Travis Head’s 2024: the best ever by an Aussie & among the greatest in T20I history

David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist — historically, there’s been no paucity of world class T20 openers in Australia. In fact, most of the batters in the aforementioned list have, at some point, been the outright best opener in T20I cricket. 

Yet one man towers over all these gargantuan names, and that is none other than Travis Head. 

If the 2021-2023 period saw Head dominate Tests and ODIs, 2024 has so far seen the left-handed dynamite from South Australia absolutely own T20 cricket. 

Australia still have three more T20Is left in the calendar year but well, Head’s 2024 is already statistically the best ever year by an Aussie opener. In fact, it is arguably the best ever year by an Aussie batter ever and among the greatest in T20I history. 

In 15 games in 2024, the 30-year-old has amassed 539 runs. That’s the most runs accumulated by an Aussie opener in a calendar year in T20Is.

Most runs by an Australian opener in a calendar year 

Travis Head - 539 runs (2024)

D’Arcy Short - 505 runs (2018)

Aaron Finch - 459 runs (2021)

Shane Watson - 406 runs (2012)

He is 88 runs away from Mitchell Marsh, who is the only Aussie in history to have accumulated 600+ runs in a calendar year. If he keeps going like how he’s been, Head should surpass Marsh’s tally in the three-match T20I series against Pakistan.

Most runs by an Aussie batter in a calendar year

627 - Mitchell Marsh (2021)

539 - Travis Head (2024)

531 - Aaron Finch (2018)

515 - D’Arcy Short (2018)

We’ll get to Head’s strike rate in a bit but his consistency has stood out —  big time. In 15 innings in T20Is this year, the left-hander has passed the 30-run mark a whopping 10 times. He is the first Aussie opener and just the second Aussie batter ever to register 10 30+ scores in a calendar year in T20Is.

Most 30+ scores by an Aussie batter in a calendar year in T20Is

10 - Travis Head (2024)

10 - Mitchell Marsh (2021)

9 - Aaron Finch (2021)

8 - Glenn Maxwell (2018)

8 - D’Arcy Short (2021)

Most of these runs have remarkably been accumulated in the form of boundaries. Particularly sixes. Head has hit 33 sixes so far in 2024, which is the most by an Aussie in a calendar year in T20Is.

Most sixes hit by an Aussie in a calendar year in T20Is

33 - Travis Head (2024)

31 - Aaron Finch (2018)

28 - Shane Watson (2012)

23 - Glenn Maxwell (2018)

23 - Mitchell Marsh (2021)

The 95 boundaries hit by Head in 2024 so far is also the most by an Aussie in a calendar year in T20Is.

Most boundaries (4s & 6s) hit by an Aussie in a calendar year in T20Is

95 - Travis Head (2024)

82 - Mitchell Marsh (2021)

76 - Aaron Finch (2018)

70 - D’Arcy Short (2018)

Unsurprisingly, Head’s strike rate of 178.47 in 2024 is also the highest for an Aussie in a calendar year (min 300 runs in the year).

Highest strike rate for an Aussie batter in a calendar year (min 300 runs)

178.47 - Travis Head (2024)

176.41 - Aaron Finch (2018)

174.69 - Glenn Maxwell (2016)

168.44 - Marcus Stoinis (2022) 

Forget the Aussie classification, Head’s strike rate in 2024 is the second-highest for an opener in a calendar year in T20I history. Only Colin Munro in 2018 bettered it, and that too just marginally.

Highest strike rate for an opener in a calendar year in T20Is (full-members only, min 300 runs)

178.57 - Colin Munro (2018)

178.47 - Travis Head (2024)

171.92 - Martin Guptill (2016)

169.88 - Aaron Finch (2018)

Let’s talk powerplay now, shall we? Thus far in 2024, Head has scored 434 runs in the first six overs at a ridiculous strike rate of 190.3. No batter in history has had a better strike rate in the powerplay in a calendar year. 

Highest strike rate for a batter in a calendar year in powerplay (min 300 runs)

190.3 - Travis Head (2024)

189.8 - Colin Munro (2018)

181.7 - Iqbal Hossain (2022)

178.0 - Muhammad Waseem (2023)

Head’s 81 boundaries in the powerplay in 2024 is also the most by a full-member batter in T20Is in a calendar year.

Most boundaries hit by a batter in the powerplay in a calendar year (full-members only)

81 - Travis Head (2024)

73 - Kevin O’Brien (2019)

72 - Paul Stirling (2019)

72 - Rohit Sharma (2022)

72 - Mohammad Rizwan (2022)

Head only has three more T20Is to play in 2024, but, at the rate he’s going, we might just have to do a fresh piece altogether at the end of the Pakistan series. Don’t be surprised if he ends up hitting triple digits in some of these metrics. 

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