12 Best Finisher in Cricket History
Best Finisher in Cricket History!!!
Cricket is one of the most popular/richest games on our planet that has over three billion global spectators, regarding all age groups.
Basically, the sport consists of eleven players playing as a batsman, bowler, all-rounder, and wicket-keeper.
Now, what is a finisher? A finisher is a batsman or striker who “finishes” the innings in the middle order, that in pressurized scenarios!
And an even bigger question, who are the best finishers in the history of cricket?
Even though the whole game is interesting and each player has significant roles, the finisher is a game-changer in cricket. The final outcome thus is undeniably fascinating and makes audiences go crazy.
Now to answer the very first question, we have compiled the 12 best finishers in cricket history. Get ready for some great shots delivered by these great batsmen!
Quick Overview
Here is a quick overview of the 12 best finishers in the history of cricket!
| Rank | Best Finishers | Country |
| 1. | MS Dhoni | India |
| 2. | AB De Villiers | South Africa |
| 3. | Abdul Razzaq | Pakistan |
| 4. | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan |
| 5. | Micheal Bevan | Australia |
| 6. | Viv Richards | West Indies |
| 7. | Lance Klusener | South Africa |
| 8. | Michael Hussey | Australia |
| 9. | Jos Buttler | England |
| 10. | Javed Miandad | Pakistan |
| 11. | Virat Kohli | India |
| 12. | Kieron Pollard | West Indies |
Best Finisher in Cricket History
#12. Kieron Pollard
The West Indies player Keiron Poland is counted as one of the best players. Pollard has set several great records while playing both inside his country and outside.
Moreover, he is an all-rounder while being the best hitter in cricket. Everyone loves how sheerly Pollard hits the ball out of the park!
The man performed magnificently during the 2009 Champions League and the Australian Big Bash. Likewise, he was one of the most sought players in the IPL Auction of 2010.
Also, the right-hand batsman is one of the most-paid players in T20 cricket tournaments.
In 2010, Kieron Pollard joined Mumbai Indians of IPL, after which he rose to even higher prominence.
To detail, the man has a record of 75 runs in ICC T20. Likewise, in 171 IPL games, Pollard has scored 3157 runs in total with making 16 half-centuries.
#11. Virat Kohli
The world-famous Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is also a former captain of the Indian national team.
Kohli made his first appearance for India in 2008’s ODI. The right-handed batsman rose to popularity after leading the Indian team to victory in 2008’s Under 19 Cricket World Cup.
Moreover, Kohli is also a team captain for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (RCB). And for the domestic tournament, he plays for Delhi.
The man is adored by everyone in the world of cricket for being one of the best batsmen and also for the fact he is the most successful test skipper India has seen yet.
Likewise, he scored a century just in 52 balls when India was playing against Australia in 2013.
The man also holds a record for being one of the fastest batsmen in ODI, making 8,000, 9,000, 11,000, and 12,000 runs.
The versatile batsman has secured some of the finest records in the history of cricket- 937 points for the test match, 911 points for ODI, and 897 points for T20 International.
#10. Javed Miandad
Javed Miandad is a Pakistani cricket coach and a commentator. Miandad is a former batsman and widely regarded as one of the best Pakistan has.
Miandad was only 16 years old when he made his debut, and at that very first attempt, he scored 50 runs. An absolute legend!
The cricketer retired from test cricket in 1990. However, he is a legend forever known for his unique style of captaincy and batting.
The right-handed batsman sported a skill for hitting the ball in every gap, maintaining the optimal position and angle. Likewise, he is also remembered for his reverse sweep.
In the span of six World Cup Tournaments, the legendary batsman secured 1083 runs in 33 games.
Did you know? Javed Miandad was ranked 44th on the list of finest cricketers by ESPN Legends of Cricket.
The man has an influential impact on the Pakistan team and continues being a coach for them.
#09. Jos Buttler
Joseph “Jos” Buttler is renowned as one of the world’s greatest top white-ball batsmen. He plays for England and is currently the vice-captain of England’s ODI and T20 International matches.
Moreover, Buttler is equally good at wicket-keeping and is considered one of the most versatile players in cricket.
Not only that, but this great player has constantly been improving with every game that today, he is counted as the ninth-best finisher in the world.
For the fact that he can read and manipulate the field placements of the opposite team while hitting the ball from all over the field, he is also called a “360-degree” cricketer.
Jos has a record of an average 39.7 score in ODI and a strike rate of 116.97.
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#08. Michael Hussey (Mike Hussey)
The Australian cricket coach, commentator, and former cricketer Mike Hussey stands on the eighth position in the list of best finishers in cricket history.
The left-handed cricket player is also known as “Mr. Cricket.” Moreover, Mike is also a great left-handed batter in baseball.
Michael Hussey made his debut at the age of 19 years old for Western Australia. Since then, the former cricket player has made a big contribution to Australian cricket, both internationally and domestically.
Likewise, Hussey made 711 runs in 26 innings in ODI cricket. This score included four half-centuries and 50 run-chases.
#07. Lance Klusener
Lance Klusener is a former South African cricketer and cricket coach who is known for his swing bowling and aggressive hitting.
The fantastic left-handed batsman holds the seventh position in the list of best finishers of the world. Well, his exceptional cricket qualities totally justify this ranking.
Moreover, Klusener had the greatest wicket average of 8/64.
Similarly, Lance scored 1,906 runs in 49 international matches with a maximum score of 174. Last but not the least, the man has scored 3,576 runs in ODI.
Did you know? Lance can speak Zulu so fluently, so he is also recognized as “Zulu.”
#06. Viv Richards
Viv Richards or Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is an Antiguan cricketer who is known as the greatest batsman in cricket history.
The man played for West Indies from 1974 to 1991. Moreover, the world often remembers him along with the God of Cricket, the Indian retired player Sachin Tendulkar.
One of the major reasons for considering Viv as the best finisher in cricket is his ability to influence any match’s outcome.
Like Mike Hussey, Richards also made his debut at the age of 19, and ever since, he has become a crowd favorite. Everybody loved him for his reckless demeanor and great batting abilities.
Now talking about the stats, this great batsman has won 27 out of 50 Test matches during his captaincy for West Indies.
Likewise, Viv has bagged over 36,000 runs in first-class matches and over 7,000 runs in ODI.
Currently, he works as a cricket commentator and team mentor. And if you did not already know, Viv Richards is also an OBE (Order of the British Empire).
#05. Michael Bevan
In the fifth position of best finishers in the world, we have the former Australian cricketer Michael Gwyl Bevan.
As a matter of fact, the man is credited for inventing the art of match finishing as he always played calmly and had a sheer talent to pull his crew out of any dangerous match situation.
Bevan is a left-handed batsman and also bowls wrist-spin with his left arm. During 1996 and 1999, Australia won two out of three World Cups in which Michael served with great excellence.
Bevan played in a total of 232 ODI matches. In December 2002, The Wisden Guide also ranked him as the fifth-greatest ODI batsman in the world.
Similarly, Michael Bevan also earned the title of “Greatest Finisher.”
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#04. Shahid Afridi
Another gem in the history of cricket!
The full name of Shahid Afridi is Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi. To add more, he is a former Pakistani cricketer.
Regarded as one of the most popular and aggressive cricketers in the world, Shahid is an all-rounder bowling a leg-spin and hitting ferociously.
Afridi rose to popularity in the ODI cricket match, where he started as an aggressive batter and later as a great finisher.
Moreover, he also earned the nickname “Boom Boom” for the fact he was unstoppable.
Afridi once scored two consecutive sixes changing the fate of Pakistan against India in the Asia Cup.
Likewise, the Pakistani batsman made 1,716 runs in the 27 test matches he played.
#03. Abdul Razzaq
Abdul Razzaq is one of the few cricketers in the world who has competed in all formats of the game.
The Pakistani cricketer debuted at the age of 17 and stepped into international cricket in 1996. To detail, Razzaq is a fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman.
The Pakistani batsman has an ability to swing the ball both ways, making him one of the best all-rounders Pakistan has seen.
Abdul could make long-range shooting and had some exceptional abilities with which he often took down any challenge during the death overs.
In 2005, Razzaq made 47 runs in just 11 balls when they were playing against England. In the history of cricket, Abdul Razzaq is forever remembered as the most dominant and dangerous batter.
Did you know? Abdul Razaaq was only 20 years old when he hit a hat-trick against Sri Lanka? This accomplishment made him the youngest player to achieve this in the history of test cricket.
#02. AB De Villiers
In number second, we have AB De Villiers as the best finisher in the history of cricket.
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers or AB De Villiers played cricket for 17 years before he announced his retirement from cricket in 2021.
The former South African cricketer was also a great gem in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he played in the team RCB along with Virat Kohli.
Moreover, de Villiers was honored with the title Greatest of All Time (GOAT) by the Star Sports jury of the IPL.
The legend is known to break the record and has already made some like the fastest 50, 100, and 150 runs in ODI.
No matter which team or league he played, he always was a prolific run-scorer and the greatest finisher.
Looking at the stats, AB has 53.65 in ODIs and 52.09 in Test matches.
#01. MS Dhoni
Let’s hear it for our top biggest finisher in the world of cricket- Mahendra Singh Dhoni or The “Captain Cool”!
The middle-order batsman and a wonderful wicketkeeper, Dhoni, led the Indian national cricket team as a captain from 2007 to 2017.
The man is known for completing near-death run chases in a calm and composed manner, making him the best finisher in the history of cricket.
Moreover, MS Dhoni is the second-richest cricketer in the world, right after Sachin Tendulkar.
Dhoni has garnered 2,556 runs, including 19 half-centuries and a century.
A cricket enthusiast will never forget the history MS Dhoni made in the 2011 World Cup final when he finished the match with a brilliant sixer and led India to lift the trophy after 28 years!
Furthermore, he is the only captain to win all three ICC trophies (2007, 2011, and 2013).
Dhoni has retired from international cricket but still leads his IPL team Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
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