Top 5 Indian T20I batsmen of the decade

T20 internationals came into existence in 2005 and, within two years, India had taken a grand liking to the format. They won the inaugural edition of the World T20 in South Africa, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in a pulsating final at Johannesburg. The triumph, coming only a few months after India’s disastrous World Cup exit, gave fans a lot of cheer, and made new heroes out of youngsters.

Just a year after India lifted the World T20, the Indian Premier League (IPL), BCCI’s cash-rich domestic T20 league was born, and it changed the face of the T20 format. A number of players from both India and overseas progressed from the IPL to play for their country successfully.

For the young and restless Indian cricket fans, part of the WhatsApp and TikTok generation, T20 has become the go-to format, where they can instantly chill out.

As T20I gains further popularity with each passing year, we take a look at the top 5 Indian T20I batsmen of the decade that just went by.

#5 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan

Matches - 58, Innings - 57, Runs - 1,504, Average - 27.85, Strike Rate - 128.21

While Shikhar Dhawan has formed a formidable pairing with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in ODIs, he hasn't quite been able to repeat the magic in the T20I format. Still, he has done enough to feature at number five in this list.

Dhawan has had his moments in T20Is. In fact, he was the leading run-scorer in the format in 2018 with 689 runs at an average of 40.52 and a strike rate of 147.22.

The left-hander smashed as many as six fifties in that year and even registered his career-best of 92 from 62 balls against West Indies at Chennai. In the very next match, he blasted 76 from 42 against Australia at Brisbane. Earlier in the year, he also smashed 90 from 46 against Sri Lanka in the Nidahas Trophy.

The southpaw, however, does not have a single half-century in 2019. While he scored six fifties in 2018, Dhawan has managed only three more fifties in the period before and after that - too little for an opener. Also, his strike rate of under 130 is slightly on the lower side.

#4 MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni

Matches - 78, Innings - 66, Runs - 1,261, Average - 45.03, Strike Rate - 133.29

The retirement debate surrounding him may be the current hot topic in cricket, but there is little doubt that MS Dhoni is among the original T20 superstars of the game. The day he led his troops to victory in the 2007 World T20, Indian cricket changed forever. And till date, Dhoni remains one of T20 cricket’s most sellable faces.

Batting lower down the order, Dhoni obviously did not get too many chances to play the big knocks. Still, he constantly played cameos that made the difference between victory and defeat.

Dhoni's highest T20I score of 56 from 36 balls came against England at Bengaluru in February 2017, a game better remembered for Yuzvendra Chahal’s 6 for 25, which spun India to a 75-run triumph. Dhoni’s second and only other T20I half-century was the unbeaten 52 from 28 balls he smashed against South Africa at Centurion in February 2018, a knock which was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen’s 30-ball 69.

Dhoni’s strike rate of 133.29 is pretty good, and would have been even better but for his struggles of late. More than his batting, Dhoni will be remembered as the shrewd leader who had many tricks up his sleeve to surprise opponents in the format.

#3 Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina

Matches - 67, Innings - 56, Runs - 1,456, Average - 30.97, Strike Rate - 136.97

The veteran left-hander may be out of favor now, but Suresh Raina was undoubtedly among India’s most successful T20I players in his prime. Having all the attacking shots in the book to succeed in the shortest format of the sport, he took to T20Is like fish to water.

In fact, Raina is the first cricketer from India to register a hundred in all three formats of the game. He achieved the feat during his blazing 101 from 60 balls against South Africa at Gros Islet in May 2010. What made the achievement even more significant was the fact that it came at a grand stage - the World T20.

Apart from the century, Raina also registered four fifties in his T20I career, one of them coming in the same world tournament against Sri Lanka. Coming in at number three, Raina often took on the opponents and played match-winning knocks for India. His razor-sharp fielding was an added advantage.

Raina has maintained an excellent strike rate of nearly 137 in the decade, but he last played for India in July 2018. He hasn’t performed badly in his most recent matches, constantly reaching 30s and 40s. However, his inability to convert starts coupled with the emergence of the dashing KL Rahul led to his axing.

Considering Raina's pedigree, there is still a faint chance of him coming back into the picture for the World T20 next year.

#2 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Matches - 72, Innings - 67, Runs - 2,450, Average - 50, Strike Rate - 135.28

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has an exceptional record in T20Is, just like he has in Tests and ODIs. In fact, he is the only batsman in world cricket to average 50 or more in all three formats of the game.

Unlike in the 50-over World Cup, where he has fared miserably in knockout games, Kohli has reserved his best for the World T20 in the shortest format. He was the man of the tournament in both of the last two World T20 tournaments, even though India failed to win the crown.

Kohli smashed an unbeaten 72 from 44 balls in the 2014 World T20 semi-final against South Africa, and 77 from 58 balls in the final against Sri Lanka, which India lost as Yuvraj Singh crawled to 11 from 21 balls.

Two years later, in the 2016 World T20, he made 82 not out from 51 in the Super 10 game against Australia and followed it up with a blazing 89 not out from 47 in the semis against West Indies. Lendl Simmons’ equally brutal 82 not out from 51, however, dumped India out of the tournament.

Kohli has displayed amazing consistency in the format -- 22 fifties speak volumes of that - and he also has a highly impressive strike rate of 135.28. A T20I hundred is the only achievement missing from his kitty; Kohli’s best of 90 not out came against Australia at Adelaide in January 2016.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

Matches - 87, Innings - 81, Runs - 2,298, Average - 32.36, Strike Rate - 139.69

It was a tough choice between Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the number one spot. In the end, Rohit’s four hundreds in the format and a slightly better strike rate tilted the scales in the opener’s favour.

Batting at the top of the order, Rohit has played some sensational knocks for India, and has almost single-handedly won games for the team in T20Is.

Rohit’s first hundred came against South Africa at Dharamsala in October 2015. Although his 106 from 66 went in vain as the Proteas chased down 200, it was a sign of things to come.

He smashed 118 from 43 balls against a hapless Sri Lankan attack at Indore in December 2017. An unbeaten century from 56 balls followed as India chased down 199 against England at Bristol in June 2018. Rohit then blazed away to 111 not out from 61 balls against West Indies at Lucknow in November 2018 as India posted 195 batting first.

All these hundreds came in winning causes and established Rohit as the greatest T20I opener of the current era.

While he managed a couple of fifties in the 2014 World T20, he had a poor tournament at home a couple of years later. Rohit will be keen to set that record straight next year in Australia.