3 reasons why Jonny Bairstow could be England's most important player at 2023 World Cup

Jonny Bairstow's role in England's white-ball success has been remarkable. His partnership with Jason Roy evolved into one of the most productive opening pairs in ODI cricket.

His attacking approach right at the top played a huge role in how England approach their white-ball game. The wicketkeeper-batter's consecutive centuries in crucial World Cup group matches against New Zealand and India played a pivotal role in England's path to the championship in 2019.

Jonny Bairstow further bolstered his reputation through his performances in the IPL and as England get ready to defend their title, he will once again be under the scanner.

Here we take a look 3 reasons why Jonny Bairstow could be England's most important player at 2023 World Cup:

#3 Extensive IPL experience

Bairstow has been quite successful in the IPL

Jonny Bairstow has been quite successful in the IPL and has emerged as a match-winner for both sides he has played for. In 39 matches, he has scored 1291 runs at an average of 35 and with a strike rate of 143. He has shown great skillsets on Indian pitches and seldom has be been bogged down, even against the spinners.

The pitches on offer in India, especially for limited overs cricket, are very flat where batters can plant their front foot and smack through the line. This is where Bairstow with his unbridled approach can set the tone in the first 10 overs.

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#2 Attacking approach against spinners

Bairstow has imporved a lot against spinners

If we take a look at Jonny Bairstow’s performance against the spinners in IPL, he has scored 303 runs at a strike rate of 123 and with an average of 27. These are pretty decent numbers, especially on tracks that become rather slow as the season thunders on. He has the tendency to settle in and then take the attack to the spinners and these numbers during the middle phase of the innings shows his worth.

Since 2020, he has also scored 198 runs in 11 ODI innings against spinners with an average of 39.60 and a strike rate of 102. These numbers show dominance and since he opens the innings, Bairstow will hold the key when the spinners come on to bowl in the middle overs.

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#1 Incredible numbers, superb match-winning abilities

Jonny Bairstow is one of the most prolific batters in ODI cricket

Unfortunately, Jason Roy could not make the cut for England as far as the World Cup is concerned. However, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow are arguably England’s greatest-ever openers in ODI cricket.

During the 2019 World Cup, when they opened together, their average partnership stood at an impressive 82.28 across seven matches. They scored all these runs at a rate of 6.73 per over. They were prolific, and were ranked second only to Martin Guptill and Colin Munro among opening pairs.

Bairstow will have a different opening partner this edition, but the right-hander can draw on the experience of the previous World Cup and be the match-winner all over again for England. He will be crucial since he will face the new ball and often, it is the best time to bat in India.