ICC World T20 2016: 5 southpaws to look out for

There has always been a debate going on that in the world of cricket the left-handers or "lefties" are considered more elegant as compared to right-handers. There is something special about the left-hander. More often than not they possess a mesmerizing elegance which is so pleasing to the eyes. The effortless cover drives, the back foot punches, the straight drives, all look so more graceful when they come from a left-handed batsman’s piece of willow.They are sublime in the way they play their strokes (Ganguly's cover drives, Jayasuriya's cuts, Lara's hooks and pulls and many more) and there is a particular kind of smoothness and finesse we see in them.The First Round of the sixth edition of the ICC World T20 Championship has just commenced in India and all teams have had enough match practice with a number of T20 series taking place in the last two months. By now every team must have had finalized its playing combinations and match strategies to put up a clinical performance in what is pegged as cricket's biggest carnival.As cricket enthusiasts and fans from across the globe wait for the mega tournament to move into its business end i.e. the Super 10 Round, here is a look at the top 5 left-handed players to watch out for in the T20 World Cup.

#1 Chris Gayle

Cometh the T20 format cometh the form of Chris Gayle.

Arguably the most destructive batsman in the cricketing world, Chris Gayle is a very dangerous player when it comes to T20 cricket. The shorter format suits his style of play where a quickfire 30-40 runs can turn the game on its head.

On his day, Gayle can tear any bowling attack apart. In the recently concluded BBL 2015-16, he scored a 12 ball 50, thereby equaling Yuvraj Singh's record for the fastest T20 half century.Having the experience of playing 82 IPL games in India with a sterling average of 46.36 at a staggering strike rate of 153.50 Gayle knows a lot about how these turning wickets play and would be raring to go all guns blazing in the T20 WC.

#2 David Warner

David Warner is one cricket’s biggest crowd entertainer

The diminutive left-hander is an explosive opening batsman and is the first Australian cricketer in 132 years to be selected for a national team in any format without experience in first-class cricket. He made a memorable debut in 2009 against a full fledge South African bowling attack by scoring 89 off just 43 balls, including the then second-fastest fifty in Twenty20 International history.He is the leading Australian run getter in T20 format with 1595 runs with a good average of 29.53 and a healthy strike rate of 140.77. He became the first cricketer to score consecutive Twenty20 hundreds.Australia's chances to conquer the coveted trophy for the first time would greatly depend on the way Warner fares in the tournament.

#3 David Miller

David Miller provides the South African middle order some real fire power.

The elegant left-handed batsman is renowned for his aggressive game play and power hitting. He has been an integral part of the South African national squad across the shorter formats.

Miller is one of the most consistent players in the IPL. He also has a 38 ball century in the IPL under his belt, which earned him praises from all corners. Adding to that he is one of the best fielders in world cricket. In the 47 IPL games he has played, he averages 42.55 at an amazing strike rate of 147.54.

In the recently concluded T20 series against the mighty Australians, his scores of 53(35),33(18) and 30(16), has shown glimpses of his very best. His coming to form just before the T20 world cup could auger well for the South Africans and their ever chasing dream of winning their maiden World Cup title.

#4 Colin Munro

Will Colin Munro be New Zealand's new McCullum?

New Zealand cricket has no dearth of quality all-rounders and Colin Munro is one of those talented blokes. He is known for his power hitting and the ability to adapt to the conditions.

This Kiwi all-rounder recently smashed a half century off just 14 balls against Srilanka that included seven sixes and a four. His recent performances in T20 cricket in the 2015-16 season would make you believe why I am vouching for this all-rounder. He has scored 188 runs with an excellent average of 31.33 and a mind-boggling strike rate of 206.59 in 8 innings.

The subcontinent's perfect batting conditions, shorter boundaries coupled with his ability to clear the rope on more occasions than fours can surely make him one of the biggest challenges for other teams.

#5 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh of India celebrates winning the International Twenty20 match between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Man of the Series of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, Yuvraj Singh,a flamboyant left-handed batsman, has seen both ups and downs in his cricketing career. We all know what an in-form Yuvi can do with the bat when he hit six sixes in an over of Stuart Broad en route to the final of the Inaugural World T20 championship, which India won by defeating arch rivals Pakistan. He is a big match player and after a long lean patch has finally started justifying his selection in the playing eleven. He scored a swashbuckling 35 off 18 balls to steer the team towards victory against Sri Lanka followed by another quick fire 25 against the UAE. Moreover, he adds value to the side with his slow left arm bowling and has a knack of picking up wickets out of nowhere. He has had a decent Asia Cup T20 and is high on confidence which is something he was lacking earlier. If Yuvraj can emulate the performances that he gave in the 2007 edition of the T20 World Cup, then the day is not far when there would be another feather added to MS Dhoni's cap.