Kingston [Jamaica], July 23 : Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis' dedication to improving his power-hitting is clearly showing results in 2025, especially in the T20 format, as per cricket.com.au
Known for his 360-degree strokeplay, Inglis couldn't hide his delight when he smashed Andre Russell's first delivery for almost 100 metres onto the roof at Sabina Park. That shot brought up a blazing 22-ball half-century, his second-fastest in T20 internationals, and set the tone for a dominant eight-wicket win for Australia, sealed with more than four overs to spare in the second T20I in Jamaica.
For Inglis, it was more than just a match-winning knock. It was a reflection of the months he has spent working on his power game, something that has made this year one of his most productive in the shortest format.
While the Australian has always had the ability to hit around the ground, which is evident again through his use of laps and reverse sweeps during his unbeaten 78 off just 33 deliveries, the ability to muscle a fast bowler straight over his head is something he has added more recently.
"I was trying to hide my smile a bit because I don't usually hit bombs like that," Inglis said, as quoted from cricket.com.au.
"I'm not kidding myself though, it's not a big ground so, yes, it's nice to hit one on the roof but it's probably only 60m all the way around," he added.
This transformation began during his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) season earlier this year with Punjab Kings (PBKS), under the guidance of coach Ricky Ponting. It was there that he made a few technical adjustments, notably, starting his hands and backlift a bit further away from his body to give himself more freedom while swinging through the ball.
Inglis is striking at 176 in T20s this year, the best of his career, and has been clearing the ropes more often, averaging 1.8 sixes per innings in 2025. That's a significant jump compared to his performances since he began his T20 journey with the Perth Scorchers in 2017.
Much of this boost has come after a breakthrough IPL campaign, where he scored 278 runs in 11 matches and cemented his place in the playing XI of runners-up Punjab Kings.
"It's just something I identified during the IPL with just a little bit of a shift in my stance and where my hands go," Inglis said.
"Now I feel like my hands are out here (to the off-side) a bit more so I'm able to swing through the line of the ball more, so it's a lot easier to access down the ground, which I sort of struggled with in the past," he added.
"It feels like it's working and it's coming off," he noted.
Meanwhile, fellow Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green has also been in fine form, as he scored an unbeaten 56 off 32 balls. Green struck his second consecutive T20I half-century on Tuesday after scoring 51 in the first match on Sunday. This comes on the back of a strong Test series against West Indies, where he scored 52, 46, and 42 in a 3-0 sweep while batting at No. 3, a new role he's beginning to thrive in.
Despite having played only seven T20Is in the last year, Inglis said Green is keen to get a consistent run in the shortest format.
"He's playing beautifully, he's been champing at the bit for this series," Inglis said, as quoted from cricket.com.au.
"At the end of the Test series he was so excited to get into the colours," he added.
"He hasn't played much T20 cricket in the last few years (having also not played BBL since 2020), so to do what he's done so far in this series has been outstanding," he noted.
"He's put the bowlers under pressure, and he's read the situations of the game really well," he said.
Australia now heads to St Kitts for the remaining three T20Is, needing just one more win to wrap up their third straight series victory against the West Indies in this format.
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