In videos: Bowler’s nightmare. 15 batsmen who will take them to the cleaners in the World Cup

Source: Live Images
Saket Parekar

Brendon McCullum’s 25-ball 77 against England was breathtaking. But perhaps a more fitting adjective to describe that knock would be scary. If he can do that against the likes of Anderson, Broad and Finn, what will some of the other, lesser prolific bowlers do?

By decimating England on Friday, Baz the Butcher has sent chills down every bowler’s spine. Here are 15 players every single bowler will be dreading to bowl at during this World Cup.

1. Brendon McCullum

Sometimes, one man can do more damage to you than an entire team. One of the finest ODI and T20 cricketers of the modern era, ‘Baz’ is the pillar from which the Kiwis will draw their strength during the tournament.

Most of you saw what he did to England. Here’s another example of his devastating batting.

2. AB de Villiers

Most bowlers dread his sight at the crease, because they simply do not know how to bowl at him.

This kind of sums up the sentiment of every single bowler in the world at the moment.

3. Chris Gayle

When Gaylestorm comes, it uproots anything and everything in its path. He has played so many brilliant knocks in ODI and T20 cricket, it’s hard to pick a favourite. But one thing is clear, he’s likely to score runs for fun.

Gayle
Source: imgflip.com

4. David Warner

Davey Warner is in the form of his life at the moment. Who cares if he is in the news for all the wrong reasons as long as he keeps tearing oppositions apart with his aggression!

Here’s a little reminder of Warner’s class.

5. Virat Kohli

You can’t leave him off any list when it comes to cricket these days. Virat hits centuries as and when he likes.

Here’s an example of Virat being Virat.

6. Rohit Sharma

He can be inconsistent, but when he gets going, he is pretty much unstoppable. Expect fireworks when the ‘Hitman’ is at the crease.

Here are highlights from Rohit’s 264 vs Sri Lanka

7. Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis
Source: IANS

Much like his compatriot AB, Faf is capable of shifting gears and changing the course of a game in the blink of an eye. The most recent demonstration came in the T20 against West Indies.

8. Tillakaratne Dilshan

You haven’t beaten Sri Lanka until you’ve removed Dilshan. Inventive, cool-headed and an excellent reader of the game, the middle-order batsman can turn the match around in a matter of few overs.

Dilshan’s recent heroics in Hamilton.

9. Corey Anderson

The man who held the record for the fastest ODI century until AB’s blitzkrieg on Sunday, has quickly made a name for himself in limited overs cricket.

Here’s Corey’s blistering century vs West Indies.

10. Suresh Raina

Even with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma grabbing the headlines for the more memorable knocks around the globe, Raina has evolved into a middle-order maverick. Like Kohli, Raina controls the tempo of the game very well and accelerates at will.

Here’s a demonstration of his brilliance.

11. Glenn Maxwell

We all know what he’s capable of. Sure, he has been quiet for some time now, but once he explodes, there are very few capable of taming him.

Here’s the Big Show showing off his skills for Victoria.

12. Shahid Afridi

Many would argue that he is well past his prime. But you just never know what’s going to happen when ‘Boom Boom’ is around, do you?

Here’s Afridi showing us that he hasn’t aged at all.

13. Shane Watson

He might be out of form, but Watson is certainly one of the most devastating hitters in modern cricket. He can singlehandedly demoralise oppositions with his powerful strokeplay.

Here’s Watson’s astonishing 185* vs Bangladesh from a few seasons ago.

14. Eoin Morgan

The England skipper has been a consistent performer in limited overs cricket over the last few years. His sublime form was very much on display against Australia in the first ODI of the ongoing tri-series.

Highlights from one of Morgan’s finest knocks till date

15. MS Dhoni

Despite the recent slump in his form, taking the finest finisher in ODIs lightly is nothing short of disastrous. Let’s not forget that it was his unbeaten 91 that saw India past the final hurdle in 2011. Besides, there is hardly any other player in the world who stays as calm as the iceman himself when it comes to tough situations in this format.

Here’s what we’re talking about.

Do you agree with the list? Share this story and let us know who else you think should be included in this category.