5 batters to watch at ICC World Cup in India

Ben Stokes (England) :
The talismanic all-rounder came out of One Day International (ODI) retirement in August and has already fired a warning to title rivals after smashing 182 runs – England’s highest individual score in the format – against New Zealand last month.

Stokes, the architect of England’s first World Cup triumph in 2019 and who starred in last year’s title run at the Twenty20 World Cup, has operated as a specialist batter since his return.

Stokes’ ODI average of 40.5 is his highest in all three formats and his 96-plus strike rate makes him an explosive weapon in the middle order.