With only one game left in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the competition among the 10 franchises has been fierce over the past couple of weeks. Throughout the tournament, there have been some outstanding batting performances.
Notably, this season witnessed a remarkable feat as two uncapped players, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Prabhsimran Singh, both scored centuries, marking the first time in IPL history.
Additionally, renowned Indian stars Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill each recorded two and three centuries respectively. With the stage set for the Grand Final between the Gujarat Titans and the Chennai Super Kings, former cricketer Virender Sehwag shared his selection of the “top-five batters” in his opinion.
Sehwag emphasized that he chose a select few openers, as they already receive ample opportunities. He highlighted Rinku Singh as the first batter on his list, pointing out the unique achievement that distinguishes him from others. Singh is the only player who has single-handedly won a match by hitting five consecutive sixes, a feat unmatched by anyone else in the IPL.
Sehwag then turned his attention to the middle-order and selected Shivam Dube as the second batter. Dube’s exceptional strike-rate of over 160, coupled with his 33 sixes, convinced Sehwag of his worth.
Although Dube’s recent seasons were not remarkable, this year he displayed a determined mindset, solely focused on hitting sixes.
According to Virender Sehwag, the third player on his list of top batters is Yashasvi Jaiswal, whom he considers a brilliant opener. Sehwag acknowledges Jaiswal’s impressive batting performances as the driving force behind his selection.
Following Jaiswal, Sehwag mentions Suryakumar Yadav, popularly known as SKY, despite his initial lack of form. Sehwag notes that Yadav faced difficulties in international cricket, often scoring zeroes. Similarly, Yadav struggled initially in the IPL, but later found his rhythm and performed exceptionally well.
Regarding the final selection, Sehwag acknowledges the plethora of talented players and humorously suggests that he could choose anyone through a toss.
However, he decides to pick another middle-order batter, Heinrich Klaasen. Sehwag highlights Klaasen’s outstanding performance for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where he accumulated the most runs while batting in the middle order. Sehwag particularly admires Klaasen’s rare ability to excel against both spin and pace, a quality seldom seen in foreign players.
These insights were shared by Virender Sehwag during his discussion with the Cricbuzz live show on YouTube.