Finishing the game for your team is one of the most challenging tasks for anyone while having the bat in hand. Everything from the momentum, the scoring rate and wickets in hand have to be considered for making the best of permutations and combinations that would take the team across the finishing line, whether it is while chasing, or setting up a total for the opposition. World cricket all over the years has witnessed names like MS Dhoni and Michael Bevan perform their duties in this role beyond perfection.

Players in this role are tested in the best possible ways, in terms of their abilities and the ones who pass, become the fan favourites instantly. And in spite of all the difficulties that are associated with this role, there is no shortage of incoming talent at any point in time. So, here’s a look at five such names, who are the best in the business of finishing the innings in world cricket right now.

Top 5 finishers at the moment in international cricket

5. Glenn Maxwell

The 31-year-old batting all-rounder from Australia, Glenn Maxwell, since his induction into the Australian cricket team has made sure that the opposition captain never gets a moment of peace whenever he is on the crease, hitting the ball with disdain. And, when it is told that he hits the ball all over the ground, he literally does.

Maxwell’s hitting prowess has earned him the name ‘Big Show’ among his fans and the cricket community. He has the skills to hit the most unorthodox shots and hit the ball right in the middle of his bat. He has enjoyed a lot of success with the bat, especially while batting lower down the order, making sure that his team gets through the inning with a great finish.

And, this reflects in his records and stats. For the Aussies in white-ball cricket, he has scored 4453 runs in 154 innings, most of which have come while finishing the innings. He is ranked as the 5th best all-rounder in T20Is and holds the 32nd position in the One-Day rankings.

Maxwell, being a bowler himself, also adds to his abilities to predict the next move of his opponent when he has the bat in hand, making him even more lethal. All of this makes him a finisher for having whom in his team, any captain would be ready to give his everything.

4. Andre Russell

The big and muscular hitter from the Caribbean, Andre Russell has made sure that fans and players all over the globe are aware of his abilities. He has travelled across the world and has appeared almost in every possible T20 league to make a name for himself. For his national side though, his journey has been a little kind of a roller coaster ride. But he has managed to keep himself together in the toughest of times and made a return into the team after two years.

Russell’s run in cricket has seen its share of controversies, but he has made it a point every time that it does not affect his performance on the field. He has over a thousand runs, in just 56 innings in ODIs, and over 500 runs in his 41 T20I innings. And, all of this has come while he was assigned the duty to finish the game for his team. In spite of the fact that he is known for his abilities to hit the ball out of the park, he can slow down his scoring rate whenever needed and play the anchor role for his team.

Russell’s versatility, combined with the fact that on his day, he can toy with the bowlers whenever he wants, makes him a lethal finisher. But, he will have to play more international cricket, in order to establish himself in the international circuit.

3. David Miller

‘Killer Miller’ the name given to David Miller, by the cricketing community tells a lot about his style of play when he is the field. When he has the piece of willow in his hand owing to the intensity of his style of play, it feels as if one is watching a Spartan soldier, swinging his sword with his full strength.

Since his debut, the southpaw has established his reputation in white-ball cricket for South Africa and has time and again prove the catchphrase, “If it’s in the V, it’s in the tree; if it’s in the arc, it’s out the park”, which he popularised himself, right. His numbers across formats give the true essence of his exploits in international cricket while lurking around the latter half of the South African batting order and feasting on the balls in the death overs.

In his 114 ODI innings, Miller has scored 3231 runs, at an average of 40.39 and a strike rate of 100.62, which is not at all bad. T20I cricket has also seen a great exhibition of Miller’s abilities. The 30-year-old had played 68 innings for South Africa in T20Is and has scored 1409 runs while maintaining a strike rate of 138.41.

Miller has no doubt made his stay in the South African team worth, but he has also time and again garnered some unwanted criticism, which he has done a good job of ignoring and doing what he does the best, that is, to hit the ball and score runs. While he may not be able to hit the ball for a maximum from his first delivery, but once he gets his eyes set, stopping the flow of runs becomes a tough task.

2. Jos Buttler

A safe pair of hands behind the wickets and a safe one to be given the bat too, when the team has a good momentum to build on, Jos Buttler’s rise in international cricket to the level he is at today, has been a great sight to look at. One of the most celebrated wicket-keeper batsmen in world cricket at this time, Buttler along with the team’s captain, Eoin Morgan gave a new face to English cricket and the way the team used to play.

The deputy of Morgan in the 2015 World Cup, Buttler led the charge for England in their period of reform which came after their early exit from the tournament that year. He has been sowing seeds that have reaped high-quality results for him over the years. A vital cog in the team’s first-ever World Cup win in 2019, Buttler has made sure that he along with his mate, Ben Stokes get England across the line whenever the top order gets wiped out, either after a good start or early in the innings.

His numbers too reflect his batting capabilities as England’s finisher, batting in the middle order for the team. In the 252 International matches he has played for England, he has scored a total of 7304 runs while maintaining a strike rate in excess of 100 in white-ball cricket.

1. Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes’ career in the last couple of years, has seen an astronomical rise. Especially with the bat, be it the white ball version of the sport, or the one played with the red cherry, Stokes has made his stay on the crease count in almost all of his innings. Hero of England’s win in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, his innings in the finals, was one of the best examples of his finishing abilities.

After that, in the Ashes too, he proved that with the bat in hand, no score is too big for Stokes. He has afterwards on several occasions, held the charge for England’s attack in the latter half of the innings and has made sure that his team gets past the finish line every time he is one the crease. Be it holding on to one end of the crease, or attack the bowlers ruthlessly, Stokes has perfected it all.

Just like some of his counterparts on the list, he is also a bowler, which makes it easier for him to predict what would be his opponent’s next delivery in crunch moments. And, based on that he makes sure that he gives the required treatment to every ball that comes his way.