With most teams having played more than half their number of matches in the 2023 World Cup, mid-day.com takes a look at the contribution of all 10 participating team skippers
Rohit Sharma (Pic: GETTY IMAGES, AFP, PTI)
Rohit Sharma – India (Matches: 5, Runs: 311, Average: 62.20)
Rohit Sharma has been in great form, scoring 311 runs in five matches at a strong average of 62.20. The opening batsman didn’t start the tournament well after being dismissed for a duck in the opening match against Australia, but he made a strong comeback, smashing an 84-ball 131 against Afghanistan. There was no stopping the India skipper thereafter as he scored a match-winning 86 against arch-rivals Pakistan and a quickfire 48 and 46 against Bangladesh and New Zealand respectively.
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Babar Azam – Pakistan (Matches: 6, Runs: 207, Average: 34.50)
Pakistan contributed just five and 10 respectively. He made a comeback scoring 192 runs in the next four matches, including three half-centuries. However, his efforts went in vain as his team went on to lose those matches.
Pat Cummins – Australia (Matches: 6, Wickets: 8, Runs: 92)
Australia skipper Pat Cummins started the tournament quietly with the ball, conceding 0-33 in 6.2 overs and 1-71 off nine overs against India and South Africa, respectively. But he made a solid comeback, claiming seven wickets in his next four games. He was effective with the bat too, scoring 37 off just 14 balls, against New Zealand on Saturday. His innings included four sixes.
Temba Bavuma – South Africa (Matches: 4, Runs: 87, Average: 21.75)
Temba Bavuma was in great form before the World Cup, smashing 637 runs in 10 ODIs this year at a strong average of 79.62, including three centuries. However, despite his team doing well, his form is now a concern for the in-form side. The opening batsman scored just eight in the opening match against Sri Lanka. He contributed 35 and 16 against Australia and the Netherlands, respectively, before being ruled out against England and Bangladesh due to illness. He returned against Pakistan at Chennai where he managed 28 off 27 balls.
Hashmatullah Shahidi – Afghanistan (Matches: 5, Runs: 168, Average: 42.00)
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has had a decent time in the tournament so far. He failed to impress in the opening match against Bangladesh, scoring just 18. But the left-handed batsman made a fighting 80 against India to take his team to a challenging 272-8. His unbeaten 48 off 45 balls played a big role in Afghanistan upsetting Pakistan by eight wickets at Chennai.
Jos Buttler – England (Matches: 5, Runs: 95, Average: 19.00)
Jos Buttler was dismissed just once on a single-digit score in the last 10 ODIs before the World Cup. But the middle-order big-hitting batsman has failed miserably so far, scoring just 95 in five matches. He started the tournament with a decent 43 against New Zealand. However, he failed to score above 20 in the next four matches, having dismissed twice on a single-digit score.
Tom Latham – New Zealand (Matches: 6, Runs: 147, Average: 36.75)
With regular skipper Kane Williamson out injured, stand-in captain Tom Latham took charge in five out of six games so far. The wicketkeeper-batsman has had a decent outing, contributing 121 runs in his first two innings, including two half-centuries. However, he failed in the Dharamsala leg, scoring just 26 in the last two games.
Scott Edwards – The Netherlands (Matches: 6, Runs: 204, Average: 51.00)
Scott Edwards was the architect behind the Netherlands's stunning win over in-form South Africa and Bangladesh. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored 78 not out off 69 balls to take his team from 82-5 to 245-8 in a 42-over game against the Proteas. He repeated his feat against Bangladesh too, as his fighting 68 helped the team score 229 after being in dire straits at 63-4.
Shakib Al Hasan – Bangladesh (Matches: 5, Wickets: 7, Runs: 61)
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has failed to live up to the World No. 1 all-rounder tag so far in the tournament. The left-arm spinner started with a bang, claiming 3-30 against Afghanistan. But he failed to contribute much in the next four games, claiming one wicket each. He has disappointed with the bat too. Apart from 40 and 14 against New Zealand and Afghanistan respectively, the left-handed batsman was dismissed thrice on a single-digit score.
Kusal Mendis – Sri Lanka (Matches: 5, Runs: 229, Average: 45.80)
Kusal Mendis was handed over the captaincy after regular skipper Dasun Shanaka was ruled out after the first two matches due to thigh injury. The wicketkeeper-batsman started the tournament on a positive note, scoring 76 against South Africa. He smashed a 77-ball 122 in the next match against Pakistan. However, both these knocks come in a losing cause. He later failed to contribute with the bat in the three matches he led the team in, scoring just 31 in three innings.
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