Over the years we have seen last ball finishes in the IPL. Some finishes have been so dramatic where batsmen have done the impossible by chasing huge targets in the final stages of the game. Which is why having a finisher in every T20 side has become mandatory for teams these days.
If we see every team has a finisher in their side who has the ability to hit the ball out of the park from ball one. Whether its Hardik Pandya or Andre Russell, every finisher has one job in their hands and that is to finish the game off for their side.
The importance of finishers in T20s, as well as demand for them, have gone up drastically over the years. A team usually picks 1-2 finishers in their playing XI since T20 is an unpredictable format. As teams with a finisher in their side are more likely to be accustomed to winning matches since they have someone to rely upon who can hit quickfire runs at the backend of the match.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 Finishers To Watch Out for in IPL 2020:
MS Dhoni
“Dhoni finishes it off in style,” we have heard this phrase more than once in last 10 years. That’s the kind of player Dhoni is, since he has built a consistent reputation of winning matches for his team from impossible situations. Similarly, he’s been doing the same since years for his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings.
People talk about Dhoni not being the same finisher he was a few years back but his 2018 and 2019 IPL record shows another story to it. Mostly batting in the end overs, Dhoni averaged 75 and 83 in 2018 ad 2019 respectively.
Moreover, he finished matches during this period striking at a strike rate of over 150. Even this year we expect Dhoni to finish matches for CSK as fans eagerly wait for their ‘Thala’ return to the cricket field after a year.
Hardik Pandya
The ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya is known to be Dhoni’s successor for the finisher’s role in the Indian limited-overs side. But off late he’s been involved in a lot of off the field controversies. To add to that Hardik has been out of action since last year owing to an injury.
As we approach this year’s IPL, we would expect Hardik to make news by finishing matches for Mumbai Indians. He cannot get a bigger platform than the IPL to showcase why he’s the rightful successor of MS Dhoni going into the future.
Pandya will be accompanied by West Indies veteran Kieron Pollard out in the middle for most finishes this year. Since they complement each other so well, Hardik should learn the art of finishing matches from Pollard himself.
We hope to see Hardik hit big in this IPL, hopefully putting down some match-winning performances for Mumbai Indians.
Glenn Maxwell
The all-rounder from Australia Glenn Maxwell has been out of form lately but despite the dip in his form. He’s regarded as one of the most dangerous and ruthless batsmen in T20 cricket at the moment. Initially, Maxwell burst into the international circuit because he possessed the ability to go after the bowlers from one ball.
His best IPL performance came in for Kings XI Punjab in 2014 where he scored 552 runs in 16 matches. But post that season, Maxwell’s form dropped and averaged less than 20 in next two seasons. Even though he averaged just 18 in 2018, Maxwell was snapped up by Kings XI Punjab this year for US$1.5 million.
Besides his sublime batting, Maxwell is also a brilliant fielder and is a part-time off-spinner. He’s unlikely to bowl more this year since Punjab have Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Krishnappa Gowtham in their side. It is expected that Maxwell will make it to the playing Xi from the first game itself and will play the role of the finisher for Kings XI Punjab this year.
Andre Russell
Andre Russell is the most lethal batsman in T20 cricket right now. He’s considered one of the most dangerous batsmen since he goes hard after the bowlers in no time. Since Russell’s possess the experience of playing T20 cricket all around the world, he carries loads of experience with him. Ever since returning after getting suspended by the ICC, Russel has looked a different player altogether.
He is seen batting positions from 3-7 depending on the situation of the match. He is used as a pinch hitter, finisher and even as a floater at times. Russell is regarded as one of the hottest property in T20 cricket for his sheer ability to tear the opposition’s bowlers apart in no time.
Over the years he’s won matches for KKR single-handedly and we expect him to do the same this year. Russell will enjoy playing at Dubai and Sharjah’s short boundaries as we expect him to hit big this season.
Rishabh Pant
The young wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant is touted as MS Dhoni‘s successor for the wicket keeper’s role in the Indian side. Over the years we’ve seen how aggressive Rishabh Pant is as a player but hasn’t been able to quite replicate his IPL success in international cricket.
But when we talk about his IPL performance over the years, Pant has been instrumental in winning matches for Delhi. Pant’s best IPL season was in 2018 where he averaged 52, striking at a strike rate of over 160. Talking about the very recent 2019 IPL season, Pant scored 488 runs in 16 matches for the Capitals.
On the flipside, Pant should put up a greater show this year since he has to prove a point to the Indian selectors. Incidentally, he was recently dropped from the limited-overs side in favour of Kings XI Punjab captain KL Rahul.