Shakib in the new six in the six

Shakib Al Hasan is the best T20 cricketer of the country. The point is so clear that the word 'arguable' need not be politely added here. Shakib is the best in the country but what is the best in the world? Shakib is still at the top of the ICC all-rounder ranking in T20. As such, he can be recognized as the best all-rounder in the world. But the reality is somewhat different.

International cricket is not all cricket anymore. A part of the discussion has to be reserved for franchise cricket. Where is Shakib in that discussion? Is it too much? Andre Russell and Moeen Ali's names don't seem to come up before Shakib in the discussion of the best all-rounder. Why?

Neither Russell nor Moeen is a better bowler than Shakib. New ball, old ball, there can be few bowlers in the cricket world who can bowl as well as Shakiber, a member of the team of the match. In a completely different place—power hitting, strike rate. Where they are far ahead of Shakib.

Think back to the 2014 IPL. Both Shakib and Russell were in the Kolkata team in the service's IPL. Although Russell was in the team, Shakib got a chance in the XI before him that season. Shakib played a major role in Kolkata winning the title with 227 runs and 11 wickets at a strike rate of 149.33 with Seba's bat. Russell has been able to play only two matches of the service. Despite such an all-round performance, not Shakib, but Russell was ahead in the race to get a place in the XI.

Not just ahead of Shakib, Russell's name was probably written in the first XI. Because, his strike rate. Do you know Russell's strikeout rate over the next four seasons after 2014? 192.90, 164.91, 184.80, 204.82. Russell had his worst strikeout rate since that season in 2020. That too is 144.44. Kolkata naturally assumed that all-rounder Russell was more important to them than Shakib. Despite this, Shakib played a major role in Kolkata's two titles.

Shakib has belatedly realized this fact since 2021. Maybe you've already tried it, getting results for several years. See what the statistics say. Shakib's strike rate in recognized T20s in 2021 was 106.46 in 31 innings. The following year it rose to 136.65, played in 32 innings. In 2023, Shakib scored 29 runs at a strike rate of 148.4.