In our previous blog, we had applied the method of Multi-Criteria Dimensional Analysis (MCDM) in order to find the best bowlers of the previous 2 seasons of the Syed Musthaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). This method gave us an unbiased view on how bowlers performed across different phases of play and it also gives opportunities for coaches and analysts to identify various young talents for their respective teams across the different leagues in India.
Similarly, we will use MCDM to analyze the best batters across all the three phases of play in the past two seasons of the tournament. We will be using a type of MCDM method called Evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS). In short, this method calculates the distance of each alternative (in our case, metrics such as strike rate, average, etc.) from the average solution as uses this information to select the best alternative.
Powerplay Batters
Venkatesh Iyer, a familiar name in the IPL circuit, has stood out as the best player in this phase, with a perfect score of 1. His brilliant strike rate of 155, his phenomenal ability to produce boundaries every 3.4 deliveries and his staggering average of 105 makes him the top contender as a power play specialist. Closely following Iyer is the young Atharava Taide from Vidarbha. He not only scored the most number of runs among any player in the Powerplay, but also had a decent strike rate of 132 with an ability to produce boundaries every 5 deliveries.
A very interesting name from this list is Urvil Patel from Baroda. He has the best strike rate among all the players in the powerplay (162), he consumes a dot only every 3 deliveries but what makes him below the top 5 is his batting average. Though it stands at a modest 34, it is the lowest in comparison to the other players in this list. But nevertheless if a team is looking for an attacking option at the top, he is a brilliant talent to pick up.
Middle Overs Batters
A quick glance will remind us of a good number of familiar names who have played in the IPL and for the Indian Cricket Team. Among all the big names, the young Bikramkumar Das from Tripura has stood out owing to his consistency in the middle order. In the 5 innings he has played, he hasn’t been dismissed once and he has a good strike rate of 128 and what makes him stand out even more is his ability to produce less dots, with a balls per dot value of close to 5, which is very important in the middle overs’ phase.
The experienced duo of Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane have also made their mark in this tournament. They have an excellent strike rate of 152 and 140 respectively and their ability to consume less dots in the middle overs also elevates their ranks (Balls per dot of 4.2 and 3.6 respectively). Prabhsimran Singh provides a unique aggressor role in the middle overs, with a sensational strike rate of 171(Highest among all players) and scoring a boundary every 3.8 deliveries, which is a challenging task in this phase.
Death Overs Batters
In arguably, the most important and tense phase in t20 cricket, Jitesh Sharma stands out with his fireworks. He displayed an insane amount of potential and power when he played for Punjab Kings in the IPL and his performance in SMAT (221 runs with just 1 dismissal in 9 innings) is nothing short of spectacular. Striking at a wonderful 221, scoring a boundary every 3 balls and consuming a dot only every 6 deliveries, he can be seen as a potential finishing option for India down the line and as a like to like replacement for someone like Rishabh Pant. Manisankar Muraisingh from Tripura is considered to be a bowling allrounder, but his batting exploits came into focus in this tournament. It was his magnificent balls per dot figure of 8.2 that distinguished him from other players, making him a star to watch.
Conclusion
MCDM methods prove time after time on why it is such an effective way to rank and classify players based on multiple indicators. This time, it not only introduced us to some newer faces but it also showed the consistency and the importance that the senior players provide to such tournaments and gives more exposure for the youth to learn from them.
