With the opening game of the T20 CWC only a matter of days away it's time to delve into GDS Batsman Rankings. These rankings are based upon the players performance in T20Is over the last 12 months and a little narrative. In this blog we will identify some batsman that GDS coaches should be targeting and some that should be let go through to the keeper.
Risers
Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)
GDS Average 50 points (15 matches)
Jaiswal is probably my most targeted player on the transfer market as he is only 22 years old and already proven that he can perform well in the IPL and on the world stage. He is averaging 32 runs over the last 12 months for India and has hit one century and four fifties. The only problem for Jaiswal has been his consistency as he has had six innings where he has failed to make it to double digits. If you don't already have his card, I would look at acquiring one as he may have a long and promising career on the international scene.
Reeza Hendricks (South Africa)
GDS Average 52 points (8 matches)
Even though Hendricks isn't far off his 35th birthday, I think he can be a great addition to any coaches GDS squad for this tournament. He opens the batting and has averaged 36 runs over the last 12 months. Going into this tournament I have him ranked inside the top 15 batsman and this is because of his form over the last year. The main reason I like him is that I have a feeling he may be overlooked by many GDS coaches as he doesn't have the same name value on the world stage compared to Quinton de Kock, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen. I think Hendricks can be a real player of difference for coaches and should be seriously considered as a starting option each time South Africa play.
Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)
GDS Average 50 points (11 matches)
Zaman has been the inform middle order batsman for Pakistan over the last 12 months. He usually comes in at four in the batting order and has averaged 37 runs over his last 11 matches, this includes three fifties. What I really like about Zaman is his consistency as he has only had three scores of less than 20 runs. If coaches are after a player with a proven record of consistency, Zaman might just bring some really nice balance to your squad. I was quite surprised when I compared his performances between batting first and chasing. Zaman seems to have better innings when Pakistan chase as he averages 45 runs compared to 26 runs when they bat first. I think we might see a big tournament from Zaman but with him being 34 years old, it might be worth considering selling high if he puts a few good performances together.
Hold
Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
GDS Average 67 points (2 matches)
I'm grouping Kohli and Williamson together as they are both holds for the exact same reasons. Both Kohli and Williamson have been two of the best batsmen in the world for some time and they have shown time and time again that they can be relied upon. Neither player has played many T20s for their respective countries in recent times but they both will likely have opportunities to provide GDS coaches with some big scores. They will both likely bat within the top three in the batting order, so time at the crease shouldn't be an issue. Kohli is coming off a very good IPL while Williamson only played the two matches and failed to impress. I'm not too concerned about Williamson's form as he had scores of 57 and 26 runs against Pakistan in January. If you put on your dynasty hat on, both players might be glaring sells or trade out options due to their age but for this tournament, I believe they can still be very relevant. Kohli and Williamson should both be seriously considered as starting options each time their respective countries play.
George Munsey (Scotland)
GDS Average 57 points (11 matches)
Munsey is the rock of the Scotland batting line up and averages 40 runs a game over the last 12 months. He has scored one century, two fifties and not been dismissed for less than 10 runs. The main reason for putting him in the riser category is because in round 4 we have England, Scotland, Netherlands, and Nepal playing. Also, in round 6 we have the USA, Pakistan, Namibia, and Scotland playing. When looking at the other players that can be selected at the WKT/BAT position in these rounds, Munsey seems to be a decent option when you exclude the England and Pakistan players. The players from lesser-known teams on the international stage may be overlooked by many GDS coaches but I believe Munsey can be a handy depth player for any coaches' squad and be a decent starting option in certain rounds.
Fallers
Harry Brook (England)
GDS Average 30 points (10 matches)
Brook withdrew from the BBL and IPL tournaments due to workload, so he hasn't played a lot of T20 cricket in recent times. On top of this, his T20 form for England hasn't been great in the last 12 months. He is averaging 17 runs and has only made it double digits on three occasions. Lastly, Brook hasn't come in any higher than batting position five since September and his ceiling may be limited in many matches with him batting in the middle order.
David Warner (Australia)
GDS Average 60 points (4 matches)
Warner has performed quite well for Australia in the last 12 months and averages 44 runs, this includes a very good innings against the West Indies back in February where he scored 83 runs. However, his IPL form wasn't great, and he only averaged 32 points in GDS. In his last three innings he had scores of 8 runs vs LSG, 1 run vs Sunrisers Hyderabad and 1 run vs RCB. Warner can certainly be a very destructive batsman but when we get to round 18 onwards when only the top 8 teams remain, I believe there will be better starting options at the WKT/BAT position. Warner has retired from Test and ODI formats and this might just be his last tournament for Australia. He hasn't confirmed that he will retire from T20 cricket, but I think it might be a good move to sell high if he has some good performances in the group stage.
David Miller (South Africa)
GDS Average 37 points (2 matches)
Miller has been known for his big hitting for some time and for good reason. He has either helped South Africa post a large total or helped them chase down a total when odds have been against them. In this tournament, I think Miller will struggle to be all that relevant in GDS due to other players that will likely be available for selection in the rounds when South Africa play. However, in round 10 South Africa come up against Bangladesh in the only match of that round. Miller might be worth starting in this match but that will depend on multiple factors. With Miller batting at five, his opportunities to post a big score for GDS coaches may be limited. With him being 34 years old, who knows how many more international tournaments he will play in. If he does manage to post a big score, it might be time to sell high or trade to a young up and coming player.
Batsman Rankings
Virat Kohli (India)
Rohit Sharma (India)
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
Travis Head (Australia)
Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)
Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)
Reeza Hendricks (South Africa)
Suryakumar Yadav (India)
David Warner (Australia)
Brandon King (West Indies)
George Munsey (Scotland)
Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)
Michael Levitt (Netherlands)
Andy Balbirnie (Ireland)
Aaron Johnson (Canada)
Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)
Tanzid Hasan (Bangladesh)
Rovman Powell (West Indies)
Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
Rohit Paudel (Nepal)
Ben Duckett (England)
David Miller (South Africa)
Harry Brook (England)
Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh)
Sese Bau (Papua New Guinea)
Niko Davin (Namibia)
Roger Mukasa (Uganda)
Kashyap Prajapati (Oman)
Aaron Jones (USA)
