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The Men's Hundred 2024 is all set to begin on July 23 and will run until August 18. With eight teams participating, the tournament will consist of a total of 34 games, including Eliminator and Final fixture.
The last season witnessed Oval Invincibles secure a 14-run victory over Manchester Originals in the final and lift their second title. Tom Curran was awarded Player of the Match for his quickfire 67* off 34 and a solitary wicket.
Like every season, many explosive batters will participate in the competition, with the focus on the English players. The England Cricket Board (ECB) also accommodated no international series in the first three weeks of August to let the home-grown players take part in the tournament and also increase ticket sales.
On that note, let's take a look at the five top batters to watch out for in the Men's Hundred 2024.
#1 Nicholas Pooran
The left-handed batter has had a sensational few years with the bat in the T20 format. He has struck a nice chord in major franchise tournaments and also delivered his best in international cricket.
It all started with Pooran emerging as the top batter in the Major Cricket League (MLC) 2023, while scoring a breathtaking 137* off 55 in the final. He impressed in the IPL 2024 as well, clobbering 499 runs at an average of 62.38 and a strike rate of 178.21.
Pooran continued his good form at the 2024 T20 World Cup, scoring 228 runs in seven innings, with a top score of 98 and ending as the Caribbean team's best batter. He is currently the top-scorer for MI New York in the MLC 2024 with 172 runs in six innings.
With such consistency ahead of the tournament, Pooran is likely to be the key player for the Northern Superchargers.
#2 Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow was axed from the England Test squad for the ongoing West Indies series. This was due to his underwhelming performances in the away series against India earlier this year.
Bairstow garnered nearly 300 runs for Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 while hitting a century in a record-breaking T20 chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the middle-order batter could return with only 110 runs at 27.50 in the T20 World Cup.
Nevertheless, Bairstow is an experienced campaigner and will look to present a strong case for himself to get back into contention for the white-ball series against Australia. The Men's Hundred could prove to be an important tournament for the Welsh Fire batter.
#3 Harry Brook
England's all-format superstar Harry Brook can be one of the finest performers in the Men's Hundred 2024.
In the last three seasons, Brook has been consistent in delivering goods for the Northern Superchargers with over 500 runs. In the last season, he emerged as the third-highest run-getter with 238 runs at a prolific strike rate of 196.69.
Leading up to the tournament, Brook has been in impressive form. He garnered 145 runs at an average of 72.50 and a strike rate of 157.60 for England in the T20 World Cup. The last week saw him hit a century in a Test fixture against West Indies in Nottingham.
#4 Jason Roy
Completely shifting his focus to franchise cricket, Jason Roy will look to capitalize on his good form to help the Superchargers secure their maiden title victory in the Men's Hundred.
After skipping IPL 2024, Roy featured in five games of Vitality Blast and garnered 122 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 119.60. The opening batter then played in MLC 2024 for the Los Angeles Knight Riders while emerging as the top batter for the side with 163 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 118.11.
Holding a strike rate of 141 in the shortest format, Roy will certainly look to reach that mark in the 2024 edition of the Men's Hundred.
#5 Finn Allen
Finn Allen has displayed an ability to provide blistering starts to his respective teams in franchise cricket. In the last season of the Men's Hundred, Allen emerged as the second-best batter with 240 runs in nine appearances at a strike rate of 144.57.
The right-handed batter certainly played his role in taking the Southern Brave to the playoffs.
The ongoing MLC 2024 has also seen Allen churning out runs in a proficient manner for the San Francisco Unicorns. So far, he has smashed 186 runs at an explosive strike rate of 200, with a top knock of 77 to emerge as the team's best batter.
With good form and a well-built T20 pedigree, Allen could prove to be a key player for the Brave in the tournament.
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