One will need long levers to clear the long boundaries in Australia but trust these five men to make a telling impact with the bat at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. (More Cricket News)
All five are in different stages of their career and with their performance over the last 12 months, they have already shown what they are capable of doing over the next couple of weeks.
Suryakumar Yadav (India)
After making his belated India debut in March 2021, the 32-year-old Suryakumar has established himself as the team's number one batter in the shortest format. The batter has all the shots in the book (besides inventing some of his own) and has an envious record already, having made nine fifties and a hundred in 34 T20 Internationals at a staggering strike rate of 176.81.
India will be hoping his sensational run continues in the ICC showpiece and he provides the team the extra 15-20 run cushion that it might need to cover up for a not so inspiring bowling line-up. The fearless batter himself would be fired to perform on the big stage having not done justice to his rare skills in the previous edition 12 months ago.
His confidence must be sky high going into the tournament, having smashed three fifties in his last four T20 Internationals.
David Miller (South Africa)
The 33-year-old has taken a while to realise the full potential of his power game but he has been South Africa's standout player over the last 12 months. The southpaw seems to have taken his game to the next level and that was first evident in the IPL earlier this year when he enjoyed his best ever season with 481 runs at an average of 68.71 for eventual winners Gujarat Titans.
He has carried that form into international cricket and in the recent series in India, he produced a memorable 106-run knock off 47 balls, albeit in a losing cause. If he continues to finish games like he has of late, it will go a long way in South Africa's bid for their maiden title.
Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan)
This Pakistani all-rounder has not only kept things tight with his left-arm spin since the Asia Cup last month, he has also made a couple of match-winnings contributions with the bat. Skipper Babar Azam has been using him as a surprise package in the middle-order and Nawaz has not disappointed.
His 25-ball 42 took the game away from India in the Asia Cup before he lifted the team out of a precarious situation to come up with a 22-ball 38 at number four to win the tri-series final against New Zealand last week.
His contributions with the ball can't be ignored as well. In 48 T20s, he has taken 44 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 7.38.
Tim David (Australia)
The Singapore-born David is the quintessential T20 nomad who broke into the Australian team after displaying his six-hitting prowess in leagues around the world. The 6ft 5in batter who has never played first class cricket, fetched a handsome Rs 8.25 crore contract from Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2022, indicating how much his stock has risen in the last one year.
If Australia are to defend their World Cup title at home, David will be expected to finish games alongside Matthew Wade. In his debut series for Australia last month, David smashed a 27-ball 54 against India in Hyderabad.
He followed that up with a couple of 40s against the West Indies and England at home, setting him up nicely for the World Cup. When in full flow, no boundary is long enough for the 26-year-old.
Alex Hales (England)
Hales, who made his T20 debut for England way back in 2011, has a chance at redemption after a roller coaster ride that saw him missing the 2019 ODI World Cup due to a failed drug test. Back in the national setup after three years, Hales would be eager to make the most of his big break, having made the squad as a replacement player for injured Jonny Bairstow.
Hales' talent was never in question, and not surprisingly, he has made his presence felt since scoring a 53 in his international return last month. Alongside Jos Buttler, he forms one of the most dangerous opening pairings in the tournament.
