1.Virat Kohli
Does this man even need an introduction? Virat is the best batsman in world cricket right now in all the three formats. He is ranked number one in Tests. He recently became the second fastest to 24 Test centuries, achieving the fantastic feat in 123 innings, next to Sir Don Bradman.
He scores his runs in Tests at a strike of almost 60. His average 54.66 in Tests and 58.21 in ODIs. These are some mind-boggling stats.
There were always doubts regarding Virat's technique in English conditions and he gave all of his doubters a mouth-shutting reply when he dominated the batting charts in the recently concluded England-India Test series.
With age still on his side and his fitness better than ever,he is sure to go a long way and cement his spot as the number 1 batsman in the world.
2.Kane Williamson
One of the best and calmest captains in world cricket at the moment. He is the fulcrum of the New Zealand batsman and is an excellent batsman across all the three formats.
Williamson is usually at his best when it comes to Tests. In ODIs, he scores at a good strike rate and can accelerate as and when the situation demands him to. Many cricket pundits doubted his T20 skills but he proved them all wrong.
He won the orange cap in this year's IPL and led SRH to the finals of the biggest domestic T20 tournament. He scored his runs at a strike rate of more than 140 and that shows what impact he had in the tournament. He can truly succeed as a batsman anywhere in the world.
Kane is a world-class leader, an even better batsman and more importantly, a true gentleman of this wonderful game.
3.Steve Smith
The former captain of the Australian team is serving a ban alongside David Warner. He has been out of International action for more than 6 months and is still on the number 2 position in the ICC Test rankings. This shows how good a player he is.
Smith is an impact player who likes to play a long innings every time he goes out to bat. His wicket is always heavily prized and if given a reprieve, he is sure to make it count.
He will return to international cricket a month before the World Cup will start. Given the versatile batsman that he is, no one should be surprised if he is drafted straight away into the squad.
4.Joe Root
The skipper of the England Test team is a threat to any team and on any given conditions. Root is a fantastic player of spin and an even better player of the swinging ball. He has a calm head and is still very young at the moment.
He is very strong on the off-side of the field. He is an ideal batsman in the ODI and Test formats. He is one of the very few batsmen who possesses the talent to play according to the situation.
Some may doubt his T20 prowess but the fact is, his T20 strike rates have gone up along with his batting average. Joe is a fantastic leader to and more importantly, a reliable
5.David Warner
David Warner is the former vice-captain of the Australian team. He was given that post for a reason and that was because of his exploits with the bat.He is an elegant left-handed batsman who can accelerate in no time and score boundaries at his own will.
Warner's square cuts and pull shots are an absolute treat to watch. He has excelled in almost all conditions. After consistent failures in subcontinent conditions, he has started to perform there also. In Australia's series against Bangladesh in Bangladesh in 2017, he hit two centuries in the two-Test series. This shows that he focuses a lot on his game and strives to keep improving it.
Yes, he is serving a ban at the moment but once he is back into the international circuit, don't be surprised if he scores heavily again.
