Finishing a cricket match is a skill that not many players have. There are some extremely special players that know how to finish a match no matter the format. Usually more in white ball cricket the term finishing is used as in Test Cricket it is a 5 day match. There have been some great finishers across decades.
Let’s look at the Top 10 Greatest Finishers of all time in international cricket
1) Virat Kohli
The greatest finisher in the history of international cricket. Virat Kohli bats at number 3 for India and still he has finished more matches with his bat. He has an average of over 90 while finishing matches in ODI Cricket. Virat Kohli recently became the first batter to have 70 half centuries while chasing. He has a computer in his brain that knows how to chase down totals. He has hit hundreds while finishing matches. His 82* against Pakistan at Melbourne is an innings that will be up there when talking about the greatest finishing innings. He is still playing ODI Cricket and he will look to add to the legacy.
2) MS Dhoni
The second greatest finisher of all time is also an Indian. MSD is a man who bats lower down the order In ODI Cricket. He has over 10,000 ODI runs and has an average of 50 plus. He knows how to calculate a run chase and he takes the match till the last over. He knows that he can win any match in the last over. His greatest knock as a finisher is the 91* He made it to the 2011 World Cup Final. MSD has an average of nearly 100 in finishing matches in ODI Cricket. He was the calmest finisher of all time.
3) Michael Bevan
Before there were Virat Kohli and MSD, there was Michael Bevan from Australia. He is the OG Finisher in international cricket. He batted lower than 5 and he still has an average of 53.78 while batting in ODI Cricket. In the 1990s and 2000s, Australia was the best team in the world and a major reason for that was this man. He was an expert of rotating the strike and hitting boundaries when needed. He was the man who won matches for Australia from impossible situations.
4) AB De Villiers
This batter from South Africa is one of the modern era’s best batters. AB De Villiers excelled in all 3 formats of the sport. In Test Cricket he could bat for a day at a strike rate of less than 30 and then In white ball cricket he would smash the ball at a strike rate of over 100. He holds the record for achieving the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI history. He was a 360 degrees batter meaning he could hit the ball behind the back and in front equally well. He used to hit big scores to finish matches while batting from the start.
5) Michael Hussey
The second Australian Finisher in this list. Michael Hussey was the one who followed Michael Bevan. He started playing international cricket later in his career. He made up for the wait as he averaged a staggering 75.40 in successful run chases in ODI Cricket. Australia have always had players who could finish matches. He is known as Mr Cricket. Michael Hussey was not as powerful as some of the other Finishers. He would rely on less dot balls and taking ones and twos. He would anchor an innings and take Australia over the finish line.
6) Lance Klusener
The second South African finisher in this list. Lance Klusener is regarded as one of the best finishers of all time. He was also batting in the middle order and he had a strike rate of 89.92 which was very high for his era. Lance Klusener was one of the strongest built cricketers and he had an imposing aura. He would come to the match when the run rate required was very high and then he would use his force and hit boundaries to win the match. He did that very well in the 1999 World Cup.
7) Shahid Afridi
One of the greatest Finishers that Pakistan cricket has ever seen. Shahid Boom Boom Afridi was special. He had an overall strike rate of over 100 in international cricket. He was a player who thrived on chaos. He was not technically perfect but his ability to hit sixes at will and his ability to single handedly win a cricket match was incredible. His strike rate was so strong that he would require one over to change the match. He would not stop after hitting one six in an over. Shahid Afridi was one of the best all rounder Finishers.
8) Sir Viv Richards
Sir Viv Richards was the man. The greatest finisher in the 1980s. He was the man who would instill fear in every opposition he faced. He was so brilliant that his strike rate in ODI Cricket was over 90 when he played. Other players had a strike rate of less than 75. He was equally good in Test Cricket. Sir Viv Richards killed the run chase if he was there for more than 10 overs. He would smash so many fours and sixes that the West Indies would win the match. He was the inspiration for Sachin Tendulkar to take up batting. Sir Viv won 2 World Cups and came very close to winning a third.
9) Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler is one of the best finishers that England cricket has seen. He is still playing at the top level. Jos Buttler has one of the best strike rates in the last 10 overs in an ODI Match and in the last 5 overs in a T20I Cricket Match. Jos Buttler can bat as an anchor throughout the innings. He can also shift gears and provide an explosive finish to the innings. He has an ability to hit sixes especially against the spinners. He can hit scoop shots, reverse sweeps, and traditional cricket shots.
10) Javed Miandad
At number 10 is Javed Miandad. He was a Street Fighter. He was mentally tough and he would not be afraid to take the match to the last over and sometimes even the last ball of a match. He used to sledge opposition bowlers and Fielders to get the upper hand. He was one of the most dependable batters of Pakistan cricket. He had one of the most famous finishes in cricket history when he hit the last ball six against India in 1986 breaking the hearts of an entire nation. Javed Miandad became a cult hero after that day.
