Picked for the Indian squad for the four-Test tour against the West Indies in 2016, KL Rahul played in the second Test at Jamaica and scored 158, his highest Test score then.
In the process, he became the first Indian opener to score a century in his debut Test in the West Indies.
In the first match of the T20I series in the United States, he scored a century off 46 balls in a losing cause, the second-fastest ever and fastest by an Indian. He also set the world record for being the only player to score a hundred in his first innings as an opener in both Tests and ODIs.
Rahul set the record for the fastest batsman to have scored centuries in all three formats in just 20 innings surpassing the record of Ahmed Shehzad who took 76 innings.
He is the first player in T20I history to score a century when batting at the number 4 position or lower (110*). On July 3, 2018, Rahul smashed his second T20 International ton against England. He is also the first Indian batsman to be dismissed hit-wicket in T20Is.
Full name: Kannaur Lokesh Rahul
Born: April 18, 1992, Bangalore, Karnataka (28)
Major teams: India, Bangalore Brigadiers (Urban), India Under-19s, India Under-23s, Karnataka, Karnataka State Cricket Association Colts XI, Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore, South Zone, Sunrisers Hyderabad
Playing role: Opening batsman
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
42 38 6 1461 110* 45.65 1000 146.10 2 11
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
131 118 21 4076 110* 42.02 2908 140.16 3 33
Quinton De Kock grew up as a baseball player and even considered a move to the United States, but his father convinced him to pursue cricket instead.
De Kock was contracted to the Lions in 2012-13 and caught the national selectors' eyes when he starred in a match-winning partnership with Neil McKenzie in the Champions League T20 against Mumbai Indians. He also finished fourth on the first-class rankings, despite playing only six of the 10 matches that summer.
He was selected for South Africa's T20I series against New Zealand in 2012-13 to keep wicket in place of AB de Villiers, who asked to be rested. But he did not make much of a first impression on the international stage. After a lean series in Sri Lanka in July 2013, he was dropped.
De Kock was eventually recalled and hit his stride in the shortest format, scoring his maiden half-century in the 2016 World T20. Along with two contributions in the 40s, he was South Africa's most successful batsman and was named to the ICC's team of the tournament.
Full name: Quinton de Kock - South Africa
Born: December 17, 1992, Johannesburg, Gauteng (27)
Major teams: South Africa, Cape Town Blitz, Cape Town Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils, Easterns, Gauteng, Gauteng Under-19s, King Edward VII High School, Lions, Mumbai Indians, North of South Africa, Royal Challengers Bangalore, South Africa A, South Africa Under-19s, South African Composite XI, South African Invitation XI, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Titans
Playing role: Wicketkeeper batsman
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
44 44 5 1226 79* 31.43 901 136.07 0 6
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
184 178 13 5510 126* 33.39 3978 138.51 4 31
Brutal and brilliant, Brendon McCullum is capable of destroying the best of bowling attacks.
A wicketkeeper-batsman, McCullum has been used throughout the New Zealand batting order, but whenever he arrives at the crease it's impossible to look away.
He was responsible for getting the IPL off to an electrifying start, lighting up the tournament's first match with 158 and showing what the format had to offer. And he reprised that style in Tests too - striking the fastest century in the format's history in his final match.
He also became the second man, after Chris Gayle, to score a Twenty20 international century when he brazenly scooped 155kph offerings from Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes over the wicketkeeper's head in Christchurch in 2009-10.
Full Name: Brendon Barrie McCullum
Born: September 27, 1981, Dunedin, Otago (38)
Major teams: New Zealand, Brisbane Heat, Canterbury, Chennai Super Kings, Glamorgan, Gujarat Lions, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lahore Qalandars, New South Wales, Otago, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sussex, Toronto Nationals, Trinbago Knight Riders, Warwickshire
Playing role: Wicketkeeper batsman
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
71 70 10 2140 123 35.66 1571 136.21 2 13
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
370 364 33 9922 158* 29.97 7269 136.49 7 55
Considered the greatest T20 batsman in history, Chris Gayle has been a dominant force in the format for more than a decade.
He is the proud holder of many records in T20 cricket including most centuries (22), fastest T20 century, most sixes, and highest individual score in a T20 match. He was also the first cricketer to score a century in all three formats of the game – Tests, ODIs and T20.
In 404 T20 matches, Gayle has scored 13,296 at an average of 38.20 with a fantastic strike rate of 146.94. In addition to his 22 centuries, Gayle has also score a whopping 82 50s as well.
The closest batsman to Gayle’s record of centuries in Twenty20 cricket (22) is Brendon McCullum who has 7 and 15 of his 22 T20 centuries have been not out.
Gayle’s success can be attributed in large part to his outstanding hand-eye coordination, which allows him to regularly hit even good-length deliveries for boundaries. No batsman has taken to the 20-over format like he has. He showed early signs of his liking for that format by smashing the first century in Twenty20 internationals - a 57-ball 117 against South Africa in the World Twenty20 in 2007 - and when Twenty20 leagues mushroomed the world over and sought international stars, Gayle was the biggest beneficiary.
Over two seasons - 2011 and 2012 - of the IPL, he became easily the most feared batsman of the league, smashing more hundreds and sixes than any other, by far. When he carted Pune Warriors all over the ground to score an unbeaten 175 in IPL 2013, it felt right that he should finally own the record for highest individual score, fastest century, and most sixes in a Twenty20 innings, because no batsman has dominated Twenty20 cricket like he has.
Full Name: Christopher Henry Gayle
Born: September 21, 1979, Kingston, Jamaica (40)
Major teams: West Indies, Balkh Legends, Barisal Burners, Chattogram Challengers, Chittagong Vikings, D Ganga's XI, Dhaka Gladiators, Dolphins, Hooper XI, ICC World XI, Jacobs XI, Jacques Kallis Invitational XI, Jamaica, Jamaica Tallawahs, Jozi Stars, Karachi Kings, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lahore Qalandars, Lions, Marylebone Cricket Club, Matabeleland Tuskers, Melbourne Renegades, Rangpur Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, RR Sarwan's XI, Somerset, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Stanford Superstars, Sydney Thunder, Vancouver Knights, West Indies Under-19s, Western Australia, Worcestershire.
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
58 54 4 1627 117 32.54 1139 142.84 2 13
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50
404 396 48 13296 175* 38.20 9048 146.94 22 82
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