Judging by the recent One-Day International (ODI)s played in English conditions, world-class batsmen are certainly going to have an upper hand on the batting friendly tracks in the upcoming World Cup. Onmanorama picks the top batsmen who are most likely to feast on opposition bowling attacks in the tournament.
Babar Azam
Though Babar Azam's ODI career is just 64 matches old, he has made a name for himself. He was the quickest to reach 1,000 ODI runs until his teammate Fakhar Zaman broke it last year. The 24-year-old's classy stroke-making has provided the platform for his run spree, and has often single-handedly driven Pakistan to competitive totals. For Azam, the World Cup represents a great opportunity to showcase his immense talent to the world.
Shai Hope
Fresh off his Man of the Series performance in the just-concluded Tri-Nations Series in Ireland, West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Shai Hope is looking forward to leading the charge in the World Cup. While big-hitters have been the hallmark of Caribbean cricket, the classier batsmen have also held their own alongside them. Hope has rapidly proved himself as a calm and composed player. Having played 54 ODIs so far, the 25-year-old opener has amassed 2,247 runs averaging 51.06 and has established himself as the mainstay of the West Indian batting line-up.
Quinton de Kock
Since South Africa's heartbreaking loss to New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup semis, Quinton de Kock has raised his game and has got better. The wicketkeeper-batsman has formed an excellent opening partnership with Hashim Amla which has contributed quite a lot to the Rainbow Nation's success. The 26-year-old has scored 2,971 runs at an average of 50.53 since the last World Cup that includes eight hundreds and 16 half-centuries. He was also in tremendous form for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2019 where he scored over 500 runs for the eventual champions.
Steve Smith
While Test cricket is where Steve Smith has really excelled, he has also been formidable in ODIs, that includes guiding Australia to World Cup triumph in 2015. He was the golden boy of Australian cricket until he was caught for ball-tampering along with teammates Cameron Bancroft and David Warner in 2018 and was banned for a year and sacked as national captain. The 29-year-old has admitted it left him devastated, but he has worked hard to be in prime condition for his return and provided an ominous reminder of his sublime skills in World Cup warm-up games. Smith averages 41.84 from his 108 ODIs, hitting eight tons and 19 fifties.
Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson was New Zealand's best batsman in the 2015 World Cup and was instrumental in carrying the Black Nations to their maiden final. But this time, he will have the additional responsibility of leading the team as well. The 28-year-old has consistently produced results and has amassed 2,868 runs at an average of 47.01 in the last four years that includes 21 half-centuries. Though he hasn’t scored an ODI hundred in the last 14 months, Williamson has a good chance of topping the charts given the format of the tournament and the placid pitches in England.
Joe Root
The best England batsman of his time, Joe Root is the highest centurion (14) in their ODI history. A lion's share of the nation's success in any format rests on the 28-year-old. Where Root is different from the rest of the England batting line-up is that his style is all about classical shots and timing. Since the 2015 World Cup, the England Test captain has hit 3,498 runs in ODIs, averaging at 58.30 that includes 11 tons. Root has been in good form in the recently concluded ODI series against Pakistan and will look to continue in the same vein in his second World Cup.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the one of the most influential batsmen of the present generation. Currently the No. 1 batsman, the 30-year-old has the most number of ODI centuries (41) for an active player and is racing to surpass the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 tons despite having played 233 innings less. The Indian skipper has already played in the two previous World Cups and part of the team which triumphed in 2011 on home soil. Since the 2015 World Cup, when India were knocked out in the semifinals by eventual champions Australia, Kohli has notched up 4,306 runs in one-dayers, averaging 78.29 and a staggering 19 tons.
