Buttler edges Malan to IT20 MVP

Jos Buttler finishes the winter top of the PCA’s England IT20 Most Valuable Player Rankings with 63.9 MVP points, a mere two points clear of second-placed Dawid Malan in the final standings.

Despite England’s narrow 3-2 series loss to India on Saturday afternoon, Buttler played a key role for his side during both the recent series and the three IT20s against South Africa in November and December.

The 30-year-old averaged eight MVP points-per-game in eight IT20s throughout the winter from his position at the top of the order, accumulating 42.9 for batting alone which makes him England’s second most prolific player in that discipline.

Buttler passed 50 on three occasions during the winter, and also earned 16 fielding MVP points for his work behind the stumps, as well as five extra points as a result of England winning five of their eight IT20s during a successful winter in the IT20 format.

He joins Joe Root in having already won an England men’s MVP award this winter, after the Test skipper won the prize for that format last month.

Buttler and Malan were England’s clear standout IT20 performers this winter, the latter finishing in second place in the MVP with 61.9 points to his name.

The world’s number one-ranked IT20 batsman has continued his stratospheric rise to the top of the 20-over game, exemplified by a swashbuckling 68 from 46 balls in England’s ultimately losing cause on Saturday afternoon.

The left-hander was England’s top batsman of the winter with 50.9 points in that discipline, many of which were made during an outstanding tour of South Africa which saw Malan make scores of 55 and 99 not out.

Ben Stokes occupies the final podium place after scoring 48.2 MVP points, his all-round abilities illustrated by his points total being almost evenly split – 21.6 for batting and 18.6 for bowling.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer (42.9 MVP points), who was England’s best IT20 bowler during the winter with 30.9 bowling MVP points, finishes in fourth position, whilst Johnny Bairstow (40.1 points) completes the top five as England continue to build towards the ICC T20 World Cup in India in October.

England’s marathon tour of the subcontinent concludes next Sunday following a three-match ODI series against the same opposition.

All three fixtures are due to be played in Pune, and the ODI MVP Rankings will be reset for the first time this winter, after England’s three-match series against South Africa in December was cancelled due to an outbreak of Covid-19 cases at the team hotel.

The winner of the ODI MVP will follow on from David Willey, who won the award last summer after earning a huge 92 MVP points during his side’s three-match series against Ireland.

This winter’s cross-format Overall MVP will also be decided next Sunday, as the third fixture in Pune is the last of England’s packed winter schedule.

Batsman Root leads the way in the Overall standings with 163.3 MVP points, followed by Jack Leach (127.7), Buttler (111.3), Stokes (100.2) and Dom Bess (85.3). The winner will follow on from Chris Woakes, who was last summer’s Overall MVP after scoring 146.7 MVP points across all formats.

View the England MVP Rankings.

Keep up-to-date with the latest MVP news by following @pcaMVP on Twitter.