Dwayne Bravo certainly has the credentials to be named the best T20 player of his generation. He is one of the most experienced players going around the world with 456 matches played in various T20 leagues and is second on the list of most T20 games played by an individual with Kieron Pollard currently on the top with 502 matches.
During his career, he has won 31 Man of the Match awards for his all-round performances on the field and is tied on the seventh spot for the most Man of the Match awards by a player. So, is he the G.O.A.T of T20 cricket? Let’s find out.
MOST WICKETS BY ANY PLAYER
In his 456 matches, ‘Champion’ Bravo has bowled 8893 balls in T20 cricket, which makes him the most experienced bowler by over 1000 deliveries in the world. It’s the experience which makes all the difference for the Trinidadian. With 498 wickets so far in his career, Bravo is the highest wicket-taker in this format and soon will become the first man to take 500 T20 wickets in the world. That’s Muralidharan-esque in T20 bowling. The next best is Lasith Malinga and he is over 100 shy of Dwayne Bravo’s record.
Out of his 498 wickets, 279 wickets have come between overs 17 and 20; the most by any bowler in this phase of the game. These wickets slow the run rate down of the opposition and more often than not, the batting team falls short of their desired total due to the flurry of wickets Bravo takes at the death. His control over his variations is exemplary. The ability to mix up his pace and nail his yorkers makes him difficult to slog away in the final stage of the innings.
Wherever Bravo plays, he tops the wicket-taking charts. He has been the leading wicket-taker in the 2009 Champions League T20, in the Indian T20 League in 2013 and 2015, the ongoing Caribbean Premier League in 2015 and 2016, the Bangladesh Premier League in 2016-17 and the Big Bash League in 2017-18. Wherever Dwayne Bravo goes, he conquers.
HIS BATTING OFTEN GOES UNDER THE RADAR
His success with the ball has overshadowed Dwayne Bravo’s batting performances over the years. He is no mug with the bat either and his record tells us what a genuine bowling all-rounder should look like. He has scored 6313 runs in T20 cricket and is more than a handy finisher on his day. Just take the first match of the 2018 Indian T20 League for example. Chasing 166 at the Wankhede, Chennai were 75/5 after 12 overs when Bravo walked out in the middle. He batted with the tail and pulled off an impossible win for his team. He scored 68 off mere 30 deliveries and gave his team the first win of the tournament, which Chennai eventually went on to win.
Not just with the bat and the ball, Bravo is electric on the field and his contribution on the field is invaluable. To top all of that will be his dance moves on and off the cricket field. Wherever Dwayne Bravo goes he lightens up the mood and ups the entertainment quota. ‘Champion’ Bravo has won 13 major championships all across the globe and is a serial winner in the T20 world. Is he the G.O.A.T? We believe, yes.
Read: Biggest Stars to Look Out For in CPL 2020
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