Ranking top 10 No. 4 T20I batters of all-time

Ab de Villiers and Yuvraj Singh. (Source – Twitter/X)

The T20 format is mainly designed for the batters; From the top order to the lower order, each batter has a different to play. While the top order focuses on giving the team a blazing start, the middle order aims to bring stability and the lower order provides a solid finish.

It is difficult to pinpoint the toughest place to bat in T20 cricket as it can vary per the match situation. However, the No. 4 position can be the most challenging at times as the batter here has to be ready to adapt anytime. He should be versatile in terms of anchoring the innings and finishing the innings. 

If the team is at 20/2, the number four batter should be crucial in building the innings for a competitive total, and if the team is at 200/2, he should unleash his power hitting to take the team to a mammoth total. In this article, we talk about the top 10 T20I batters at No. 4 of all time.

Here are the top 10 No. 4 T20I batters of all time:

10. Kumar Sangakkara

Kumara Sangakara. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Kumar Sangakkara is one of the greatest batters of all time. Although ODIs and Tests are his strong suits, Sangakkara has also contributed significantly to the Sri Lankan T20I team. The left-handed batter has played close to 500 international matches, 56 of which were in the 20-over format. 

He has scored 1382 runs in T20Is, 675 of which have come while batting at No. 4 in 25 innings at an average of 35.52 with a high score of 64*. Notably, Sangakkara was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s success in the 2014 T20 World Cup. He was adjudged Player of the Match in the final against India for his unbeaten 35-ball 52.

9. AB de Villiers

Reverse Scoop AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers has to be the most versatile batter across formats. With an abundance of talent and natural ability, de Villiers has mesmerized millions of cricket fans over the years. The South African legend, fondly known as Mr. 360, has a wide variety of shots in his arsenal that can leave the bowlers clueless.

Batting in the middle-order, de Villiers has amassed 1672 runs in 78 T20I matches. 795 of those runs came while batting at No. 4, including four half-centuries in 33 innings at an average of 30.57 and a strike rate of 137.78.

8. Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Former England captain Eoin Morgan was one of the dangerous middle-order batters when he was at his peak. Morgan has played 115 T20I matches and has scored 2458 runs. More than half (1315) of his runs in this format came when batting at number four. Batting in this position, the southpaw averages 26.83 at a strike rate of 139.30, including eight half-centuries, with a high score of 91.

7. JP Duminy

JP Duminy (Source:Getty Images)

Jean-Paul Duminy is a valuable asset to any team he plays in, thanks to his elegant stroke play, utility off-spin and remarkable fielding skills. Duminy has represented South Africa in 81 T20Is and has scored nearly 2000 runs. The southpaw batted at the No. 4 position in 34 innings, scoring 1021 runs at an impressive average of 44.39 and a strike rate of 119.83 including six half-centuries, with a top score of 96*.  

6. Nicholas Pooran

Nicholas Pooran. (Photo Source: Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Pocket dynamo of West Indies in limited-overs cricket. A ruthless power-hitter who can pull off incredible victories when on song, Nicholas Pooran is currently the all-time leading run-scorer for Windies in T20Is. He surpassed the legendary Chris Gayle to sit at the top of the table.

The Southpaw has so far hit 1914 runs in 91 T20 matches. Batting at number four in 24 innings, Pooran scored 439 runs including a half-century. Apart from his big-hitting prowess, the 28-year-old is also a gun fielder, right-arm off-spin bowler and wicket-keeper. He is expected to play a crucial role in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup.

5. Glenn Phillips

Glenn Phillips (Photo by ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Glenn Phillips is an attacking middle-order batter who can give the team a blistering finish. The right-handed keeper-batter has so far played 76 T20Is for New Zealand and has scored 1874 runs. Batting at No. 4 in 39 innings, he racked up 1207 runs at an average of 37.71 and an impressive strike rate of 152.01. He also has two hundred and seven half-centuries to his credit while batting in this spot.

4. Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen. (Photo Source: AFP)

Kevin Pietersen is regarded as one of the finest batters in England’s history. The right-hander has played more than 100 matches in ODIs and Tests, but he has played only 36 T20Is. However, those limited number of matches were enough for him to play a crucial role for the team in the shorter format, especially when he won Player of the Series in England’s maiden T20 World Cup triumph in 2010.

Pietersen has scored 1176 T20I runs, 209 of which came while batting at No. 4 in just 7 innings. He has an average of 29.85 and a strike rate of 165.87 in this batting position, including a half-century, with a high score of 79.

3. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn-Maxwell. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

One of the greatest match-winners of the modern era in limited-overs cricket. On his day, Glenn Maxwell can singlehandedly get his team over the line. He can pull off unorthodox shots with ease and fluency and pose a serious threat to the opposition. The spin all-rounder has played over 100 T20Is for Australia and has accumulated over 2400 runs. 

Maxwell is one of only two players on earth to have scored five T20 international centuries. Four of these three-figure scores came while batting at number four. The right-hander has amassed 1534 runs from 56 innings at an average of 33.34 and a healthy strike rate of 158.63, including five fifties while batting at this position.  

2. Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Known for his unorthodox shots and innovative batting, Suryakumar Yadav is an ideal fit for T20 cricket. His ability to score all over the ground has led fans to compare him to legend AB de Villiers, aka Mr. 360. Batting in the middle order, Suryakumar is one of the most reliable and consistent batters from Mumbai Indians and Team India. 

India were late in acquiring his services as the right-hander debuted in March 2021. So far, he has played 63 matches in the shorter format and amassed 2200 runs to establish himself as the world’s best T20I batter. Batting at No.4, the 33-year-old has scored 1454 runs in 37 innings at an average of 50.13 and a whopping strike rate of 171.05, including three hundred and four half-centuries. 

1. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)

When you hear the name Yuvraj Singh, the first thing that comes to the mind of cricket fans is his feat of smashing Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in the 2007 T20 World Cup. He is one of the greatest match-winners of all time in limited-overs cricket and India were blessed to have his services. The southpaw was instrumental in India’s triumph in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.

The star all-rounder has scored more than 1000 runs in 58 T20Is, 791 of which came while batting at number four in 30 innings. While patrolling this critical spot, Yuvraj has averaged 133.84 at a strike rate of 133.84 and has hit six half-centuries, with a highest score of 72.