ANALYSIS
Follow UsBefore we talk about the current standings, here is how the ranking stood at the halfway mark (after 37 games).
A brief about the methodology. We have accounted for the following factors while assessing the impact of each batter:
1. Venues
There has not been a start difference between the venues unlike last season when Wankhede and Chepauk were poles apart. However, Brabourne still offered a run-fest in the first few games.
2. Innings
The second important parameter is batting in the first innings vs the second. A more impactful batter should be able to contribute either way. The impact of dew has varied across games. Sides batting first have won 17 of the 37 games. Hence it is safe to have runs scored in the first innings measured separately than in the second.
3. Phase
Even in its short duration, T20 requires a different approach in different phases. The field restrictions warrant the openers to focus on boundary hitting in the first six overs. Whereas in the last five overs, the demand is to be fearless. It is often the middle overs (7-15) that are tricky and help us differentiate between the good and the great.
4. Pace vs spin
This goes without saying. For a batter to have more impact he should be adept to take on both pace and spin.
In our analysis, we have considered the average runs scored per ball, in each of these phases, across innings at each venue against a bowler type. The final objective is to assess how many runs above or below average a batter has scored at a venue in an innings in a phase versus a bowler type.
Now the actual analysis entails including each of the four parameters into one common factor. Four venues, three phases, two innings, and two bowler types give us 48 slabs of weightage which we will use for further calculations.
What these weights inform us is the number of runs players have scored per ball on an average at a particular venue, in that innings, that phase, and versus the bowler type. For e.g. an average batsman has scored 1.37 runs per ball at Brabourne against pace while batting in the first innings in the first six overs. The same number is 1.5 against spin with all other parameters constant.
Now to arrive at a score for each batsman, we have used this weightage to assess the total runs each batsman has scored above what an average batsman would have scored. For the rankings after 37 games, we limited the analysis to those who scored 150+ runs until then. We have now moved the qualification base to 200 runs.
There are 36 batters with 200+ runs after 55 games. Here is how they stack up based on the above calculation:
A score of 90.35 implies that Jos Buttler has scored these many runs more than average batsmen who would have batted in his place. He continues to be head and shoulders above everyone else.
Liam Livingstone holds his spot by continuing to blast the bowlers around. A couple of failures for Prithvi Shaw plus missing out on the last two games due to injury means that Prithvi Shaw has slipped in the rankings. Rahul Tripathi continues to lead the pack for uncapped players on the run charts as well as impact rankings.
With three back-to-back half-centuries, Devon Conway has barged into the top-10. Bhanuka Rajapaksa too has been the torch-bearer of the Punjab model of batting and finds himself at number #8.
On the lower end of the spectrum is Virat Kohli. He did not qualify in the first iteration, but now he has 216 runs with the lowest impact score among the pack. However, if we ignore the criteria of a minimum 200 runs, Kane Williamson has the lowest impact score (-58.5). Kieron Pollard too has scored only 126 runs at an impact score of -45.9, second-lowest after Williamson.
