This is my list of the 20 most naturally talented batsmen of all time, possessing the highest levels of creative genius. The ranking and selection are highly subjective. Several greater batsmen have been omitted because innovation and creative imagination—rather than overall merit or statistical supremacy—are the sole criteria. The list is ranked in terms of the ability to manufacture strokes and dismantle bowling attacks.
1. Rohan Kanhai – The most inventive of all right-handed batsmen, Kanhai possessed a magical array of strokes, including a falling hook shot entirely of his own creation. He transcended unexplored horizons of batting wizardry, unmatched even by Bradman in sheer inventiveness.
2. Brian Lara – No left-hander ever took the art of batting to such surreal realms. Lara single-handedly carried weak sides and produced some of cricket’s most dramatic turnarounds. Even in crisis, his attacking instincts remained unrestrained.
3. Victor Trumper – Majestic on wet wickets, Trumper could amass runs with breathtaking speed. Though his average of 39 appears modest, he had no equal on damp tracks, including Bradman.
4. Vivian Richards – No batsman symbolised attacking aggression with such intensity and explosiveness. Richards reduced the most lethal pace attacks to dust with audacity and ruthlessness rarely witnessed.
5. Donald Bradman – Averaging 99.94 and scoring 29 centuries in just 52 Tests, Bradman’s feats transcended comprehension. He represented a cricketing machine, seemingly programmed for run-making beyond human limits.
6. Walter Hammond – One of the most majestic drivers and hookers of all time, Hammond frequently escalated dominance to near-mythical proportions.
7. Sachin Tendulkar – Possibly the most complete batsman ever, flawless through the ‘V’ and blessed with supreme timing. No one broke records at such a tender age or climbed statistical heights so meteoric. His finest Test and ODI innings approached perfection.
8. Everton Weekes – No batsman punished bowlers more clinically. His 779 runs in India in 1948 exemplified relentless dominance. When hooking, pulling, and cutting, he resembled Bradman incarnate.
9. Denis Compton – Like a musical composer at the crease, Compton produced dazzling strokes seemingly improvised. When charging down the wicket, he looked like a musician experimenting with rhythm and flair.
10. David Gower – No left-hander stroked the ball with such effortless elegance. In full flow, Gower conquered the finest pace bowlers, caressing the ball with sublime touch. He symbolised left-handed batting artistry rarely scaled.
11. Barry Richards – The most complete opening batsman ever, combining flawless technique with merciless aggression. Had apartheid not curtailed his career, he might have ranked among the greatest of all time.
12. Graeme Pollock – Possessing the second-highest Test batting average, Pollock was a supreme wizard on difficult wickets. Though not as mercurial as Sobers, he was often more effective and inventive.
13. Garfield Sobers – He would merit selection on batting alone. Sobers elevated batting domination to surreal zones, blending explosive power with supreme technical skill—the most complete left-hander ever.
14. Colin Cowdrey – On his day, Cowdrey countered the most treacherous pitches and lethal bowlers. His innings of 102 out of 191 at Melbourne in 1954, 97 and 11 at Kingston in 1959–60, and 151 against Australia in 1975 facing Jeff Thomson at his fastest proved his class against extreme pace.
15. Martin Crowe – Possibly played Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis better than even Lara or Tendulkar. He fused strategy against speed and movement with rare coherence. His average does not reflect his true merit; he averaged over 60 against Australia.
16. Javed Miandad – Though outwardly extravagant, Miandad improvised with stunning imagination. His pull shot carried touches of genius, and he manipulated gaps like a wizard. A master of playing late and the ultimate crisis batsman.
17. Gundappa Vishwanath – The supreme exponent of touch batting. His feather-light strokes sent the ball racing to the ropes. His late cut and square cut deserve museum preservation, bisecting the most impregnable fields. He often outshone Sunil Gavaskar on fast and difficult wickets.
18. Virender Sehwag – No batsman of his era produced such staggering scores at such blistering strike rates. Sehwag resembled a reincarnation of Viv Richards, manufacturing strokes with boundless imagination. Beyond triple centuries on flat tracks, he also produced masterpieces on difficult pitches, such as his 201 against Sri Lanka on a turning track and 84 against England at Kolkata in 2008–09.
19. AB de Villiers – Like an acrobat at the crease, de Villiers resurrected domination to its pinnacle, producing some of the most explosive and defining innings in modern cricket.
20. Majid Khan – Among the finest hook-shot exponents of his time after Viv Richards, and a master on bad wickets. At his best, he matched the heights of Viv and Barry Richards, making the ball obey him. His 156 at Swansea against Worcestershire in 1969 on a difficult pitch redefined batting experimentation.
Notable omissions, who could easily have made the list, include Greg Chappell, Frank Worrell, VVS Laxman, Kumar Sangakkara, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Ricky Ponting, Joe Root, Sanath Jayasuriya, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and several others.
It may appear strange that Bradman does not top the list, but in my view he did not equal the imaginative powers of Kanhai, Trumper, or Lara. Similarly, although Barry Richards and Garfield Sobers may rank higher overall, they did not, in my opinion, match the natural artistry of David Gower. The order is highly debatable, with barely a whisker separating many of them.
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Freelance journalist
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