Finest Batting Performances in the Champions Trophy

The Pakistan cricket team triumphed over India in the final of the Champions Trophy. In a tournament frequently plagued by rain delays, the action was far from dampened. While some dominated with the ball, others ruled with an iron bat. Here are some of the best performances by a batsman.

Hashim Amla, 103 vs Sri Lanka, Match 3, Group B

Hashim Amla fired in a century and was backed by Faf du Plessis who scored 75 runs. Amla send 5 deliveries toward the fence and sent 2 more balls airborne on his way to his century with a strike rate of 89.56. The punishment could have gone on even further but Sri Lanka got their revenge by running him out.

Joe Root, 133* vs Bangladesh, Match 1, Group A

In the very first match of the tournament, the hosts took on Bangladesh. Bangladesh batted first and set a target of 305. When it was their turn to bat, England were off to a shaky start with opener Jason Roy being dismissed for a single run. On came Joe Root at No. 3 to partner Alex Hales, together they set up a 150-run stand before Hales went out on 95. Root persevered and finished the job with Eoin Morgan, getting a century in the process. Root smashed 11 fours and a six in the onslaught amassing a strike rate of 103. 10.

Shakib Al Hasan, 114 vs New Zealand, Match 9, Group A

The Bangladesh bowlers managed to restrict New Zealand to 265 runs and then the batsmen took over. After a fairly slow start with a few wickets falling early, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad took the initiative and notched up a 224 run stand, the highest ever in the history of Bangladeshi cricket. Hasan would fall to Trent Boult late in the innings. But he did score 114 runs with 11 fours and a six in the innings with a strike rate of 99.13.

Mahmudullah Riyad, 102* vs New Zealand, Match 9, Group A

Supporting Hasan on the other end of the pitch Riyad notched up 102 with a strike rate of 95.32 with 8 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Together, the two of them took the fight to the Kiwis and in the process, struck a record partnership of 224 runs. Mahmudullah would remain not out for the remainder of the match and guided Bangladesh to victory.

Ben Stokes, 102 vs Australia, Match 10, Group A

The Australian team had put up 277 runs on the board and then the rain played spoilsport. a lengthy wait later, the Duckworth/Lewis method determined that England needed to score 201 to win. They did better than that, 240 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, as well as a century for Ben Stokes with a strike rate of 93.57 sealed the deal. Stokes’ partnership with Jos Buttler steered the hosts to victory.

Fakhar Zaman, 114 vs India, Final

Fakhar Zaman was the man of the hour for team Pakistan on Sunday. A mighty 114 against India meant that Pakistan had one hand on the trophy. That hand was nearly pried off when Zaman was taken on an outside edge off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah, but the young Indian had overstepped and Pakistan could breathe again. Zaman did not need a second invitation and went all out on the Indian bowlers. A strike rate of 107.54 confirmed that he was a man on a mission.

Sarfraz Ahmed, 61* vs Sri Lanka, Match 12, Group B

The captain Sarfraz Ahmed took the lead for this encounter and became the first Pakistan captain to score a half century while chasing in an ICC ODI match. Ahmed rounded out a successful chase with a score of 61 not out and a strike rate of 77.21. Ahmed battled hard and helped the team eke out a win over Sri Lanka. This victory meant that Sri Lanka were eliminated and Pakistan went through to the next stage of the tournament.