The world was introduced to a new Champion at the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last Sunday. Australia proved themselves to be the best out of the best, while we also witnessed some out-of-the-box performances from players worldwide.
In this particular analysis, we will be looking at data of the top performers with the bat and ball from the Super 12 round and try to analyze a few in-depth statistics as the high-voltage competition witnessed some fascinating moments.
Top performers with the bat
Pakistan’s Babar Azam scored the most runs with his bat for his team and was the leading scorer in the tournament. Azam had a superlative tournament, scoring 303 runs in six innings, averaging 60.6, with his highest score being 70.
Australia’s David Warner scored 289 runs in seven innings with an average of 48.16 and was the second-highest scorer in the tournament. Warner exploited the left-arm spinners, striking at 160 against them. He also had the third-highest strike rate of 154 in overs 7-12 in the tournament. His average batting impact vs pace was +0.8, while against spin, it was +14.2.
England’s Joss Buttler was the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 269 runs at an incredible average of 89 – the highest in the World Cup. His biggest impact was in the overs 7-12, where he struck at 148 – fifth highest in the tournament. Buttler also scored the only century of the World Cup, scoring an unbeaten 101 against Sri Lanka.
Charith Asalanka from Sri Lanka was next on the list with 231 runs in six innings. Scoring at an average of 46.20, his highest score in the tournament was an unbeaten 80. Asalanka was severe against spin, striking at 160.31.
Top performers with the ball
Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga was at the top of the wicket-takers list with his box-office performance. The leg spinner took 16 wickets, conceding just 156 runs at an economy of 5.20. He was also the second bowler after Curtis Campher to take a hat-trick in this World Cup.
The Australian leg-break bowler, Adam Zampa, had the second-highest wickets under his name. He took 13 wickets conceding 157 runs at an economy of 5.81. He was crucial to Australia’s success, striking at 12.46 balls per wicket. Zampa was also one of only two bowlers to take a five-wicket haul in the tournament.
Trent Boult was New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker and third-highest overall, with 13 wickets from seven innings. He provided early breakthroughs for the Black Caps and struck at 12.7 at an average of 13.20.
Although Shakib Al Hasan had an underwhelming World Cup with the bat, he was prolific with the ball. Conceding runs at just 5.59 runs per over, Shakib picked up 11 wickets, the most for Bangladesh, despite missing out on two matches. He was instrumental in helping Bangladesh qualify for the Super 12 round, winning back-to-back ‘Player of the match’ awards in Round 1 of the tournament.
Apart from witnessing some of the best performances with both bat and ball, the World Cup, which was held at neutral venues in UAE also challenged the players and that brought out a spectacle for all cricket lovers.