Andy Balbirnie

Already one of Ireland's star batters at No. 3, Andrew Balbirnie flourished with the bat even more after he was made captain across formats late in 2019. Although not a power-hitter, Balbirnie is fluent, keeps the score ticking, and is excellent against spin bowling - his hard sweep is a signature shot.

One of his most memorable innings came shortly after he took over the leadership - a run-a-ball 113 in a seven-wicket ODI win over England in August 2020. A year later he led Ireland to another famous win, scoring 112 as an opener in Ireland's first win over South Africa in ODIs.

In the two years leading up to his appointment, Balbirnie averaged over 42 in ODIs (with five hundreds) and struck at over 142 in T20Is, having made big contributions against Afghanistan, West Indies and Zimbabwe.