Cricket is no less than a religion if asked to a die-hard fan. Cricket World cup is the most anticipated and exciting sports event to look forward in 2015 with 14 participating teams from around the world. Will India be able to defend their title as World Champions? Or will it be one of Australia and New Zealand who has an advantage of playing world cup on their home turf? There is a wave of excitement and anticipation regarding who would be victorious this time. We have enlisted 10 batsmen to look forward to in this coming world cup 2015. Let’s have a look:-
- A.B. de Villiers
A.B. de Villiers
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A.B. De Villiers, captain of the South African team, holds the record for fastest ODI century in the world. This is a feat not even the greatest batsmen in the world were able to achieve. What makes him to be on top of the list is his phenomenal performance not just with the bat, but with gloves as well. He is an exceptional wicket keeper and a super fielder. This is one player that will make all the players in the opponent team sweat like a marathon runner
- Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli
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Kohli, the current captain of the Indian Test team, is the run making power house. He is aggressive on field and bats well under pressure. His prominent records include: Fastest century (in 52 balls) by an Indian batsmen, fastest cricketer to reach 5000 runs in ODI, fastest cricketer to reach 20 centuries in ODI. He is the first test captain to score 3 centuries in his first 3 innings. His aggressive batting style and remarkable average of 52.6 is a proof that he can make any bowler have cold feet.
- George John Bailey
George John Bailey
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George Bailey, right handed batsmen, is the current vice captain of the Australian ODI team. He is considered as a destructive batsman who can change the course of any game within few overs. He has achieved the award for man of the match thrice in his career, twice against West Indies and once against India.
- Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla
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Hashim Amla, right handed top order batsmen, is the top notch run maker in the South African team. His ODI debut was against Bangladesh on 9th March 2008. His career highlight has been 2012 tour of England, where he became the first South African batsmen to score a triple century (311 runs not out). His phenomenal batting led to South Africa’s 2-0 victory over England and gained him the award for man of the series.
- Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara
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Sanga, as he is mostly referred by his team mates, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan team. He is considered a very prudent player and is versatile in all the formats of the game. He has consistently maintained his position in the top 10 batsmen in the world as ranked by ICC. His major feats include-Most runs (2868) in a calendar year in all the formats of the game, most runs in test matches in 2014, ICC ODI cricketer of the year, ICC test cricketer of the year. It is inevitable that the opponent has to dismiss him at the earliest to taste victory over Sri Lanka in this world cup.
- M.S.Dhoni
M.S.Dhoni
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Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the most popular cricketer from India. He has been termed as “Captain Cool” due to his ability to steer the team under difficult conditions. He is also considered the ultimate finisher in a limited over format game. He has his home grown style of batting and wickets keeping which has fetched him achieve great milestones. Dhoni has been part of the ICC ODI World XI and ICC Test World XI multiple times. His prominent feats include -2007 ICC World T20, 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
- M.Dilshan
T.M.Dilshan
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Tilakratne Dilshan is a Sri Lankan cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lankan national team. Apart from being an excellent batsman, he is also a very good bowler and a fielder. He is a right handed aggressive batsmen who has developed a unique shot called “Dilscoop” wherein he hits the ball behind the keeper. His prominent feats include- Highest run scorer in 2011 Cricket World Cup (500 runs) and International Performance of the Year award.
- David Warner
David Warner
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David Warner is the left handed opening batsmen for Australian cricket team. He is the only Australian cricketer who has been selected for a national team in any format without any prior experience in first class cricket. He made his ODI debut against South Africa on 18th Jan 2009. He is an aggressive batsman who has a unique ability to switch his batting style as per the conditions and is also known as a vigilant fielder. He has won Man of the Match award thrice, against India, Sri Lanka and England.
- Misbah-ul-Haq
Misbah-ul-Haq
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Misbah-ul-Haq is a right handed middle order batsmen and the captain of the Pakistan national team. He is known for his aggressiveness as well as the ability to steer the team in difficult situation. Having a very clever cricketing mind, he is often referred to as one of the smartest captains in the world. He is only the second captain from Pakistan to win the Asia Cup (2012). His career highlight has been the 3-0 white wash victory against England in 2012. In 2013, he displayed his career best performance with 808 runs which included 9 half centuries. With such credentials under his belt, he is definitely a player to watch out for in this coming world cup
10. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan
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Shikhar Dhawan is the left handed opening batsmen on the Indian cricket team. He made his debut against Australia on 20 Oct 2010 at Vishakhapatnam. He is known for his aggressive batting and go getter attitude while batting at the top of the table. In 2013 ICC Champions Trophy held in England, he has a pivotal role in India’s victory. He was the leading run scorer and Man of the Tournament during that series.
