Cricket
Who is the Best Knockout Batsman in White-Ball Cricket?
ODI cricket tournaments provide febrile atmospheres, especially in knockout matches. The pressure levels naturally ramp up, but some batters have a knack of dragging their sides out of dire situations. Whether in the World Cup or Champions Trophy, some players thrive in do-or-die situations, and the hallmark of a top batter is the ability to carve out a century in knockout games. But who is the best knockout batsman in white-ball tournaments? To assess cricket’s best pressure players, we have provided multi-layered analysis, using our trusted model. This considers leading stats such as centuries registered, and it places a premium on the thoughts of industry experts, so see what we discovered.
David Miller of South Africa bats during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025//Getty Images
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Best Knockout Batsmen
Our evaluation of the top big-game cricket players combined a statistical analysis of century-making in knockout games with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking. Through our ‘SB Market Index’, we collated the findings to ensure results weren’t skewed by single-source opinions.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 10 cricketing and sports media sources measures how prominently each player is featured in discussions of the “greatest clutch cricket batsmen” or “big-game” performers in white-ball cricket history.
Industry Insights
| Source Name | Saeed Anwar | Sourav Ganguly | Ricky Ponting | David Miller | Shane Watson | Rohit Sharma | Mahela Jayawardene |
| ICC Official Site – “Greatest Knockout Innings” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ESPNcricinfo – “Clutch Performers” feature | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cricbuzz – “Analyzing Big-Match Temperament” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wisden – “The 100 Best Innings in Knockout Cricket” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sky Sports – “Cricket’s Ultimate Pressure Players” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| The Guardian – “Defining Finals Performances” | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cricket.com.au – “Australia’s Knockout Heroes” | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reddit r/Cricket – “Best Knockout Player” Poll | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sportskeeda – “Top 5 Batsmen in ICC Knockouts” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| talkSPORT – “Cricket’s Most Clutch Performers” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Mentions | 8 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
SB Score
| Player | Knockout Centuries | Knockout Inns | Inns Per Century | SB Score |
| David Miller | 2 | 6 | 3.00 | 1.000 |
| Saeed Anwar | 3 | 5 | 1.67 | 0.994 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 3 | 8 | 2.67 | 0.889 |
| Ricky Ponting | 3 | 18 | 6.00 | 0.700 |
| Shane Watson | 2 | 13 | 6.50 | 0.538 |
| Rohit Sharma | 2 | 18 | 9.00 | 0.467 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 2 | 18 | 9.00 | 0.467 |
This score is calculated based on two key metrics in ICC knockout matches: Frequency of Centuries (Innings per Century 60% weightage) and Total Knockout Centuries (40% weightage).
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Ricky Ponting | 0.700 | 10 | 8.140 |
| 2 | Saeed Anwar | 0.994 | 8 | 6.599 |
| 3 | Sourav Ganguly | 0.889 | 8 | 6.578 |
| 4 | Shane Watson | 0.538 | 8 | 6.508 |
| 5 | Mahela Jayawardene | 0.467 | 8 | 6.493 |
| 6 | Rohit Sharma | 0.467 | 7 | 5.693 |
| 7 | David Miller | 1.000 | 5 | 4.200 |
Ricky Ponting: The Ultimate Big-Game Player
One of Australia’s best batters ever, Ricky Ponting’s World Cup final exploits were the stuff of legend. Apart from being one of the greatest cricket captains of all time, Ponting excelled on the biggest stage. His unbeaten knock of 140 from 121 balls in the 2003 final against India was underlined by his frenzied attack in the final overs, snuffing out any chance of a run chase. Ponting also notched up 104 from 118 balls in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against India, albeit in a losing cause.
Ponting knew when to his foot to the pedal during pressure-cooker situations, and he amassed the joint-most centuries in ICC knockout games. As Australia’s main talisman, Ponting’s legendary status won favour from the industry experts, who gave him a perfect score, and he also returned a strong ‘SB Score’.
The Prolific Trio: Anwar, Ganguly, and Watson
Exceptional timing and placement are common traits shared by top ODI batsmen, and Saeed Anwar contributed three knockout centuries. Although he wasn’t a brute force, Anwar thrived hitting through the off side and against spin bowlers. His innings per century ratio was extraordinary, and this was reflected in his exceptional ‘SB Score’ and high expert rating.
Among the players with the most centuries in ODI tournaments, Sourav Ganguly’s impact at ICC tournaments was sublime. He galvanised India with his precise batting, and only Sachin Tendulkar, who is deemed the god of cricket, contributed more World Cup centuries. Ganguly was a king of knockout games, and his ranking was propped up by a strong ‘SB Score’ and ‘Industry Insights’ rating.
Meanwhile, Shane Watson features in the ICC tournament knockout records list, blending finesse with power. His two centuries came in the 2009 edition of the Champions Trophy, and his knock of 136 from 132 balls contained 10 fours and seven sixes. His immaculate technique meant he carried favour from the industry experts.
The Statistical Marvel: David Miller
David Miller’s finisher instincts have been sensational, and he’s been at the heart of some of the greatest ODI run chases. However, Miller has also been on the receiving end, and that included his 101 against Australia in the 2023 World Cup, where his side were skittled out for 212.
Although Miller’s frequency of centuries was noteworthy, he was a statistical anomaly. Despite returning the best ‘SB Score’, the experts didn’t share the same view, and he was pulled back in the rankings.
Conclusion on Cricket’s Most Clutch Performers
In summary, our bespoke model, which leans heavily into sustained big-game impact and expert opinions, crowned Ricky Ponting as the best knockout batsman in white-ball history.
His attacking nous and ability to read game situations was incredible, but we shouldn’t diminish the talents of the other batters mentioned. They often showed amazing mental fortitude and made things count when the pressure was on. Therefore, they will go down in ODI folklore for their respective achievements.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.