Travis Head has had a dream year, in international cricket and otherwise, right from the World Test Championship Final in June 2023. His huge hundred (163) and his 285-run partnership with the Washington Freedom skipper, Steve Smith batted India out of the match in the World Test Championship 2023 Final at the Oval.

Head once again underlined his big-match credentials by scoring another century against India, this time in the ODI World Cup 2023 Final at Ahmedabad. His 137 off 120 balls powered Australia to their sixth World Cup title. The southpaw has carried his rich vein of form into 2024, especially in T20 cricket. 

Reimagining powerplay batting

Head has revolutionised the concept of powerplay batting in T20s attacking the opposition from the word go. In 39 T20s in 2024, the opener has scored 1442 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 182.07. 

Such has been Head’s belligerence that seven of his fifty-plus knocks have come in less than 20 balls and that too in the powerplay, a feat no other batter has been able to achieve in a calendar year. He has been instrumental in giving his team lightning starts, irrespective of whether they are batting first or second.

Be it his 25-ball 80 against Scotland where Australia chased a target of 155 under 10 overs, the 30-run over in the powerplay against England’s Sam Curran or the 10-wicket thumping of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL where he scored 89 from just 30 balls, Head has taken power-hitting in the first six overs to the next level.

1058 of Head’s total runs this year have come in the powerplay and that too at an average of 58.77 and at a strike rate of 193.06, the highest for any batter in a calendar year who has played a minimum of 250 balls.

Clearing boundaries with ease

Head has mastered the knack of boundary-hitting during his time at the crease, especially in the first six overs, something that is reflected in his strike rate and scores. The left-handed opener averages a boundary every 3.18 balls or roughly two boundaries in an over. Only Alex Hales, among batters who have scored 500-plus runs in a calendar year, has managed to score boundaries at a faster rate than him.

A whopping 1162 runs out of Head’s total tally of 1442 in T20s in 2024 have come in boundaries, which stands at 80.58%. Nicholas Pooran, Alex Hales and Chris Gayle are the only batters who have a higher tally of runs in boundaries in a calendar year.

Mixing consistency and big-hitting

What has taken Head to the next level from his contemporaries is the unbelievable consistency with which he has produced these smashing knocks. Apart from his excellent strike rate, Head averages 41.20 in all T20s in 2024. He has a hundred and 13 fifties in 39 T20 innings this year.

Head is only the second player to score more than 1000 T20 runs in a calendar year and still manage an average of above 40.00 and a strike rate of above 175.00, Suryakumar Yadav being the only other batter to do so. 

Head played a total of six tournaments or series in 2024 and managed to average more than 30.00 at a strike rate of above 150.00 in each of them, a magnificent achievement given the pace at which he scores his runs. 

During MLC 2024, Head managed something that no other player had achieved in the first two years of the tournament. He scored five fifties in one season, and that too in consecutive matches, to help Washington Freedom to the title in 2024.

Stunning turnaround

Head’s T20 career has undergone a remarkable turnaround in 2024 compared to his numbers till 2023. He averaged 27.71 at a strike rate of 134.15 in the shortest format till 2023. However, his average and strike rate show a massive jump of around 13.50 and 48.00 runs respectively, in the current year.

Head has found enormous success with his all-guns blazing approach and also sent shockwaves among opposition bowlers. He managed just 11 scores of 50-plus from 103 innings till 2023, but in 2024 alone, he has made 14 of them in just 39 innings, a massive improvement.

In Australian colours too, this change has been evident. He has amassed 539 runs from just 15 innings with four scores of 50 or above in 2024 compared to his 554 from 22 innings till 2023. He is also second on the list of Australian batters who have scored the most runs in T20s in a calendar year. Head is only 19 runs behind Tim David’s tally in 2022 but has played 29 T20s less than him.

Head’s recent unbeaten knock of 154 helped Australia win the first ODI against England comfortably. He has successfully carried his form in T20s to ODI cricket too and Australia will hope their best all-format batter throughout last year will continue his impressive run with the Border-Gavaskar Test series against India round the corner.