TOP 5 ICC PAYER RANKING IN THE WORLD 2021

The first cousin of Akmal's brothers, Babar Azam, started his cricket at a very young age and represented his country at the U15 World Championships, followed by the U19 World Cups in 2010 and 2012. Azam has shown a lot of promise and was leading Pakistan's run-scorer in both WC programs.

A consistent knockout in the home region kept Azam in contention, and in 2015, he was finally selected for the national team to play Zimbabwe. Hitting the centerline, Babar played a slight knock. Still, his defensive moment entered the West Indies series, where he became the third Pakistan player after Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar to hit three consecutive ODIs.

Babar Azam was soon adopted as the long format of the game. His 90 defeats against New Zealand in Hamilton were proof of his status, even though he would still create the same kind of impact on short titles. Babar has successfully proved himself as a professional wrestler, and his exploits in T20 cricket will also be evident. Known for its archery style, Babar quickly made a name by playing catchy and eye-catching strokes. He also broke Virat Kohli's record of 1000 T20I fast runs and in 2018 overthrew Aaron Finch as the top T20I Rankings player at the ICC.

Within 2-3 years of playing for Pakistan, Babar Azam proved himself to be one of the most important members of the squad and was given the team's command in short formats.

2ND | VIRAT KOHLI 

Courageous, talented, and highly talented, Virat Kohli is one of the best strikers the country has produced. He has drawn comparisons with the great Sachin Tendulkar. With a firm grip on the ground and the ability to hit balls that reach anywhere in the world willingly and without much risk, Kohli has recorded his own in Indian cricket. The king who chases many of his followers has signed him up. Kohli is a nail that is deeply embedded in all formats.

Kohli became famous when he hosted an Indian team that won the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008. He was soon promoted to the highly regarded Twenty20 tournament - the Indian T20 League in 2008 and has since become part of the right to secure rights in Bangalore. He also captained the team in 2012 and has been doing so ever before. With no significant performance in the first leg, his home form still earned him the India ODI title during a trip to Sri Lanka that same year.

The Delhi boy was originally sent to various batting lineup positions, from Virender Sehwag's replacement as an opener to accelerating central order. After just 25 ODI innings, he had scored 9 points fifty or more, including two hundred years. Kohli has always believed in supporting his confidence, and the assurance is reflected in his choice of gun and footwork. He was rarely found to require his system, even in friendly bowling facilities abroad. As soon as Kohli matures in maturity, especially in the ODIs, the reduced patches make a way to catch the ball in the same way.

The aggressive right-handed Man had a great race in 2010 where he collected nearly 1000 runs. He did not lose his vigilance in 2011 by beating the centenary in his first World Cup match against Bangladesh, and he contributed appropriately throughout the tournament. The wait for the Test cap ended when he was selected to visit the West Indies in 2011. Strong evidence that she had the power to arrive in early 2012 when her virginity tone for whites was on a trip to India for Australia; he set up a bold beating signal while others failed. His efforts paid off, and Kohli was soon promoted to vice-captain of the Indian national team before the 2012 Asia Cup. He finished the tournament as the best player to cover 183 storms in 148 balls against Pakistan.

Kohli was the Indian ODI team captain for the first time against Sri Lanka in the Triangular ODI series in the Caribbean after an injury knocked out MS Dhoni in three ODIs. He then tasted the success of being a full-time captain in Zimbabwe, where he surprised the team with the absence of Dhoni, who was rested and won 5-0 in a win over the hosts. He also added another feather to his head as he registered an instant ODI in India, in just 52 balls, against Australia in October 2013, Jaipur, helping India chase the shocking 360 goals.

The following year, Kohli alone led India to the ICC WT20 final in Bangladesh but lost to Sri Lanka. The next few months will be a great learning curve for Kohli, who was found to be lacking in the changing landscape of England. James Anderson was his abuser as he exposed a different weakness apart from Kohli’s stump. He was embarrassed but continued to be part of the Test side. In the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in November 2014, Kohli led India to a 5-0 victory over the Lankans, making him India's first white captain who beat 5-0 at home and away in ODI cricket.

In December 2014, Kohli was made captain of the Test team in India's first Test against Australia in Adelaide but lost despite beating hundreds of innings in all innings. On December 30, 2014, having saved India's third Test against Australia in the MCG, Indian captain MS Dhoni announced his retirement from the Tests immediately cited several difficulties as a reason, handing over the shirt to Virat Kohli in the fourth and final Test match. Kohli ended his disappointment with the trip to England by scoring good goals on the trip to Australia, thus dispelling the doubts of his class and the final skills in a very long version.

The year 2016 has been a good year for Kohli to some extent as he robs the format runners with his toughness reaching the level of insanity. He has collected more than 2500 runs overseas with an impressive 86.50 average for seven hundred and eighty and a half centuries from 40 innings. This includes the ‘Man of the Tournament award at the 2016 World T20, where India made it to the semi-finals. In addition to this, he has also collected 900 beautiful runs in the Indian T20 League for an incredible four hundred years in his name. In the 2016-17 season, Kohli also became the first batsman to register for the second century in four consecutive Tests, surpassing the famous Sir Donald Bradman and Rahul Dravid, holding three successive series. His exploits have shown the world that he can control all formats simultaneously without sweating.

After the dream season of 2016-17, Virat took his form to visit South Africa in early 2018. Although India lost the series 2-1, his 153 in the second Test at Centurion showed he was strong again in the circumstances, not his own. He even took his side to win the series in the limited-overs format, which was the first time in India in South Africa. The Delhi boy became the fastest Man to reach 10,000 runs in ODI cricket when he went his 205 innings, beating record holder and South African Sachin Tendulkar in 259. It was not a personal act. However, the national team came crashing down under his captain. They made history in early 2019 by becoming the first Indian team to register to win the Test series in Australia in Australia.

Virat instead had the modesty of the 2019 World Cup as an attacker, earning five consecutive half-centurals.

3RD | ROHIT SHARMA

Rohit Gurunath Sharma Profile

While his exploits in Test cricket leave unpopular, there is no doubt about Rohit Sharma’s ability as a batsman. He is the first player in ODI history to hit 300 double, including one 264 world record against Sri Lanka in 2014, and that tells you how talented he is.

After appearing as one of the hit girls from the ‘girls’ of Mumbai, Rohit won at the start of the ODI during a visit to Australia in 2008. In the first leg of the Commonwealth Bank Series, he proved himself a great role model for the great Sachin Tendulkar as India claimed the match and finally the competition for the top three by winning one in the next game. Rohit had previously scored 50 points in India's victory over South Africa in the 2007 World T20. The team under MS Dhoni continued to lift the trophy in the first tournament.

Despite succeeding in over-limited cricket, Rohit failed to make it to the Test team, mainly due to intense local competition. He was unlucky when he injured himself in the morning practice session of the Test, which he was supposed to start in 2009. As the fate may have been, Wriddhiman Saha took his place, and Rohit waited a long time until he finally broke against the West Indies in 2013 in what was Tendulkar's last international series. Rohit ended up with a time wicket as he hit hundreds in the first two innings he played as India registered an innings victory in two Tests.

The move to open with him in short formats for the game has worked well for him and India. After his exemplary performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, runs from his bat continued to flow. That same year, in a series of high-scoring ODI matches against Australia, Rohit amassed 491 runs in just six games, including the first two. His 209 innings came out on 158 balls and totaled 16 sixes in total.

Rohit was ruled out of cricket due to a finger injury but returned with all his shots fired, beating his second ODI twice against Sri Lanka on November 13, 2014, in Kolkata. Rohit's 264 runs reached just 173 balls, so far, the highest points in ODI history. The following year, Sharma became the second-highest scorer in India at the ODI World Cup. While it looks like he will set his sights on the Test side after a good run for a while, another finger injury sidelined him during the New Zealand series at home. Sharma missed most of the domestic success season in India in 2016.

Rohit led the Mumbai franchise to win their third Indian T20 league title in six years in another return to cricket. In the final month of 2017, Rohit hit his third century double in ODIs, also played against Sri Lanka, and was the team captain at the time. It was as memorable as it was on his wedding day, the gift his wife cherished as a live audience. In the same month, against the same opponents, but this time in the Twenty20 version of the game, on December 22, Rohit equals the world record for the most cohesive century of 35 balls in the T20I.

In 2018, Rohit became the second Indian to hit the 2000 T20I runs and became the first player to hit 4 T20I years. 2018 has been a fruitful year for him wearing the Blue Indian jersey, where he successfully won the country in the Asia Cup and Nidahas Trophy.

Rohit Sharma also proved his worth as captain when he led Mumbai in their fourth World Cup recording of the 2019 season. With the bat, Rohit was unstoppable and emerged as the top scorer for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. He scored 648 runs in nine innings and won for five hundred years, a feat he has never achieved before. Send a dream World Cup; Rohit was selected to the Test team on a trip to West Indian, a format he will still use. Given the opportunity to open the innings, Rohit came out on top in Test cricket and formed a strong alliance with Mayank Agarwal at the top.

4TH  |  ROSS TAYLOR 

Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor Profile

Young Ross Taylor was once named Kiwi's most outstanding talent since Daniel Vettori, and in time, his ability to be an inspiring captain was recognized by the selectors. As part of the Central regions and the New Zealand under-19 team, Taylor changed the top regional bloc in 2003. His inclusion on the ODI side came after a successful home season of 2005-06, where he struck for three centuries. Taylor faced the West Indies as he excelled in world cricket in 2006.

As he is best known, Rosco went on to beat his Lankans 100-year-old virgin in his only ODI and followed it with 100 against Australia. In late 2007, he made his first Test match against South Africa but tasted success at home against England, with over 50. The undefeated 154 in Manchester was the highlight of the next trip. As a result, Rosco was defeated by Bangalore in the Indian T20 League. Taylor showed his true colors when his 81 balls in 33 against Kolkata in the second season. Rajasthan then bought him in the fourth edition; the next, Delhi signed him in 2012. A year later, Delhi sold Pune to Ashish Nehra. With Pune banned for the 2014 season, Rosco joined the Delhi team for two points.

A potent attacking batsman on the side of the leg, Taylor has a remarkable ability to mix offense and defend himself. He pulls well with the ball; his motto sweeps and runs through a series of spinners. He also led the Kiwis in the ODIs in the absence of their senior captain, Daniel Vettori. Taylor was then offered the position of full-time captain in all three formats after the 2011 ICC World Cup. Despite some Test victories under his captain, Brendon McCullum was reinstated as captain due to Taylor's severe problems with the club's management. After a short stint in a game where he missed out on a disastrous trip to South Africa, Taylor returned to the home team against England. He went on to have a successful home series against the West Indies in 2013, where he earned his 217 undefeated careers and continues to be a pillar of New Zealand equally.

5TH  | AARON FINCH

Aaron James Finch Profile

Aaron Finch, a well-built right-handed striker, is an Australian cricketer who first represented Australia at the 2006 Under-19 World Cup.

He is best known as "Finchy," he was selected in Victoria in the 2009-10 season, where he found his first-century girlfriend. Her impressive performance at the Sheffield Shield and Pura Cup made her a solid Victorian. Later, in the Big Bash Twenty20 tournament, he won 189 runs; it was only second to Kieron Pollard, which earned him a place in Rajasthan's team in the Indian T20 League. In 2011, the Delhi franchise saw his talent and signed him for the fourth and fifth seasons of the Indian T20 League. The following year, he replaced Michael Clarke in the Pune team.

Best known as a big hitter, Finch has a wide variety of shots to offer help in the first overs of innings. His impressive strike rate has always been a hot topic. In 2015, he became the first player to win 1000 runs in the Big Bash League. He also held his country short for the game when he was ranked number one in T20 foreign cricket.

Injuries severely affected Finch's career during the 2015-16 season, and he was removed from the ranks as captain ahead of the 2016 ICC World T20. Although Finch remained part of the team, he failed to leave much impact. His fortune turned in 2018 when he was appointed captain and over-limited after the bans of Steven Smith and David Warner. Their absence allowed him to do his first Test again, but it didn’t pay off much.

Aaron Finch saw a dip in the form in 2018, but his leadership level kept him in good shape. After bringing goods to India and Pakistan, Aaron was hailed as his captain and led Australia to the 2019 World Cup. During the 2019 Indian T20 League auction, the Aussie was placed in the Bangalore franchise INR 4.4 crore.