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LEAGUE STARS DOMINATE YEAR-END T20I BATTING RANKINGS

31 Dec 20233 mins

Six Betway SA20 batters feature in the top 10 of the year-end ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings, reiterating that the League is attracting a healthy dose of the best global talent.

The highest ranked League star is Pretoria Capitals batter Phil Salt, whose back-to-back centuries for England in the thrilling five-match T20I series against the West Indies rocketed him up to second place on the rankings behind India’s Suryakumar Yadav.

Phil Salt's two centuries for England against West Indies has secured him second spot on the year-old men's T20I batting rankings.

Fourth on the rankings is Aiden Markram, whose year started by claiming the SA20 Player of the Tournament award on the way to leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural League title. ‘Sauce’ then took over the captaincy of the Proteas’ T20I side and had solid – though unspectacular - performances with the bat in series against West Indies, Australia and India.

Rilee Rossouw, Salt’s Pretoria Capitals teammate, has held onto sixth place despite only featuring three times for the Proteas in the calendar year – during the 1-2 series loss against West Indies back in March. A 42 in the final match at Wanderers was Rossouw’s best effort after the 34-year-old was ever-present during the Capitals’ run to the SA20 Final.

Just behind him on the rankings sits Paarl Royals’ Jos Buttler. With his (and England’s) indifferent 50-over World Cup form it’s easy to forget that the 33-year-old remained top-class in the shortest with runs coming for the wicketkeeper-batter in series against Bangladesh and New Zealand pre-World Cup and post against the West Indies. Jos also bossed SA20 bowling on the while to compiling a League-high 391 runs to claim the inaugural batter’s award.

If any of the SA20 stars in the top 10 of the rankings had a dream year then it was Joburg Super Kings’ Reeza Hendricks. Considering his form in T20Is it’s no wonder there was a clamour for him to be retain a place in the Proteas’ 50-over team. All off West Indies, Australia and India saw the elegant right-handed opener score freely in matches against them – in the process the 34-year-old secured 9th-place on the year-end table.

Four of the best: Aiden Markram, Rilee Rossouw, Jos Buttler and Reeza Hendricks

In 2024, Dawid Malan will be a new edition to the SA20 ranks but the 36-year-old is ever-present in the ICC’s rankings, ending the year in 10th-place to maintain. The powerful left-hander was England’s standout batter during the World Cup in India but didn’t have as fruitful a year in T20 internationals with only two fifties scored in the series’ against Bangladesh and New Zealand leading to him being left out the tour to West Indies. Malan will aim to hit the ground running for defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape to prove that he is not yet past his international sell-by date… besides he still owns the highest-ever rating points for batsmen in the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings (915).

England's Dawid Malan, who owns the highest-ever rating points for batsmen in the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings, is joining Sunrisers Eastern Cape for Betway SA20 Season 2.

Fellow Season 2 newbie, Nicholas Pooran closed the year just behind Malan in 11th place on the back of consistent run-scoring against South Africa, India and England during 2023. Durban’s Super Giants and their fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of the 28-year-old lighting up SA20.