2019 was a breakout year for England’s Tom Banton, with people even comparing his batting style to the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Jos Buttler. Banton was only 21 and was rightly being touted as the next big thing in English cricket, especially in the 20-over format.
The right-handed batter produced super impressive T20 numbers in 2019, slamming 685 runs across 18 innings at an average of 38.06 and a strike rate of 164.3. It was in England’s T20 Cup where Banton made a name for himself.
The year got even better when he was handed a T20I debut against New Zealand and played a couple of exciting cameos. The entire world seemed at his feet, and it looked like Banton’s graph would only go higher and higher. But we all know how this sport works.
The young batter faced the harsh reality of cricket the very next year, and from being the next big thing, Banton started falling into oblivion. From 2020 to 2022, Banton featured in 76 T20s and scored 1439 runs at an average of 19.45 and a strike rate of 135.8.
During this period, Banton was dropped from England’s white-ball set-ups. The right-hander was equally bad against pace and spin and soon began getting abandoned by the top franchise leagues. Banton’s career was heading towards ‘what could have been’, but instead of giving up, the batter went back to the drawing board and worked on his game.
And the results began reflecting in 2023. Banton set the Vitality Blast 2023 on fire, smashing 468 runs @ 31.2 and a strike rate of almost 150. He showed signs of coming back to form in 2023 but was still far away from his best. However, everyone once again started taking notice of Banton.
It was him announcing to the world that he was far from done. Then came the International League T20 (ILT20) 2024, where Dubai Capitals picked him. The batter managed 169 runs across five innings @ 33.8. Banton didn’t hit a single fifty but posted four 35-plus scores.
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The runs started flowing from Banton’s willow, and his confidence kept getting better and better. In the Vitality Blast 2024, Banton hammered 515 runs @ 46.82 and a strike rate of 151. He ended the competition as the fifth-highest run-getter but had to miss the grand finale because of an injury, which he sustained during Somerset’s County Championship game against Surrey.
That’s right, Banton also had his best year with the bat in red-ball cricket in 2024. Last season, he amassed 891 runs at an average of almost 50. He ended the season with an ankle injury but that didn’t stop him from playing the best knock of his career in what was a very important game against Surrey.
Banton hit 132 in the first innings and then in the second essay, batting on one leg and at No. 11, he scored 46 off 65 deliveries. Thanks to him, Somerset beat Surrey by 111 runs and kept their championship hopes alive, at least for a while.
That red-ball season did a world of good for Banton and he is looking like a completely different beast in the ongoing ILT20 2025, where he is playing for MI Emirates. Banton commenced the edition with a score of 7 but made an impact in the next fixture, smashing 74 off 52 against his former team, Dubai Capitals.
Banton’s best was yet to come, and that came against Sharjah Warriorz in Sharjah on January 19. Chasing a target of 177, MI lost Muhammad Waseem in the third over, and in came Banton at No.3. What followed was complete chaos, with Banton tonking 10 fours and six maximums in his 55-ball 102*.
He registered his third hundred of his T20 career and also became the fourth batter to slam a century in the ILT20 after Shai Hope (Dubai Capitals), Alex Hales (Desert Vipers) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Sharjah Warriors).
"In my first eight or nine balls, I was on zero. It's funny how cricket works sometimes. It was a really good wicket. I struggled for 25 balls. I have a better understanding of my game than a few years ago,” said Banton after his century.
This season, Banton has upped his game against spin, striking at almost 170 without getting dismissed. Amongst batters who have scored more than 40 runs against spin in the ILT20 2025, Banton and Gulbadin Naib are the only ones with a strike rate of more than 140.
He admits he has a “better understanding” of the game than he did a few years ago, and it’s reflected in his batting. Banton’s resurgence has well and truly begun, and a couple more solid knocks in the ILT20 2025, followed by more good outings in other upcoming T20 competitions, could put him right back in the reckoning for the 2026 T20 World Cup.