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T20 cricket has undoubtedly revolutionalised the sport. While the fielding standards have drastically improved with the advent of 120 balls per innings format, even the batters have become more and more fearless and come up with innovative shots to live up to the demands of the dynamic game. As far as bowling is concerned, the bowlers too have come up with various variations to try and leave a mark on the game and be ahead of the batters.
Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell, who is a feared T20 batter himself, has now named his top 5 T20 players. While India have been quite a force to reckon with in world cricket in recent years, Maxwell's list does not include anyone from the Men in Blue. The players that Maxwell has picked are: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Andre Russell (West Indies), Ben Stokes (England), Adam Gilchrist (Australia) and Shaun Tait (Australia).
"Someone who'll add anything to any T20 side," Maxwell was quoted as saying in an official ICC release when picking Russell. The Caribbean star has featured in 382 matches and has scored 6405 runs at a strike-rate of 169.66. In addition, he has also picked 340 wickets with the best figures of 5/15.
Tait would strike fear into any batter: Maxwell
Moreover, he rated Adam Gilchrist as "one of my favourite players to watch." Justifying his selection of Shaun Tait in his list of top 5 T20 players, Maxwell said, "Having played against him, I know how quick he was. Even at the back end of his career, he was bowling absolute rockets. I think he'd certainly strike fear into any batter at the other end."
Rashid Khan and Ben Stokes - two match-winners - complete his top 5.
Maxwell is currently plying his trade in the Indian Premier League representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore. While the Virat Kohli-led side has never lifted an IPL trophy, this time around they are looking good to secure qualification in the Playoffs after a consistent run across the two legs of IPL 2021. The Big Show has been in good form, not only contributing with the bat but also picking up wickets and breaking partnerships.