ICC World Cup: Is Shimron Hetmyer trump card of Windies?
What's the story
The ongoing IPL has seen a couple of cricketers enjoying a career-defining campaign.
With the World Cup fast approaching, most of the players do have a point to prove.
Last night, Windies batsman Shimron Hetmyer came up with a scintillating performance to help Royal Challengers Bangalore finish on a high.
Here, we analyze Hetmyer's role in the upcoming mega event.
The story
Hetmyer's boisterous 75 helps Bangalore dash Hyderabad's hopes
The last night's tie looked like a winnable game for Sunrisers Hyderabad, courtesy their decent batting and bowling in the power-play, but Hetmyer had other ideas.
It was his boisterous knock of 47-ball 75, resulting in a 144-run stand for the fourth wicket with Gurkeerat Singh, that allowed RCB to down SRH.
RCB ended their campaign with five wins and eight losses.
IPL 2019
Hetmyer had an average IPL 2019 campaign
Hetmyer did not have the best of the starts in IPL this season.
Having played just five matches, he scored 90 runs at a below-par average of 18 and a strike-rate of 123.28.
However, despite his poor campaign, his knock against SRH showed glimpses of his magic, especially against spin.
He would go into the World Cup 2019 with confidence.
U-19 star
Hetmyer rose to fame with U-19 World Cup win
Hetmyer's rise came during the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup, where he played two crucial knocks, as his side lifted the silverware.
However, with his inconsistency in the international circuit, he is yet to do justice to his talent.
Notably, he did play a pivotal role in the World Cup qualification campaign of Windies.
This term, he would look to put in commendable shifts.
ODI form
Hetmyer's lack of English experience makes him vulnerable
Considering Hetmyer's ODI form in recent past, he has been way too inconsistent.
In the past 10 matches, he has scored only 183 runs at an average of 26.14 in nine innings, which also includes a century.
Moreover, he is yet to play an ODI in England, which would make him vulnerable in the swinging conditions.
The bowlers will look to target the same.
Author's take
Hetmyer can be a success, provided he plays with maturity
Apart from Chris Gayle, Windies would depend on Hetmyer to lay the foundation in the tournament.
His performance against India, away from home, proved that he is a rare talent who can rule the international circuit.
However, his lack of experience and the pressure of playing in the biggest tournament can hamper his campaign.
He can be a success if he plays with maturity.