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Follow UsThree teams are sitting comfortably ahead of the others on the points table. All three have a few things in common. Nothing more obvious than having an elite opener, hungry for success and at the peak of their power. All three are also the only openers in the competition with the experience of two World Cups previously.
India have Rohit Sharma, who has climbed into the Virender Sehwag bandwagon and has upgraded it with a better engine. The modified machine not only provides a superior acceleration but also loads better on mileage.
South Africa are reaping the rewards of Quinton de Kock’s last dance. With no worries about his ODI future, de Kock has hit as many tons (four) in the first seven games of this World Cup as South Africa’s leading century-maker in World Cups, AB de Villiers, hit across three editions.
For Australia, there is David Warner up top. No matter how woefully out-of-form he seemed in the build-up, Warner is a different beast come the World Cup. While Australia had to deal with the headache of Travis Head’s injury, a non-plussed Warner has carried the team with absolute authority.
Most openers are given the same memo: bat long, bat deep. But everyone has their own way of going about it. Their own way to quench their appetite. Their own reading of what is best for their team.
While Warner and de Kock have their similarities, Rohit has been on a journey of his own. At a strike rate of 122.8, Rohit has been the hardest striker among all but two openers. Head (151.9) and Fakhar Zaman (128.8) have gone even harder, but they have done so for only three knocks as compared to Rohit’s eight. Head has had only a solitary knock of substance.
The difference between Rohit’s strike rate and others in India’s top seven is 30. This is way higher than de Kock (1.9) and Warner (4.8). This implies that Rohit has batted at 1.8 runs per over quicker than others around him. This number is almost negligible for de Kock and Warner.
While Rohit has had the luxury of a bunch of anchors around him, de Kock and Warner have played as an anchor themselves. Thus, Rohit has had the highest strike rate among all the batters in his team while averaging 2.5 runs fewer (55.3 as compared to 57.8 of the rest of the top seven).
South Africa have four batters who have struck at a rate equal to or quicker than de Kock. But none has averaged higher. He has, thus, had an average of 27.3 runs higher than others in the top seven in his team.
Warner’s case is the most interesting. He has averaged 27.2 runs higher than the rest of Australia’s top seven. At a little better strike rate, as we mentioned above. But Glenn Maxwell has had a big say after that special knock against Afghanistan. If we exclude his numbers, Warner has averaged 27.2 runs higher with a strike rate of 15.2 more than others in the top seven. That is half as much as Rohit but with a way better average. It is fair to say that Warner and Maxwell have been carrying Australia’s batting in this tournament.
The situation with India might seem somewhat similar. If we take Virat Kohli out of the equation, the difference in the average of Rohit and others in the top seven gets bumped to 13.1. But the collective strike rate of the others in the top seven improves from 92.8 to 95.4. Moreover, the collective average of India’s top seven without Rohit and Kohli is a handy 42.1. For Australia, this is a paltry 27.3 without Warner and Maxwell.
The difference in roles becomes more visible when we look at the phase-wise numbers of the three openers. Rohit’s strike rate in powerplay of 130.5 is unmatched. He is averaging 88.3 in this phase, which points to his consistency too. Warner, averaging 51.8 at a strike rate of 109.5, has also been brilliant. In contrast, de Kock with a strike rate of 89.2 and an average 35.3 has taken time to get his motor running. But once set, he turns into a beast. His average and strike rate are upwards of 110 in overs 11-40. Warner has averaged in the mid-70s with a 100+ strike rate in this phase as well.
Rohit has not survived till the death overs in the World Cup to take that phase into consideration. Warner has also faced only nine balls in the last ten overs. On the other hand, de Kock has struck at a rate of 237.5 in that phase, bettered only by his countryman Aiden Markram (244.4).
Why Rohit takes the cake for the best opener of the World Cup 2023?
Looking at the overall numbers, it might seem like de Kock and Warner have had the best World Cup among openers. But when we introduce certain nuances, it becomes apparent that while the two have been prolific, their domination has not been as complete as Rohit’s.
First up is the stark contrast between the numbers of the two left-handers when they have batted first as compared to when they have chased.
In three games while batting second, de Kock has averaged 16.3, and Warner has averaged 14. Rohit’s case is the opposite, where he has had a better average while chasing (62.2) than batting first (43.7). However, the most crucial knock that Rohit has played so far was while batting first when India lost early wickets on a tricky surface in Lucknow against England.
The numbers of the three openers versus bowling types also establish Rohit’s authority. He has had a strike rate of 100+ against all bowling types except one. His strike rate against slow left-arm orthodox bowlers has still been at an impressive 91.7. More importantly, he has not been dismissed by them.
Quinton de Kock has had a 100+ strike rate against all bowling types except off-spin. Playing the match game with caution, he has struck at a slow strike rate of 79 but has yet been dismissed twice by them. Warner has had a strike rate of around 90 against two bowling types: off-spin and left-arm pace. But his strike rate to slow left-arm unorthodox has been only 66.7 with one dismissal. However, this is with a low sample size of only 12 balls.
The three of the most experienced openers in this World Cup have also been among the three best openers of the tournament, making changes to their game in accordance with the dynamics of their team. But the methods have been contrasting. While Rohit has had to shift a gear up, Warner and de Kock have had to give precedence to bat long.
