
The first batsman to hit a double century in World Cup history, Gayle has a good deal of records against his name across all three formats. The first cricketer to have hit a century in all formats of the game, the West Indian’s method of play is often labelled as robust and ruthless. Over time, Gayle has developed primarily as a T20 cricketer.
Gayle played for KKR in the first three seasons of IPL prior to his shift to RCB, as a replacement for Dirk Nannes and has been a regular for a side since then. In just his third season with RCB, Gayle broke a slew of records during his decimation of the Pune Warriors bowlers when he scored an unbeaten 175 run knock that included 13 fours and 17 sixes.
Carrying a major amount of reputation with his name, Gayle is one of the most sought after players as proven by his stats. In the BBL, he has donned the jerseys of Sydney Thunder (2011-2013) and Melbourne Renegades (2015-2016). Since the inception of the CPL, the charismatic left-hander has represented the Jamaican Tallawahs as captain. In the BPL, he has represented the Barisal Burners and Dhaka Gladiators and in 2016 emerged as one of the costliest buys in PSL, picked by Lahore Qalandars.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
| 271 | 9614 | 41.98 | 150.45 | 18/59 |
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