Top 5 T20 batsmen in the current era

#2 Babar Azam (PAK)

Babar Azam has become Pakistan's all-format lynchpin.

As someone who looked destined to captain Pakistan from the time he broke into the national setup, Babar Azam has held good on the early promise. A lynchpin of the batting order in all three formats for his team, Babar has remained dominant despite a Pakistan team and management that remains in flux.

An average of nearly 51 in the shortest format puts Babar in an elite league of cricketers. Although he doesn't quite have a hundred yet - his highest score is 97* - 16 half-centuries at a strike-rate of 130 make for very impressive reading. Most recently, his unbeaten half-century allowed the Karachi Kings to lift the Pakistan Super League 2020 trophy.

#1 Dawid Malan (ENG)

Dawid Malan has forced his way to the top of the ICC T20I rankings in quick time.

The English batting order is arguably the hardest one to break into at the moment, with intense competition for the opener's spots as well as the rest of the top six. Despite the odds, Dawid Malan has more than thrown his hat in the ring, with a flurry of impressive performances. Announcing his arrival with a thrilling 78 off 44 balls against South Africa on debut, Malan's consistent big-hitting and shot selection has helped him climb to the top of the ICC T20I Batting Rankings.

An unbeaten century and an agonizing 99* are the highlights from a short yet commanding T20I career thus far. Already a big commodity in the Big Bash League, Malan is likely to be one of the starters in England's 2021 T20 World Cup side. An average over 53 and a strike-rate just short of 150 are surreal numbers in the shortest format, and while it is still early days, Malan might stay on top for some time.

Why does Virat Kohli miss out?

Despite being an Indian Premier League (IPL) mainstay and an undisputed ODI great, Virat Kohli's batting in the T20 format raises conflicting opinions regarding the role of a T20I batsman. While the numbers - fifty-plus average, 130-plus strike rate - are undoubtedly impressive, Kohli's style of play revolves around occupying the crease, finding the gaps and rotating strike.

Although this technique ensures Kohli is harder to dismiss, modern T20 batting prioritizes batsmen who can take the game away from the opposition by attacking in bursts and forcing them to change their plans. Kohli's recent form in the IPL as well as the T20I leg of the Australia tour couldn't quite put pressure on the opposition. Thus, while he has been instrumental to India in T20I World Cups in the past, recent form and the overall improvement in the T20 game's standard edge him out of the top five.