Dawid Malan

Born in Roehampton in London but raised in South Africa, Dawid Malan is one of those late bloomers in international cricket who has realized his dream of playing for England at a rather late age. Having made his first-class debut for Boland in the 2005-06 season Boland, it was Malan’s consistent run in the English T20 Championship that paved way for his international debut against South Africa in 2017 and he responded with a breathtaking 78 of 44 deliveries. 

He smashed a sensational maiden century against Northamptonshire but it was the T20 knock of 103 of 51 against Lancashire which helped him make himself a permanent member in the England Performance Squad in November 2008. He was in his early 20’s and the then skipper described the knock as the best he has ever seen from a 20-year-old batsman. 

Having plied his trade for Middlesex in the County Championship, Malan has been a prolific run-scorer for them despite averaging in the late ’30s in first-class cricket. He has been around the circuit for a long time and his experience has helped Middlesex perform admirably. Malan despite being in the set-up for a long time hasn’t quite impressed on a consistent basis in the first-class circuit. It was only in 2014 that he managed to average more than 40 in a first-class season.In his debut T20I that Malan announced the world of his hard-hitting abilities and was awarded Man of the Match for his outrageous knock of 78 of 44. England’s struggle in the middle order meant that Malan managed to break into the middle order for the Tests against South Africa. However, his Test returns have been pretty ordinary. However, he has emerged as the top-ranked T20I batsman and will look to hold onto his position. 

Malan did perform admirably during the 2017-18 Ashes when England was drubbed 4-0. He smashed his maiden Test ton at the WACA and also scored half-centuries on three other occasions. However, his hard-hitting abilities make him more suitable for T20’s and his record in the format speaks for it.

Malan’s exploits in New Zealand in 2020 gained him a re-entry in the top three spots in the T20I rankings. Having kept his place in the rankings since then, Malan grabbed the top spot displacing the talented Babar Azam after the end of the Australia series. 

The flamboyant stroke maker was picked by the Punjab Kings ahead of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League for a price tag of INR 1.5 crores. Despite being the number one batsmen in the shortest format, he couldn't break into the XI for the Mohali-based franchise but finally got his opportunity against Delhi Capitals replacing the struggling Nicholas Pooran. 

The perfect pick for the middle-order, Malan likes to anchor the innings which he has done successfully in the past. A top-class player of spin bowling, he will be utilized to full potential in the upcoming T20 World Cup held in subcontinent conditions.

(As of June 2021)