The SA20 2025 auction was held in Cape Town on October 1 as a total of 13 players were sold alongside six rookie stars.

Reeza Hendricks, South Africa’s T20 Cricketer of the Year, became the most expensive player at SA20 2025 auction.

The former Joburg Super Kings batter was involved in an intense bidding between MI Cape Town and Pretoria Capitals before the Cape Town-based franchise acquired Reeza Hendricks for R4.30 million.

Apart from Reeza Hendricks, MI Cape Town bought South African duo Colin Ingram and Dane Piedt for R175,000 each.

England fast bowler Richard Gleeson attracted the second-highest bid at SA20 2025 auction.

Having played for various franchises in different T20 leagues across the globe, Richard Gleeson was bought by two-time SA20 champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape for R2.3 million.

The two-time defending champions further bolstered their pace attack by shelling out R175,000 for Okuhle Cele.

West Indies�?hard-hitting batter Evin Lewis and South Africa’s uncapped T20 star Marques Ackerman were sold to Pretoria Capitals for R1.5 million and R800,000, respectively. The Capitals completed their slots by signing all-rounder Kyle Simmonds for R175,000.

Last season’s finalist Durban's Super Giants filled their only slot by roping in West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph for R425,000, while Paarl Royals filled their remaining slot by signing wicketkeeper-batter Rubin Hermann for R175,000.

Meanwhile, Joburg Super Kings bought all-rounders Wihan Lubbe, Evan Jones and New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell for R175,000 each.

More than 180 cricketers including 115 South Africans and 73 overseas cricketers earlier registered for the SA20 2025 auction.

South Africa’s Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma, Kamindu Mendis, Naseem Shah, Joshua Little and Tony de Zorzi were some of the big names that went unsold at SA20 auction.

Meanwhile, the SA20 2025 will start on January 9 and run till February 8. As many as six teams will compete in a total of 34 matches in the third season of SA20.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the defending champions of the SA20 title after they defeated Durban's Super Giants by 89 runs in the 2024 final in Cape Town.

Get SA20 2025 players auction list.

SA20 2025 players auction list: Know all sold players and full squads of all teams

Reeza Hendricks - MI Cape Town - R4.30 million 

Richard Gleeson - Sunrisers Eastern Cape - R2.3 million

Evin Lewis - Pretoria Capitals - R1.5 million 

Marques Ackerman - Pretoria Capitals - R800,000 

Shamar Joseph - Durban's Super Giants - R425,000 

Colin Ingram - MI Cape Town - R175,000 

Dane Piedt - MI Cape Town - R175,000 

Rubin Hermann - Paarl Royals - R175,000 

Wihan Lubbe - Joburg Super Kings - R175,000 

Evan Jones - Joburg Super Kings - R175,000 

Okuhle Cele - Sunrisers Eastern Cape - R175,000 

Doug Bracewell - Joburg Super Kings - R175,000 

Kyle Simmonds - Pretoria Capitals - R175,000

SA20 2025 teams and squads

Durban's Super Giants: Brandon King, Quinton de Kock, Naveen-ul-Haq, Kane Williamson, Chris Woakes, Prenelan Subrayen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Noor Ahmad, Heinrich Klaasen, Jon-Jon Smuts, Wiaan Mulder, Junior Dala, Bryce Parsons, Matthew Breetzke, Jason Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Shamar Joseph, CJ King (rookie)

Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Maheesh Theekshana, Devon Conway, Gerald Coetzee, David Wiese, Leus Du Plooy, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Donovan Ferreira, Imran Tahir, Sibonelo Makhanya, Tabraiz Shamsi, Wihan Lubbe, Evan Jones, Doug Bracewell, Matheesha Pathirana, JP King (rookie)

MI Cape Town: Rashid Khan, Ben Stokes, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Azmatullah Omarzai, Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Nuwan Thushara, Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Rassie van der Dussen, Thomas Kaber, Chris Benjamin, Corbin Bosch, Colin Ingram, Reeza Hendricks, Dane Piedt, Tristan Luus (rookie)

Pretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Jimmy Neesham, Will Jacks, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Liam Livingstone, Will Smeed, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Eathan Bosch, Wayne Parnell, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Steve Stolk, Tiaan van Vuuren, Marques Ackerman, Evin Lewis, Kyle Simmonds, Keagan Lion-Cachet (rookie)

Paarl Royals: David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sam Hain, Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Van Buuren, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Andile Phehlukwayo, Codi Yusuf, John Turner, Dayyaan Galiem, Jacob Bethell, Rubin Hermann, Dewan Marais (rookie)

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Zak Crawley, Roelof van der Merwe, Liam Dawson, Ottneil Baartman, Marco Jansen, Beyers Swanepoel, Caleb Seleka, Tristan Stubbs, Jordan Hermann, Patrick Kruger, Craig Overton, Tom Abell, Simon Harmer, Andile Simelane, David Bedingham, Okuhle Cele, Richard Gleeson, Daniel Smith (rookie)

Photo credit: Imago

Sabina Park, Kingston is a picturesque cricket ground located in Jamaica.

Established in 1895, the Sabina Park, Kingston was one of the hardest and fastest pitches in the Caribbean for several years. In recent years, Sabina Park has slowed down even after attempts were made to restore life by relaying it on more than one occasion.

It is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club and the West Indies cricket team at international level.

Sabina Park has a spectacular backdrop with the Blue Mountains to the north, facing the George Headley Stand, with Kingston Harbour to the south. This beautiful view is currently blocked by the Northern Stand, built as part of the ground's redevelopment for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

It staged its first international cricket match, a Test played between hosts West Indies and England in April 1930. The Test match ended in a draw.

In April 1984, Sabina Park later hosted its first One-Day International (ODI) between West Indies and Australia. Led by Viv Richards, the hosts won the ODI by nine wickets. 

After almost three decades in 2014, Sabina Park staged its first T20 international played between West Indies and Ireland. The Carlos Brathwaite-led West Indies won the game by six wickets.

Since then, it has hosted six T20 internationals so far. Let’s have a look at Sabina Park, Kingston T20 records and stats:

Sabina Park, Kingston T20 records and stats

Highest total

The New Zealand cricket team holds the record for the highest total at the Sabina Park, Kingston in T20 international cricket. During the second T20I of New Zealand’s tour of the West Indies in August 2022, the Kane Williamson-led visitors posted 215/5 in their 20 overs. Electing to bat first, New Zealand rode on Glenn Phillips�?76 off 41 balls 

along with contributions from Daryl Mitchell (48) and Devon Conway (42) to post a record T20 total at the venue. In reply, West Indies could only manage 125/9 in their allotted overs as New Zealand won the game by 90 runs. The visitors clinched the three-match T20I series 2-1 in Kingston. 

Lowest total

The Ireland cricket team registered the lowest total at the Sabina Park, Kingston in the T20 format. Ireland were restricted to 85/8 in their 20 overs while chasing West Indies�?96/9 in a low-scoring encounter in Kingston in February 2014. Chasing 97, Ireland lost wickets at regular intervals as they fell short by 11 runs. Wicketkeeper-batter Gary Wilson top-scored for Ireland with 35. For West Indies, captain Daren Sammy was the wrecker-in-chief with three wickets for just 22 runs in his quota of four overs. With the win, West Indies levelled the two-match T20I series 1-1.

Most runs

New Zealand cricketer Glenn Phillips has the most runs at the venue in T20 international cricket. The swashbuckling right-handed batter has scored 134 runs in three T20I matches at an average of 44.66 and a strike rate of 171.79. He has also slammed one T20I fifty at this venue. West Indies opening batter Evin Lewis features second on the list with 125 runs in a solitary knock that he played at this ground against India in 2017.

Most wickets

West Indies bowling all-rounder Odean Smith has picked up the most wickets at this cricket ground in the T20I format. The right-arm medium pacer bagged seven wickets in three T20I matches at an average of 13 and an economy of 8.27. Odean Smith has a best T20I bowling figures of 3/29 against New Zealand at this venue in 2022. Ireland’s Alex Cusack and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner share the second spot with six scalps each.

Highest individual score

Flamboyant West Indies cricketer Evin Lewis holds the record for the highest individual score at the Sabina Park, Kingston in T20 international cricket. Opening the batting, Evin Lewis slammed an unbeaten 125-run knock off just 62 balls against India in the only T20I of the series in July 2017. His blitzkrieg knock was laced with six fours and 12 maximums to help West Indies chase down India’s 190/6 in 18.3 overs. Evin Lewis�?scintillating knock guided the hosts to a nine-wicket win in Kingston.

Best bowling figures

Former Ireland cricketer Alex Cusack registered the best bowling figures at this venue in the T20 format. The right-arm pacer registered impressive figures of 4-1-11-4 against hosts West Indies in the second T20I in February 2014. Alex Cusack dismissed Dwayne Smith, Andre Fletcher, wicketkeeper-batter Denesh Ramdin and Samuel Badree to restrict West Indies to 96/9 in their 20 overs. Despite Cusack’s brilliant spell, Ireland lost the game by 11 runs.

Highest partnership

West Indies duo Evin Lewis and Marlon Samuels hold the record for the highest partnership at the Sabina Park, Kingston in T20I cricket. Evin Lewis and Marlon Samuels stitched an unbeaten 112-run partnership for the second wicket against India in a T20I in 2017. Chasing 191, Lewis scored 125 not out while Samuels remained unbeaten on 36 to help West Indies chase down the target in 18.3 overs and secure a dominating nine-wicket victory in Kingston.

Photo credit: Alamy

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and India’s Rohit Sharma share the record for the most centuries in T20I cricket.

Since his T20I debut against England during a T20 World Cup 2007 clash in Durban, Rohit Sharma has smashed five hundreds in international cricket's shortest format.

Flamboyant right-handed batter Glenn Maxwell also has the joint-most centuries in T20I cricket (5) after he hit a scintillating ton during the second T20I of West Indies' tour of Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav of India is second on the list for most centuries in T20I cricket, having slammed four hundreds each in T20 internationals.

The likes of Czech Republic’s Sabawoon Davizi, New Zealand’s Colin Munro and Babar Azam of Pakistan share the third spot for the most centuries in T20I cricket. All three cricketers have recorded three centuries in T20I format. 

Meanwhile, Muhammad Waseem, Evin Lewis, George Munsey, Glenn Phillips, Martin Guptill, Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, David Miller, Brendon McCullum, and Chris Gayle have hit two tons in T20Is. Know the cricketers with the most centuries in T20I cricket.

Most centuries in T20I cricket

Player	Span	Matches	Innings	Centuries
Glenn Maxwell	2012-2024	102	94	5
Rohit Sharma	2007-2024	151	143	5
Suryakumar Yadav	2021-2023	59	56	4
Sabawoon Davizi	2019-2023	31	31	3
Colin Munro	2012-2020	65	62	3
Babar Azam	2016-2023	104	98	3
Muhammad Waseem	2021-2023	41	41	2
Evin Lewis	2016-2022	53	52	2
George Munsey	2015-2023	62	60	2
Glenn Phillips	2017-2023	63	56	2

Glenn Maxwell | 5 T20I centuries

Glenn Maxwell currently shares the record for the most centuries in T20I cricket. Nicknamed The Big Show, Glenn Maxwell scored his first T20I hundred during the first game of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2016. Opening the batting, Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 145 off just 65 balls. His blitzkrieg knock was laced with 14 fours and nine maximums. Maxwell later slammed his second T20I hundred (103*) against arch-rivals England in Hobart in 2018. The flamboyant batter hit his next two T20I centuries against India, both in winning causes. He scored 113* against them in Bangalore in 2019 while his second one (104*) was in Guwahati in 2023 in his 100th T20I match. Maxwell's latest T20I ton came against West Indies after he scored unbeaten 55-ball 120 at the Adelaide Oval in 2024.

Rohit Sharma | 5 T20I centuries

India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma was the first player to slam five centuries in the T20I format. The right-handed batter scored his first T20I ton against South Africa in Dharamsala in 2015. Rohit clobbered 106 off just 66 balls, including 12 fours and five sixes. Despite Rohit’s hundred, India lost the game by seven wickets. He smashed his second T20I century (118) versus Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017. Rohit’s next two T20I hundreds came in 2018. He scored 100* against England in Bristol while hammering 111* versus West Indies in Lucknow. The India skipper now has the most centuries in T20I cricket after he smashed unbeaten 121 off just 69 balls against Afghanistan at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium the final game of a three-match series in January 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav | 4 T20I centuries

Since his T20I debut against England in 2021, Suryakumar Yadav has made the format is own. SKY’s first two T20I tons came in 2022. He hit a quickfire knock of 117 runs from 55 balls against England in Nottingham to become the fifth Indian men’s cricketer to score a hundred in the format before smashing another century thanks to a 51-ball 111 against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in November. His third century in T20 Internationals was against Sri Lanka in January 2023 at Rajkot when he scored 112 runs off just 51 balls. Suryakumar's last T20I ton was a 56-ball 100 against South Africa in December 2023.

Sabawoon Davizi  | 3 T20I centuries

Among associate cricketers, Sabawoon Davizi has the most centuries in T20I cricket. The left-handed Czech Republic batter has registered three hundreds in T20 internationals. Davizi’s first T20I hundred came against hosts Malta in the semi-final of the Malta Quadrangular T20I Series in 2019. Davizi scored 101 off just 68 balls to guide Czech Republic to an 82-run victory. He slammed his next two T20I hundreds in 2022. While Davizi hit 59-ball 115 not out against Bulgaria in the Valletta Cup, he later smacked unbeaten 111 versus Austria in the Central Europe Cup.

Photo credit: Alamy

The record for most sixes in an innings in international cricket is currently 17 sixes.

England cricket team’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan achieved the feat in the 2019 ODI Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan, and beat the previous record (16) that was jointly held by Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle in One Day Internationals and Hazratullah Zazai in T20 Internationals.

Here we take a look at the batters who have hit the most sixes in an innings in cricket.

Most sixes in an innings in international cricket

Player	Sixes in innings	Team	Opponent	Year	Format
Eoin Morgan	17	England	Afghanistan	2019	ODI
Hazratullah Zazai	16	Afghanistan	Ireland	2019	T20I
AB de Villiers	16	South Africa	West Indies	2015	ODI
Chris Gayle	16	West Indies	Zimbabwe	2015	ODI
Rohit Sharma	16	India	Australia	2013	ODI

Most sixes in an innings in ODI

Eoin Morgan hit the most sixes in an innings during the 2019 Cricket World Cup against Afghanistan.

The England captain came out to bat when his side were 164/2 in 30 overs. Taking cue from Jonny Bairstow’s 99-ball 90, Morgan forged a 189-run stand with Joe Root. The left-hander broke the all-time record off a Gulbadin Naib delivery before getting dismissed in the very next delivery.

Player	Sixes in innings	Team	Opponent	Year
Eoin Morgan	17	England	Afghanistan	2019
Jaskaran Malhotra	16	USA	Papua New Guinea	2019
AB de Villiers	16	South Africa	West Indies	2015
Chris Gayle	16	West Indies	Zimbabwe	2015
Rohit Sharma	16	India	Australia	2013

Prior to Morgan, the record for most sixes in an innings in ODIs was shared by Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers. Out of the three, India’s Rohit Sharma was the first to hit 16 sixes in an ODI innings with his effort coming against Australia in a 2013 ODI at Bengaluru.

The opener’s most productive over came in the 47th over bowled by Xavier Doherty, where he smashed three sixes in the over.

USA’s Jaskaran Malhotra also hit 16-sixes in an innings in a 2021 ODI fixture against Papua New Guinea.

Most sixes in an innings in Test

Wasim Akram hit the most sixes in an innings in Test cricket.

The legendary Pakistan all-rounder hit 12 sixes in his unbeaten knock of 257 against Zimbabwe. The knock was the only double century of his celebrated Test career.

Player	Sixes in innings	Team	Opponent	Year
Wasim Akram	12	Pakistan	Zimbabwe	1996
Brendon McCullum	11	New Zealand	Sri Lanka	2014
Brendon McCullum	11	New Zealand	Pakistan	2014
Matthew Hayden	11	Australia	Zimbabwe	2003
Nathan Astle	11	New Zealand	England	2002

Kiwi batter Nathan Astle held the previous record for most sixes in a Test innings, with his 11 sixes coming in a losing cause against England in 2002. His feat would be equalled by two other legendary batters in Matthew Hayden and Brendon McCullum. 

McCullum, for one, hit 11 sixes in a Test innings in consecutive Tests. He first hammered 11 maximums in the third Test against Pakistan and followed it up with 11 sixes in the first Test against Sri Lanka in 2014.

Most sixes in an innings in T20I

Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai is the batter with the most sixes in an innings in T20Is.

The Afghanistan batter’s 16 sixes against Ireland helped his side post a match-winning total of 278/3 in the second game of the three-match T20I series in 2021.

Player	Sixes in innings	Team	Opponent	Year
Hazratullah Zazai	16	Afghanistan	Ireland	2019
George Munsey	14	Scotland	Netherlands	2019
Aaron Finch	14	Australia	England	2013
Richard Levi	13	South Africa	New Zealand	2012
Evin Lewis	12	West Indies	India	2017

Zazai’s exploits from 2021 meant he bettered the previous record jointly held by Aaron Finch and George Munsey, who hit 14 sixes. Finch’s knock came in 2013 while Munsey equalled the mark in 2019.

The Australian star slammed a 63-ball 156 against England, and his knock helped the team recover from the early dismissal of David Warner and the batting order that failed to keep up with the English bowling unit.

Richard Levi is third on this list with 13 maximums. The South African’s unbeaten 117 off 51 balls helped the Proteas chase down a target of 174 against New Zealand with four overs to spare back in 2012.

Most sixes in an innings in T20 cricket

Chris Gayle, who also holds the record for most sixes in T20 cricket history, is the batter with the most number of sixes in an innings in T20 cricket.

The ‘Universe Boss�?slammed 18 sixes in the 2017 Bangladesh Premier League final between Rangpur Riders and Dhaka Dynamites. His 69-ball 146 helped the team set a match-winning total of 206/1 and would be declared the Player of the Match.

Player	Sixes in innings	Team	Opponent	Year
Chris Gayle	18	Rangpur Riders	Dhaka Dynamites	2017
Punit Bisht	17	Scotland	Netherlands	2021
Chris Gayle	17	Australia	England	2013
Dasun Shanaka	16	Sinhalese Sports Club	Saracens Sports Club	2017
Graham Napier	16	Essex	Sussex	2008

Gayle, with this performance, improved his own record, which he managed while playing for Bangalore against the now-defunct Pune in the 2013 Indian T20 League.

The Jamaican hard-hitter��s 17 sixes against Pune is still the existing record for most sixes in an innings in the Indian T20 League. The same innings also saw the West Indian put together the highest individual score in the competition and T20 cricket.

The Indian record for most sixes in an innings in T20 cricket is now in possession of Punit Bisht. The 35-year-old, representing Meghalaya, hit 17 sixes in the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Plate Group match against Mizoram. With this, Bisht broke the previous record that was held by Mumbai's Shreyas Iyer, who slammed 15 sixes in the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game against Sikkim.

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / MIKE HEWITT

T20Is have evolved by leaps and bounds in the last few years with the advent of franchise leagues across the world. We have seen some iconic T20 batting innings as a result from some dynamic players. Rating the best of them is an arduous task as the strength of the opposition, the occasion, the bowling attack, the pitch and match situations play a role in the same. Here we rate the top three knocks in the format in international cricket so far.

Aaron Finch - 156 vs England - Southampton, 2013

Aaron Finch holds the record for the highest T20I innings ever - a spectacular 172 against Zimbabwe. But it is perhaps his other knock of 150-plus that was more impactful, considering the opposition and eventual direction of the game. 

Finch blasted 156 in 63 balls even as the next best Australian batsman made just 37. Finch was in his elements and hit 14 maximums and 11 fours in his innings. He led Australia to a daunting total of 248. The hosts led a strong fightback and eventually made 209, losing by 39 runs. But without Finch's extraordinary knock, Australia might indeed have lost this one.  

Evin Lewis - 125* vs India - Kingston, 2017

The highest score in a run-chase in T20I cricket came from Evin Lewis at Kingston against India in 2017. Chasing 191 for a win, West Indies started with a bang courtesy Lewis. The brutal southpaw stitched a stand of 82 in 8.2 overs with Chris Gayle even as the Universe Boss made just 18 in 20 balls. Lewis finished unbeaten on 125, with Marlon Samuels there for company as West Indies chased down the target in 18.3 overs. Lewis hit 12 sixes and six fours in 62 balls as he scored 125 with little to no support from the other end. 

Rohit Sharma - 118 vs Sri Lanka - Indore 2017 

Rohit Sharma has four T20I hundreds but perhaps his best came against Sri Lanka at Indore in 2017. Enroute slamming the fastest T20I hundred (off 35 balls), Rohit hit 118 in just 43 balls with 10 sixes and 12 fours. A 165-run opening stand with KL Rahul was equally dominated by both batsmen but Rohit took the cake with his extraordinarily belligerent innings. He and Rahul had Lanka on a mat with their opening stand and India ended up piling on a sensational total of 260. An innings strike rate of close to 275 makes Rohit's hundred one of the most incredible in the format ever.   

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk

It is not possible for a batsman to survive in T20 cricket unless he is whacking off boundaries on a regular basis. Lesser the number of deliveries taken by a batsman to hit a boundary, the better he is.

That said, let's take a look at the five best boundary hitters in T20 International history (minimum 500 balls faced) in terms of the number of balls they take to hit every boundary, or Balls per Boundary (BpB).

George Munsey (BpB 4.03)

The Scottish opener is the best boundary-hitter among batsmen who have faced at least 500 deliveries in T20Is till date. Munsey takes approximately four deliveries on average to hit every boundary and has an excellent career strike-rate of 154.22 to go with that as well.

Read | Five best six-hitters in T20 internationals at present

Munsey has a total of 987 T20I runs to his name at a decent average of 29.91, including a best of 127*.

Evin Lewis (BpB 4.39)

The Caribbean opener is the second-best in T20 Internationals when it comes to hitting boundaries. One of the most destructive batsmen in the world at present, Evin Lewis can dismantle even the best of bowling units single-handedly. That fact that he has two T20I tons to his name tells a lot about his potency as a batsman and how close he is to crossing the 1000-run threshold in the format soon.

At the moment, Evin Lewis has 934 T20I runs to his name at an excellent average and strike-rate of 32.21 and 155.41 respectively.

Aaron Finch (BpB 4.43) 

Aaron Finch is an equally dangerous batsman and holds the record for the highest individual score (172) in T20Is as well. The Australian skipper, who also opens the batting for his team, has a marginally higher BpB than Lewis and is a highly experienced batsman in the format, having played 61 matches.

Read | Five best openers since T20 World Cup 2016

Moreover, he has around 2000 runs to his name at an outstanding average and strike-rate of 38.25 and 155.88 respectively.

Glenn Maxwell (BpB 4.60)

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is one of the best T20 players in the world at present, adding enormous value in whatever he does.

Maxwell is not only a good batsman but a street-smart spinner and an outstanding fielder as well. However, when it comes to hitting boundaries there are only a few batsmen who can match his abilities.

His T20I batting record speaks for itself; he has 1576 runs to his name at a good average of 35.02 but it is his career strike-rate of 160.00 which makes him such a highly valued batsman in this format. Moreover, he has three tons to his name as well, including a best of 145*.

Colin Munro (BpB 4.61)

Kiwi top-order batsman Colin Munro makes the list at the fifth spot with a marginally higher BpB than Maxwell. Even though he doesn't have that good a technique, Munro is absolutely unstoppable on his day, managing to play big innings along with a high scoring rate every now and then.

Read | ICC T20 World Cup 2020 likely to be postponed by two years

Colin Munro’s healthy average of 31.35 and an excellent strike-rate of 156.44 is testimony to that, and moreover, he has three tons to his name to go with these numbers in the format as well.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

Watching batsmen hitting sixes might be fun for us but it isn't easy at all for them. They put a lot of hard work off the field so that they can develop the strength and ability to clear the big boundaries easily. But there are some players who are just natural in this aspect and it seems like hitting sixes is almost effortless for them. That said, let's take a look at five of the best six-hitters (minimum 500 runs) in T20Is in terms Balls per Six (BP6), which is the number of deliveries they take to hit each six.

Evin Lewis (Bp6 - 8.23)

The Caribbean opener is the most consistent six-hitter in T20Is at present. Lewis hits six every 8.23 deliveries and that's way better than any other batsman in the format at present. The left-handed batsman has 934 T20I runs to his name at an outstanding strike-rate of 155.41. Not only that, these runs include two centuries as well, with a career-best score of 125* against India.

Andre Russell (Bp6 - 8.50)

It's not surprising at all to see his name in list like this. Russell is one of the best power-hitters in the world at present and his exploits for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2019 showed how good he is. The all-rounder hits a six at an interval of every 8.5 deliveries and has scored a total of 540 runs in this format at an excellent strike-rate of 151.26.

Hazratullah Zazai (Bp6 - 9.18)

The opening batsman from Afghanistan isn't far behind Lewis and Russell as well. He is already one of the mainstays in Afghanistan's T20I batting unit and averages 40.71 after 15 matches. He takes approximately nine deliveries to hit every six and strikes at an outstanding rate of 155.31 as well. Moreover, Zazai's best score of 162* is one of the best individual scores in this format as well.

Colin Munro (Bp6 - 10.30)

The Kiwi top-order batsman is one of the most explosive players in the world at the moment. That fact that he has three centuries to his name in T20Is sums up how he can destroy oppositions on his day. He strikes at a high rate of 156.44 and has an excellent average of 31.35 as well. Combine that with his habit of hitting a six every 10.3 deliveries on average and you can imagine how he torments bowlers.

Chris Gayle (Bp6 - 10.85)

No batting list in T20 cricket is complete without the Universe Boss featuring in it and even though he is at the twilight of his career now, he still manages to make an appearance at the fifth spot in this list. In his 58 T20I career matches so far, Gayle has scored 1627 runs at an excellent average of 32.54 and an equally good strike-rate of 142.84. And while doing so, he has hit a six at an interval of every 10.85 deliveries.

Image courtesy: AFP/ Randy Brooks

The last edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup was in 2016 which saw West Indies winning a thrilling finale against England. Now, another edition of the mega event is knocking on our doors and it is a good time to take a look at some of the top performers from each department since the last World Cup. Here, we will take a look at the openers who have performed to the best of their abilities during this period. Total number of runs scored is definitely a metric that can be used to judge the batsmen but a better option to determine their quality would be to use the BASRA (Aggregate of batting average and strike-rate) system. Rohit Sharma followed by Paul Stirling, Shikhar Dhawan, Colin Munro and KL Rahul are the top run-getters during this period. But in terms of BASRA, here are our best five batsmen during this period (minimum 20 innings):

Colin Munro (BASRA: 196.88)

The Kiwi opener is placed at fourth in the list of most T20I runs during this period but he has a higher BASRA than all batsmen who have played at least 20 innings during this timeframe. Munro has a total of 1123 runs in 33 innings during this period at an average of 36.23 and a sensational strike-rate of 160.66. He has scored two hundreds too which sums up his ability of Playing big knocks.

Aaron Finch (BASRA: 196.26)

With 933 runs to his name during this timeframe, Aaron Finch is seventh in this list for most runs. However, an excellent average and strike-rate of 37.32 and 158.94 respectively sees him beating other batsmen to the second position in terms of best BASRA. The Australian opener has a best score of 172 during this period and that sums up how dangerous a batsman he is.

George Munsey (BASRA: 193.17)

The Scottish international has been in fine form at the top of the order for Ireland of late. Very recently, he scored a century in the format as well and that sums up why he is featuring in this list. Like most other openers from any top cricketing country, Munsey has an outstanding average and strike-rate of 34.61 and 158.57 respectively during this period as well.

KL Rahul (BASRA: 191.42)

The fact that Rahul is appearing in this list ahead of other established Indian openers like Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan, says a lot. Rahul has been one of the best openers in T20 cricket during the last couple of years. He has an outstanding strike-rate of 44.45 as an opener during this timeframe and his strike-rate of 144.96 tells that those runs come at a pretty quick rate too. Rahul has 15 scores of 30+ in just 24 innings during this period and that's unreal consistency in this format.

Evin Lewis (BASRA: 190.60)

West Indies are lucky to have found a like-for-like replacement for someone like Chris Gayle so soon. The left-handed opener has been a prolific run-getter during this period as well. Lewis has amassed 934 runs during this period at an excellent strike-rate of 157.24. His average of 33.36 has been pretty good as well and thus West Indies will depend a lot on his exploits during the upcoming T20 World Cup.

India and Bangladesh played out a humdinger of a T20I series involving three matches with the hosts coming out on top. We are now onto the format where India don't lose at home and Bangladesh would be well aware of this stupendous record the hosts carry.

Their last Test loss -and their only one at home under Virat Kohli - came in 2017 against Australia at Pune. With India atop the World Test Championship table, Bangladesh sorely need to compete to eke out some points at least. Currently India have 240 points and Bangladesh are only about to begin their Championship. A fair reflection of where this series is headed if you ignore Bangladesh's Test count.

Watch out for:

Rohit Sharma - "Don Bradman who?," asked Rohit Sharma in that exemplary home series against the Proteas when he slammed 529 runs in four innnings at an average of 132.25.

Two hundreds and a double hundred while opening the batting means that Rohit is a sure shot choice in not just fantasy teams, but also in the list of players likely to hog headlines this series. In 12 home Tests, Rohit has 1298 runs at an average of 99.84, better than Don Bradman himself. What's more? He scores a hundred every third innings in India according to stats.

West Indies plan T20I rejuvenation

West Indies won an ODI Series for the first time since 2014 when they beat Afghanistan at Lucknow in the first two games. This week we have the dead rubber at the very same venue before the teams tussle it out in three T20Is, all of it again at Lucknow where the bugs have hit headlines for coming out in large numbers to interrupt play. Despite Afghanistan's reputation as a T20 team, West Indies have won three of four T20Is between these sides.

Watch out for:

Evin Lewis - Lewis threatened to burst big in the ODI series but hasn't yet racked up that big score. In T20Is, though, he is a different beast and has a strike rate of 159.36 in the format in international cricket. In all T20s, he has four hundreds and 27 fifties and is a terrifying player at the top of the order. With no Gayle, Lewis will be a massive player for the West Indies this series.

Head to Sportsbet.io to make your selections and let the ball rolling.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Rohit Umrao

West Indies beat Afghanistan by 47 runs on Saturday to claim their first one-day series win in more than five years as their bowlers took control amid an invasion of moths.

Sheldon Cottrell, Roston Chase and Hayden Walsh each took three wickets as Kieron Pollard's side wrapped up the three-match series with a game to spare. Afghanistan have now lost 11 one-day internationals in a row.

Wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran hit 67 off 50 balls to put backbone in the West Indies innings.

Openers Shai Hope (43) and Evin Lewis (54) put on 98 for the first wicket but the batsmen then lost their way until Pooran's man-of-the-match fireworks that included three sixes and seven fours.

Pooran admitted it had been a "critical situation" when he came in. He helped take the score from 156-4 to 242-8.

The Afghanistan innings was overshadowed by tens of thousands of black moths and flies that took over the floodlit Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Dark clouds of insects rose up every time the ball hit a boundary rope and several West Indies fielders wore masks. The moths caused problems for bowlers and batsmen, and Pollard twice spoke to the umpires about the nuisance.

Image: AFP / Rohit Umrao

"I've never played with so many flies around," said the West Indies captain after the game. "Health is very important, so something's got to be done about that." The third and final one-day game is on Monday but there are T20 games and a Test to follow -- all in the same stadium.

Afghanistan lost Javed Ahmed in the opening over before Hazratullah Zazai (23) and Rahmat Shah (33) steadied in the innings. But easy wickets then fell before Najibullah Zadran (56) and Mohammad Nabi (32) put on 66 for the sixth wicket, hitting the insects for six.

No one else could keep up the pace after their departure. Captain Rashid Khan scored only two as the eighth man in.

"We recovered well, but couldn't finish it off," said Rashid. "The senior players did well, but we lost wickets in clusters." Walsh took three of the last four wickets to fall.

Pollard said it had been a great relief to finally win a one-day series for the first time since August 2014 when Bangladesh were the victims.

"I want to go back inside and celebrate with the guys. Winning is a habit and we need to enjoy ourselves but we will be playing to win again the day after tomorrow."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Rohit Umrao