best finishers in cricket
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Top 10 Best Finishers In Cricket | All-Time Ranking

Cricket is a game of technique, strategy, and luck. Cricket fans always find their favorite sport exciting and thrilling because cricket is unpredictable most of the time. Players always try to shock the audience with their performances in their specialty. Here we will discuss the list of best finishers in cricket. These great players always amaze and entertain the fans with their exceptional performances.

Best Finishers In Cricket | All-Time Ranking

Cricket is undoubtedly the most popular sport in India. But, it is also equally among the most popular sports in the whole world. And this sport has witnessed some of the greatest finishers of the game. So, here they are!

10. Javed Miandad – Pakistan

Javed Miandad

Position: Right-Handed Batsman / Right-Arm Leg Break Bowler
National Side: Pakistan
Test Debut: 9th October 1976 vs. New Zealand
ODI Debut: 11th June 1975 vs. West Indies

Javed Miandad is arguably Pakistan’s most talented right-hand batsman. Miandad comes from a nation known for its bowling legends. Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan’s first Test captain, who called him “the find of the decade” upon his debut, was right when he called him “the find of the decade.” Besides, he is also among the greatest Muslim athletes of all time.

In both cricket and bats, Miandad followed his path, doing everything in a unique way. Known for his ability to hit the ball well in the gaps, Miandad had the best edge and angle for hitting the ball. Besides having some great innings, he also had some elegant shots in his arsenal.

He caught everyone’s attention with his fine reverse sweep. Pakistan has won more matches owing to Javed Miandad than anyone else. He would be a formidable opponent for any bowling lineup, thanks to his hitting skills. In addition to being aggressive, Miandad is one of the best finishers in cricket. As a member of the world cup-winning 1992 squad, he gained international recognition.

The fact that he was Pakistan’s best batsman put a lot of pressure on him, but he stepped up to the plate. In just nine innings, he scored three half-centuries, including the 50s in the semifinal and final, to lead Pakistan to the title. In international cricket, he represented Pakistan from 1975 to 1996.

9. Jos Buttler – England

Jos Buttler

Position: Right-Handed Batsman / Wicketkeeper
Test Debut: 27th July 2014 vs. India
ODI Debut: 21st February 2012 vs. Pakistan
T20I Debut: 31st August 2011 vs. India

Right-hander Jos Buttler has proven himself in all three formats of the game. The fact he is promoted to open sometimes works against him in T20 cricket because of his versatility. Nevertheless, the range of shots he plays toward the end of the innings makes him one of the best finishers in cricket.

Despite nailing his yorkers, Buttler can slice full-length deliveries into the slot to scoop bowlers. Whenever he needs it, he can use both the touch game and the power game. The average strike rate for Buttler when chasing is 110, while when batting first, he averages 126.

For the standards of One Day International cricket, both of these are pretty ridiculous. For example, he scored 90 runs in just 51 balls against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2016. And for such a feat, he is widely considered one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history.

As a result of his ability to power the ball to all parts of the ground and his excellent temperament, Jos Buttler is currently the best finisher in world cricket. Jos Buttler is a batsman who can play all around the field, making his skill set unique. A 360-degree batsman, in cricket jargon, would describe him.

8. Michael Hussey – Australia

Michael Hussey

Position: Left-Handed Batsman / Right-Arm Medium Pace Bowler
Test Debut: 3rd November 2005 vs. West Indies
ODI Debut: 1st February 2004 vs. India
T20I Debut: 17th February 2005 vs. New Zealand

As a left-handed batsman, Michael Hussey was one of the most prolific players in the country. He was born on 27 May 1975. Despite his late arrival to international cricket, making his debut at the age of 28, his career was no less notable. “Mr.” is another name for him. He is now widely considered one of the greatest left-handed batsmen of all time.

The world’s number one batsman in 2006 was Michael Hussey, also called ‘Huss’ or ‘Cricket.’ Hussey exhibited tremendous potential during the ING Cup and was named to the Australia ODI squad against India in 2004. The match resulted in him making 17 runs, contributing to the victory.

After a successful 2005, he scored five half-centuries and remained unbeaten in four of them. Hussey quickly became known as one of the best reliable finishers. In 2005, he made his test debut against the West Indies, scoring one run and 29 in the second innings. The following two matches saw him score consecutive centuries.

A game against New Zealand in 2007 was one of many times that Hussey pulled his team out of trouble. Trying to chase 155 was proving impossible for Australia. The score was 48-4 when Hussey entered the game. Hussey put up a 65-not-out score to carry his team to victory when the wickets tumbled all around him.

7. Lance Klusener – South Africa

Lance Klusener

Position: Left-Handed Batsman / Right-Arm Medium Fast Bowler
Role: All-Rounder
Test Debut: 27th November 1996 vs. India
ODI Debut: 19th January 1996 vs. England

Lance Klusener, the former South African all-rounder, was often underrated and often overlooked for his efforts on behalf of the Proteas. But since his early days, he showed every sign of being one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. Klusener, in most cases, used the willow to pull out his team when they found themselves in trouble.

He had the knack for instilling life into some of the lost games by scoring runs with such clarity of thought. His exceptional skills make him one of the best finishers in cricket. He scored the highest score in his 49 matches at 174, and he held the best wicket average of 8/64 in multiple test matches.

With the highest score of 103 runs and 192 wickets, with the best being 6/49, he scored 3,576 runs in 171 ODIs at an average of 41.1. He will be most remembered for his contributions to the One Day International series. The 1999 World Cup saw Lance become one of the most feared batsmen in cricket. He was named Man of the Tournament.

During the years preceding the World Cup, Lance displayed glimpses of his powerful hitting. In the tournament, his baseball-style back lift and thunderous hitting won him more fans than any other player. Among his many accolades is that of being the 2000 Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

6. Viv Richards – West Indies

Viv Richards

Position: Right-Handed Batsman / Right-Arm Off-Break Bowler
Role: Batsman
Test Debut: 22nd November 1974 vs. India
ODI Debut: 7th June 1975 vs. Sri Lanka

Viv Richards represented the biggest threat to opponents as a cricketer during Test matches. His powerful personality matched his spectacular physique, and his fierce sense of pride in being the first Antiguan to represent the West Indies was highly motivating. His ability to change the results of any game makes him one of the best finishers in cricket history. Viv Richards quickly established himself as one of the world’s finest batsmen and one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

In his annus mirabilis in 1976, he put together a string of big scores throughout the year, scoring 192 in the second Test away from India. Richards initially faced Denis Lillee and Jeff Thomson as the opener in Australia. Eventually, he settled at number 3 behind Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge. It was a fantastic series in England in which he scored 829 runs in just four Tests, including 291 runs at The Oval.

It would not be unusual for him to run two if you put the field out or to hit it over the top for four or six if you brought it in. Viv had a very distinctive batting style that was unbelievable. Those bowling straight at him thought they would have a chance since he played across his front pad and worked the ball to leg. His opponents thought he would miss a bowl, but he rarely did.

Another thing that stood out to you was his power. While he wasn’t very tall at 5ft 10in, he had the muscular shoulders of a boxer. With 114 centuries and the highest score of 322 in first-class cricket, he scored more than 36,000 runs. In addition, he made nearly 7,000 runs, including 11 hundred, with the highest One Day score in cricket history, 189*. The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inducted Richards in 2009 in addition to his other accolades.

5. Michael Bevan – Australia

Michael Bevan

Position: Left-Handed Batsman / Slow Left-Arm Wrist Spin Bowler
Role: Batsman
Test Debut: 28th September 1994 vs. Pakistan
ODI Debut: 14th April 1994 vs. Sri Lanka

Over the course of a decade, Bevan earned the title of being the best finisher in world cricket. He was known as “The Finisher” because of this characteristic. Australia won two of the three World Cup finals he competed in, in 1996 and 1999. Although Bevan’s test career ended before it had even begun, he became one of the all-time most significant players in ODIs. The Wisden Guide ranked Bevan the fifth-greatest ODI batsman of all time in December 2002.

Batting differently in ODIs, Bevan had a completely different style. He appeared in control right from the start, and the pressure brought the best out of him. Bevan was not only a dangerous batsman, but he was also a pretty good bowler, and his slow left-arm wrist spinners were immensely helpful sometimes. Besides, he is also among the greatest fielders in cricket history.

Against Sri Lanka, Bevan played in his first ODI in Sharjah in 1994. His debut match did not require him to bat. Still, he was an essential team member for the next few games, making several crucial cameos. His first significant contribution came after he made his test debut against Pakistan.

The debutant batted unbeaten for 52 balls in Australia’s final innings of the Wills triangular series, which also involved South Africa. This was his first ODI fifty. Despite their outstanding performance, Australia failed to reach 269 after 50 overs. ODIs have been a regular part of Bevan’s career not long after his debut. He ends his innings with stroke-filled cameos reasonably consistently.

4. Shahid Afridi – Pakistan

Shahid Afridi

Position: Right-Handed Batsman / Right-Arm Leg Spinner
Test Debut: 22nd October 1998 vs. Australia
ODI Debut: 2nd October 1996 vs. Kenya
T20I Debut: 28th August 2006 vs. England

One-day international cricketer Shahid Afridi, better known as Boom Boom, became a star as both a hard-hitting batsman and a finisher for Pakistan. There was no stopping him as he dispatched the bowler quickly out of nowhere. Because of his strong finishing skills, he won many matches for Pakistan. Sometimes games were not over until the pavilion was re-opened by Afridi.

It is still one of the most memorable innings in cricket history that he played against India during the Asia Cup when he hit two consecutive sixes off Ashwin to put Pakitan over the line making him one of the best finishers in cricket. Besides, he is still dubbed for his longest sixes in cricket history.

In his first one-day international innings, Afridi smashed the fastest one-day international century from only 37 balls – at the age of 16 years and 217 days. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 82 runs thanks to his 102, scoring six fours and 11 sixes. The right-hander justified his positioning as number three by smashing six fours and 11 sixes.

The 2013 World Cup match in Guyana provides perhaps Afridi’s best example of his abilities as a Pakistani all-rounder. The leg-spinner didn’t settle for a 55-ball 76 that helped Pakistan reach 224 for nine; the leg-spinners looted the Windies for just 98 in nine brilliant overs. On a different note, he has one of the highest strike rates in cricket history.

3. Abdul Razzaq – Pakistan

Abdul Razzaq

Position: Right-Handed Batsman / Right-Arm Medium Pace Bowler
Test Debut: 5th November 1999 vs. Australia
ODI Debut: 1st November 1996 vs. Zimbabwe
T20I Debut: 28th August 2006 vs. England

Abdul Razzaq is one of Pakistan’s players who have played totally unexpected games. He is one of their best finishers in cricket. Razzaq’s long-range shooting ability was impressive. The fact that he does not have a record against his name does not diminish his ability to play good cricket. His 72-ball 109 against South Africa in Sharjah was outstanding.

Rated as one of the best ODI innings of all time, it gave him a reputation and a spot on the list of greatest finishers. As a player for Pakistan between 1999 and 2013, Abdul Razzak was once known for destroying cricket balls. And he also has the record for most sixes in a single ODI match.

In addition to being a crucial batsman in death overs, Razzak helped his team out of sticky situations and scored towering totals for them. He is the 8th player from Pakistan among the 53 players who have scored 1,000 runs and taken 100 wickets.

In 2000, at the age of 20, Razzaq took the youngest hat-trick in test cricket against Sri Lanka. His experience includes hitting at every position, from the opener to the No.11. The highest third-wicket partnership of any form of T20 cricket (162) was set by him and Nasir Jamshed in 2009.

2. AB De Villiers – South Africa

AB De Villiers

Position: Right-Handed Batsman / Wicketkeeper
Test Debut: 17th December 2004 vs. England
ODI Debut: 2nd February 2005 vs. England
T20I Debut: 24th February 2006 vs. Australia

In terms of finishers, AB De Villiers is likely to lead the pack after MS Dhoni. However, during the dying overs of the game, his actual batting ability becomes apparent. Among South Africa’s dynamic batsmen, this batsman has an extreme capacity to end games in a lucrative manner. In Ahmedabad, he scored an unbeaten 102 off just 59 balls, the seventh fastest century in ODI cricket.

AB is recognized as a master run-chaser and one of the best finishers in cricket. He is holding the records for fastest fifty (16 balls), fast hundred (31 balls), and fast hundred and fifty (62 balls) in ODIs. The batting style he uses has earned him the nickname “MR.360”. He can make a score from any angle on the field.

After playing cricket for the last five months, no one else can come back to the field and still destroy the best bowlers on the planet other than AB de Villiers. AB’s strike rate was over 107 runs per innings when contributing to a winning cause in ODIs, with an average of 66.01. And for such a feat, he is also regarded as one of the most dangerous hard-hitters in the cricket world.

For South Africa, AB de Villiers has performed the unthinkable on many occasions. In his career, he has done both, anchoring tumbling wickets and rescuing games on his own. Even today, he still pulls off many things that other cricketers do not even imagine.

1. MS Dhoni – India

MS Dhoni

Position: Right-Handed Batsman / Wicketkeeper
Test Debut: 2nd December 2005 vs. Sri Lanka
ODI Debut: 23rd December 2004 vs. Bangladesh
T20I Debut: 1st December 2006 vs. South Africa

It was Dhoni who was the epitome of calmness when approaching a run-chase. The man was supremely confident of his abilities, and he was able to pull off a near-death run-chase at his height. He annihilated Clint McKay in Adelaide in 2012 or slew Suranga Lakmal in the final over of the tri-series final in 2013.

Whether it was the 13 runs, he scored in the last over of the 2013 tri-series. Moreover, he demonstrated a steely mindset in his plethora of finishing acts against Pakistan (especially in 2006). Besides his batting achievements, he is also widely regarded as one of the most successful cricket captains of all time.

Even though his hitting has deteriorated over the last 2-3 years, Dhoni still found a way to steer his side past the finishing line in middling run-chases and is known as the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the world. He thrived in situations where he could take the game to the edge.

Dhoni played in 112 successful run chases during his ODI career. Averaging 91.28, he totaled 2556 runs and made 19 half-centuries and one hundred and is regarded as the best finisher in cricket. With such feats under his name, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeepers in cricket history.

Final Words

We hope you like the list of our best finishers in cricket. Feel free to tell us about this list in the comment box. We always appreciate the feedback of our readers.

Greatest Finishers In Cricket – 2024 Infographics

best finishers in cricket - infographics
Infographics: Best Finishers In Cricket

FAQs Regarding Best Finishers In Cricket

Q. Who is the No 1 finisher in cricket?

The Indian cricketer M.S. Dhoni is among cricket’s finest captains. He is undoubtedly one of the best finishers in cricket of all time.

Q. Who is the best finisher in India?

A. In the history of cricket, MS Dhoni has been considered the great finisher in India. He has led India, the Chennai Super Kings, and the Rising Pune Supergiant to some epic wins in the death overs.

Q. Who is the best ODI finisher?

A middle-order batsman from Australia, Michael Bevan, excelled at finishing off ODIs. As batsmen, we feel the batsman in the number 6 position is the finisher for every team in ODIs. Most of Bevan’s career has been spent as a finisher for Australia.

Q. Who is the best T20 finisher?

A. AB de Villiers is arguably the best chaser in T20 cricket, and he has been instrumental in some of the tournament’s most memorable finishes. In IPL 2021, despite being 37 and three years into his retirement from international cricket, he scored a stunning 34-ball 76 in RCB’s opening game.

Q. Who is the king of finishers?

Due to his ability to hit the ball to all parts of the ground and his cool temperament, Jos Buttler is regarded as the king of finishers in world cricket.

Last Updated On: March 2024

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