The ICC T20 World Cup is off and running in Australia, and we have reached the conclusion of the first round. There were several thrilling encounters, and a few players stood out with match-winning performances for their sides.
Based on our SportiScore calculations, we have brought you the 5 top performers of the tournament so far. Our calculations incorporate individual players’ batting, bowling, and fielding performances.
So, let’s see which blokes have rocked for their teams in the qualifier rounds of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
1) Sikander Raza
The Zimbabwean all-rounder has topped SportiScore’s top performers’ list with a whopping score of 123.77. He has contributed with the bat, the ball, and in the field as well. Out of these 123.77 points, the majority (66.88) came from his bowling efforts. In comparison, he bagged 55.89 points with his superlative batting display and 1 point with his fielding.
In Zimbabwe’s first game of the mega event, Raza starred with a Player of the match performance. His 82 off 48 guided his team to a comfortable win over Ireland. With the ball in hand, he picked up one wicket while conceding just 22 runs in 3 overs. As a result, he grabbed 65 SportiScore points in that game.
In their second game, he fell for just 14 runs (while hitting a six and a four). But his magic with the ball continued as he picked up 3 wickets while conceding just 19 runs in his quota of 4 overs. So, his SportiScore was 58.77 in this game. He continued his golden run of form against Scotland as he gave away just 20 in 4 overs while picking up a wicket as well.
Zimbabwe were under pressure while chasing 133 after being reduced to 42 for 3 in 8 overs. But Raza’s 40 off 23 allowed them to get over the line and enter the super-12 stages. Sikander Raza secured his second Player of the match award in the qualifier round and also topped Sportiqo’s best performers list.
2) Wanindu Hasaranga
The star Sri Lankan all-rounder started the tournament with an impressive spell of 4 overs, 27 for 1 wicket against Namibia. But he got just 8 of 4 with the bat, so he could get just 10.55 points in this contest.
The next game against UAE saw him bowling a remarkable spell of 3 for 8 in 4 overs. This astonishing performance handed him 65.49 points. From there, his tournament only got better.
The Lankan Tigers were up against the Netherlands in a do-or-die game. Hasaranga starred once again by claiming 3 wickets for just 27 runs in his quota of 4 overs. By grabbing 33 more points in this game, he reached 109.04 points and ended up being 2nd on Sportiqo’s top performers’ list.
His bowling performances gave him 127.13 SportiScore points, but his below-par batting shows resulted in -18.09 points. So, the final SportiScores sum turned out to be 109.04 for him.
3) David Wiese
The all-rounders always have a greater chance of making an impact on the game. That’s why we have yet another all-rounder on the list of top performers. Wiese had a horror start in the tournament as he was dismissed for a golden duck against Sri Lanka. But, his impressive figures of 2 for 16 in 4 overs helped Namibia humble Sri Lanka. His SportiScore for that match was 32.04.
In Namibia’s second World Cup game, he had an ordinary outing. He came in to bat with just 10 balls left in the innings and scored 11 of 5. With the ball, Wiese’s 2.3 overs went for 22 and got 14.47 points as per the SportiScore formula.
Wiese’s eye-catching all-round show was on display against UAE in the last game of the qualifiers round for Namibia. After bowling 4 overs for just 27 runs and picking up a wicket, he scored 55 of 36 balls, along with 3 boundaries and 3 maximums.
Although Namibia didn’t make it to the next stage, Wiese showed great heart and took the game right down to the wire. His wholehearted effort gave him 52.71 SportiScores in the contest, taking his final aggregate to 99.22.
4) Curtis Campher
The Irish all-rounder did not have the best of starts in the tournament, as he could manage only 27(22) while batting in their World Cup opener. With the ball in hand, he went for 29 in 3 overs without picking up a wicket. That’s why he could get just 1 SportiScore point in that game.
Ireland’s second encounter in the World Cup witnessed the best of Campher. In the 2 overs he bowled, he got 2 wickets while giving away only 9 runs. When he came out to bat, his team was in serious trouble, and he decided to take matters into his own hands. He powered Ireland to an unlikely win with a scintillating knock of 72*(32).
This incredible performance gave him a Player of the match award and 95.79 SportiScore points. In their 3rd match, he didn’t get a chance with the bat or ball.
Therefore, Curtis Campher accumulated 96.79 SportiScores in the qualifier round, making him the 4th in the list of SportiScore’s highest scorers. If we break down these points, 67.15 came from his batting contributions, while the remaining 29.64 came from his bowling efforts.
5) Jason Holder
Jason Holder is currently the most experienced cricketer in the West Indies squad. He was always going to be crucial to their chances in this tournament, and he hasn’t disappointed his team. With a total of 89.95 points against his name, he appears at #5 in Sportiqo’s top performers’ list.
However, only 3 of those have come from his batting efforts and none from his performance on the field. He has gathered the remaining 86.95 points with the ball in hand. So, the all-rounder had his bowling skills to credit for his success.
Anyhow, he returned with the impressive figures of 3 overs, 14 for 2 in their first game against Scotland. Although the Windies lost to Scotland by a hefty margin, but the veteran showed some great fight. He scored 38 off 33 and tried his best to avoid an inevitable defeat. Consequently, he was awarded 4 SportiScore points in the match.
In their next match against in-form Zimbabwe, they faced a must-win situation. Holder couldn’t show any fireworks with the bat as he got out for just 4. With just 153 runs to defend, Jason Holder rose to the occasion. In the 3.2 overs he bowled, he gave away only 12 runs while picking up 3 crucial scalps.
His fine bowling spell propelled West Indies to a much-needed win to stay alive in the competition. So, he grabbed 48.88 points in the game due to another solid performance. In West Indies’ last game of this round, Holder starred again as he conceded just 23 in 4 overs, but he couldn’t save his team from getting knocked out.
What about the top 5 players who failed to perform in the 1st round? Read about them here.
