Top 10 player rankings
It has been a couple weeks since posting my thoughts on a single catch-all measure of player value. Here is the approach in action, my rankings of the top players globally, in terms of batting performance and bowling performance
Broadly speaking, the rankings below are based on an average of past performances. The 'value' figures represent the expected contribution of each player, in terms of runs, over and above the average IPL player. To fully understand the details it would be best to read my previous posts
For example, the table below suggests that Chris Lynn is worth 8.3 runs more than an average IPL batsman. This figure draws on every game in his career but is weighted to more recent performances and probably represents a decent best guess as to his current value. However, I wanted to capture a sense of which players are ‘hot’ right now and so I have included a couple of extra statistics. I have also included the same Runs Added statistic, but only using data from the past year, and from the past 3 years. The final rankings are based on a merged combination of all three
Not everything is accounted for in these figures. The values are adjusted for venue and the level of competition. The reduced opportunity for tail-enders to contribute with the bat and the level of workload imposed on each bowler are not taken into account. Between the top players, these adjustments would make little difference, if any at all
Lynnsanity has been quantified. And it tops the rankings. Lynn has the highest career value among active players, he has had the most successful past three years, and his last 12 months have been supersonic. Enough said
We have some old hands in the next four spots before the new Windies messiah, Evin Lewis, arrives at #6. He is the youngest in the top 10 and is rightly the hottest prospect yet to sign with an IPL team
Just below him comes Hashim Amla. I am slightly surprised to see him so high. He is responsible for some of the most frustratingly pedestrian innings in T20 history, with a tendency in the past to occupy the crease for far too long without scoring. But his ability to last into the middle overs more than compensates for a fairly average strike rate
Glenn Maxwell, next up, is also worth highlighting. Of all the players in my list, he bats furthest down the order. Boy does he make the most of it. His strike rate (161) stands out like a sore thumb even in a list comprising the best T20 players in world
Skipping over Kohli (he’s another pretty good batsman), the last player in the list is Adam Lyth. His career rating (+1.7 runs) is the lowest in the top 10 – mainly because he is heavily penalised for playing exclusively in the Blast. His past 12 months are what get him into the list, featuring that record-breaking effort against Northamptonshire
Sunil Narine and Rashid Khan are in a close battle for the top spot in the bowling rankings. The former has the greater body of work and the proof on the biggest stage (and he can bat). The latter has youth on his side and could still be getting even better. In the end, with such heavy weighting on recent performances, the Afghan edges it
Don’t be too alarmed by Mustafizur’s negative rating in the last year – it is based on just two performances during an injury riddled season. The fact that he even makes the list is testament to an incredible start to a fledgling T20 career. And as a quick, his abilities at the death should further increase his value to teams. Although the injury could be a concern in a world of brittle pace bowlers
Jaydev Unadkat is an interesting inclusion on the list. More so that with the batsman, the list is heavily (overly) influenced by the recent past. Some impressive feats of wicket-taking in 2017 earn him a place in the top 10 despite relatively more ordinary career stats
Another player buoyed by recent history is Benny Howell. With 40 wickets in the last two seasons and a sub-6 economy in the most recent T20 Blast, he has had a brilliant two years. Again, if we were ranking based on entire careers, he wouldn’t come close to making the top 10. His overall stats would not be impressive enough to overcome playing in one of the weaker domestic competitions in the world