Impact of West Indies Opening Batsmen in the WT20 2016, India

West Indies cricket seems to be a pale shadow of what they were in the 1970’s through to 1990’s but in the shortest format of the game they still remain a viable threat and their assortment of strongly built players capable of big hits present a very difficult challenge to any team looking to contain them. They will be especially reliant on their openers who are well versed with the Indian conditions and who will look to set the tone early for the Windies.

Chris Gayle

Christopher Henry Gayle is probably the most destructive batsman of the modern era. He is tall and strongly built and there is no holding back when he hits the ball. He has the ability to hit huge sixes and on the small Indian grounds he will be the biggest threat that any opposition team will face while up against the West Indies team. His familiarity with the Indian grounds and conditions will also keep him in good stead.

Chris has had a stellar run in the IPL, making over 3000 runs in just 80 odd matches. He has murdered every bowling attack in the world and has played in almost every T20 tournament all across the globe. He is vastly experienced campaigner and when on song he is a joy to watch.

Gayle is also a very handy right arm off break bowler though his shoulder injuries allow him to roll his arm over rarely these days. He is a very safe catcher in the slips and a good fielder in the inner circle.

Impact Rating – 9/10

Lendl Simmons

Lendl Simmons might not be as destructive as his opening partner Gayle but he is mighty effective in the shortest format of the game. He first represented the West Indies in the ICC U19 World Cups in 2002 and 2004. Although he has failed to live up to his true potential since then but he was their best batsman in the ICC World Cup 2015.

He has also played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL since the last two years as an opener and tasted success. He has over 900 runs to his credit in just 21 matches at a Fantastico average of almost 50 and a decent strike rate of 127. Like Gayle his familiarity with the Indian conditions makes him a very important unit of this team. He had a mixed run in the recently concluded BBL where he made 3 ducks but also made some good contributions.

He is also a very good fielder known for his acrobatic catching skills and can also keep wickets if needed.

Impact Rating – 8/10

The West Indian openers are right up there with any other opening combination in world cricket right now as far as T20 cricket is concerned. Having plied their trades in all the T20 leagues across the world, they are a master-class in this format. The 15 man squad also includes Andre Fletcher who can also slot in as an opener if required.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Modern Superstars who Shone at the ICC U19 World Cup - Part I

ICC U19 World Cup is a great platform for young and upcoming players to showcase their talent and make a name for themselves. It also gives the spectators a glimpse in to what the future holds and what to expect from the coming generation of players.

With the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 beginning today in Bangladesh let us look back at the players who went on to become stars and who had a great impact on the game at the senior level as well. I will do this in a two part series called 'Modern Superstars who Shone at the ICC U19 World Cup' with each series focusing on 5 players.

Nasser Hossain

Born in India, Nasser played in the inaugural U19 tournament held in Australia in 1988. He went on to become one of England's finest captains having led them in 43 test matches and securing some of their most famous series victories. He played 96 tests in total and scored over 5500 runs with an average of almost 38.

Sanath Jayasuriya

He played for Sri Lanka in the 1988 edition too and went on to become the most valuable ODI cricketer to have ever played the game. He revolutionized the game with his batting in the 1996 World Cup which Sri Lanka won. He played 110 test matches and 445 ODI matches and his name is etched as one of the most destructive batsman that the game has ever seen. He was also a very handy slow left arm bowler who claimed over 300 ODI wickets

Mushtaq Ahmed

The Pakistani leg spinner also played with Nasser and Sanath in the 1988 U19 tournament. He went on to pick 19 wickets at a paltry average of 16 in that tournament and finished as the leading wicket taker. He played 52 test matches and 144 ODI matches for Pakistan and formed a potent partnership with Saqlain Mushtaq.

Chris Gayle

The destructive batsman first represented West Indies at the U19 World Cup held in 1998. He would be the highest scorer in that tournament with 364 runs at an average of almost 73. Gayle is perhaps the best T20 player that there has ever been and his impact on the game is immeasurable. He also has a test triple century and is a handy spin bowler too. He has played over 100 and 250 test and ODI matches respectively for West Indies.

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj made his first appearance for India at the U19 ICC Cricket World Cup in 2000. He made several telling contributions in that tournament and was given the Man of the Series award as India won under the captaincy of Kaif. Yuvraj would then go on to replicate his early success by being one of India's best middle order batsmen in the ODI and T20 format. He would help India lift the 2011 World Cup at home with his high impact batting and bowling.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Cricket World Cup 2015 hit by Gayle Storm!

West Indies vs Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval, Canberra: Feb 23, 2015 - Match Review

West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 73 runs.

Jason Holder, the West Indies skipper when asked after West Indies had won their last game against Pakistan if he was concerned about the form of his top order replied that he was not too concerned as they had plundered 300 in both their opening games and that they would get 400 if the top order fired. Well, Gayle did fire today and how!! West Indies scored a mammoth 372 runs as Gayle and Samuels broke record after record against a hapless Zimbabwe side.

West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first. Panyangara removed Dwayne Smith in the first over for a duck and they could have had Gayle for a golden duck too as they reviewed a close lbw shout against him. Unfortunately, for them though it was a 50-50 decision and since the umpire had originally given it not out, the decision stayed. Zimbabwe were steady and Gayle and Samuels struggled to score. West Indies reached their 100 only in the 24th over but Gayle was beginning to flourish and Samuels was batting with a steely determination. Zimbabwe needed a wicket but it never came. They tried as many as 7 bowlers and each one tried honestly but they simply could not breach the defenses of Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels.

Gayle reached his hundred in 105 balls and Samuels labored to his 50 off 95 balls. West Indies reached 200 in the 39th over. What followed was carnage. Gayle launched into the Zimbabwean bowlers and he peppered the straight and the mid-wicket fence repeatedly. He smashed his way to a double hundred off just 138 balls. Samuels also reached his ton in 143 balls. Gayle was out on the last ball but by then he had hit a record 16 sixes in his epic 215. West Indies had reached 372 off their 50 overs. The partnership was the highest ever in ODI cricket for any wicket, Gayle's 215 the highest score in all World Cup's.

Chris Gayle is all smiles after a satisfying, record breaking innings of 

215 off 147 balls against Zimbabwe at the Manuka Oval in Canberra

Zimbabwe lost Chakabva in the first over to a review from West Indies and the rain soon arrived. When play resumed 2 overs were removed from Zimbabwe's innings and they had to score 363 in 48 overs. Raza played a cameo of 26 runs from 20 balls but Zimbabwe were 46-3 in the 8th over, they had lost Hamilton Masakadza earlier. Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams launched a mini recovery and scored runs freely up until the DRS made an entry again. West Indies reviewed a decision when they thought that Taylor had edged one to Ramdin off Samuels. The replays did not show anything that warranted a reversal of the decision but reversed it was. Zimbabwe were earnest in their chase and were in the hunt right through. Sean Williams and Craig Ervine both hit spirited half centuries but 363 was little too much for Zimbabwe. They made 289 and lost by 73 runs.

The skies were dark and there was rain in the air when the match started and right through the West Indies's innings. A storm was about to hit the Manuka Oval in the Australian capital of Canberra. It rained sixes and and records were shattered. Chris Gayle made his first century since 2013 and it was a breathtaking one. West Indies, after losing to Ireland in their opening game have now won 2 and with almost all their batsmen firing, they will surely cause headaches to South Africa and India.

PS - The image used is courtesy www.espncricinfo.com