The 17 Greatest Times in IPL History
Jaydeep
The latest instalment of IPL matches has got us all excited amidst COVID-19. There has been fantastic batting, sharp bowling, and unbelievable on-the-field catches over the IPL seasons so far. Let us take a look at the IPL highlights to anticipate what may come next.
The 17 most extraordinary times in IPL history that made it to IPL news, ranked loosely:
#1. McCullum's 73-Ball 158
Which cricket fan won’t know about KKR’s Brendon McCullum's hitting 158* runs in the very first IPL match. He certainly put an end to the doubts, if anyone had them, about the longevity of the IPL. He smashed 15 sixes as a part of his fantastic innings. The score remained the tournament's highest individual score for five straight years.
#2. Mishra's 3 Hat-Tricks
Amit Mishra crushed Pune Warriors’ all hopes down in a low-scoring match with a thrilling hat-trick. He helped Sunrisers Hyderabad win that match in 2013. He has to his name three IPL hat-tricks, the other two being in the years 2008 and 2011.
#3. Kumble's 5 for 5
The legendary Indian spinner, Anil Kumble, single-handedly crushed Rajasthan Royals. On a challenging Cape Town batting track, he took 5 wickets giving just 5 runs to help Royal Challengers Bangalore score an easy win.
#4. The First IPL Final
The final of the first IPL match was Chennai vs Rajasthan back in 2008. The game produced a classic run-chase. Chennai made 163 while batting first. And Rajasthan was successful in chasing the target. Sohail Tanvir took a single off the last ball.
#5. Gayle's 66-Ball 175*
One of the most memorable moments of IPL history is Chris Gayle’s 66-ball 175. The opener was on fire on that day and Pune‘s bowlers, the victims. He hit 17 sixes in that inning and broke multiple records.
#6. Malinga’s 5 for 13
Mumbai's Lasith Malinga delivered a demanding performance in the match against Delhi Daredevils. His yorkers devastated Delhi and earned him numbers 5/13.
#7. Bisla's 48-Ball 89
Manvinder Bisla will be remembered as the surprise hero of the 2012 IPL final. He made 89 runs off of just 48 deliveries. The innings helped Kolkata win the title against Chennai.
#8. De Villiers 17-Ball 47
Chasing 181 against Hyderabad, AB de Villiers knocked 47 off 17 balls. The innings was enough to get Bangalore on their toes. An over by his compatriot Steyn went for 23 runs and turned the game entirely in Bangalore’s favour.
#9. Tanvir's 6 for 14
Sohail Tanvir removed both the openers of Chennai for ducks. The Pakistani bowler went on to take six wickets for 14 runs, still one of the best figures in IPL history.
#10. Rajasthan 217 Run Chase
Chasing huge scores is difficult. It requires batsmen to score heavily right from the beginning. This many times leads to early wickets. But it was something else for Rajasthan in 2008. They managed to chase a staggering target of 214 runs.
#11. Vijay's 52-Ball 95
Murali Vijay is known for his correct batting technique. The style is perfectly suited for playing long innings. But he let the world know he was an able T20 player with this knock.
#12. Smith's 3-Ball 14
Dwayne Smith scores 14 runs off just three balls against Chennai. The short knock is memorable because it won Mumbai the match.
#13. Pollard's 3 Drops
What a time. Unbelievable acts came to play as Kieron Pollard dropped Michael Hussey three times in three balls.
#14. Dhoni's 20-Ball 51
MS Dhoni is a match-winner. He proved that with his deciding 20-ball 51 runs innings. Chennai was struggling against Mumbai and was likely to post a low score. MSD played at a strike rate of 255.00 and helped his team put up a total of 187.
#15. Steven Smith's Fielding
Steven Smith set some fielding standards with his incredible field on the ground. He also scored a 95 for Chennai in the 2011 IPL final against Bangalore off 52 balls and helped his team win the title.
#16. Pathan's 37-Ball 100
When the run rate gets above 10, usually the chasing team knows only a miracle can win them that game. Not the case for Rajasthan when they needed 212 runs to win. Run rate had risen to over 14 when Yusuf Pathan recorded the fastest T20 100 off 37 balls at the time. However, Rajasthan ended up losing the game.
#17. Gilchrist's 35-Ball 85
Hyderabad was chasing 153 runs in the 2009 IPL semi-final. Adam Gilchrist put up his one-man show and changed the tricky target into a cakewalk by smashing 85 runs off just 35 balls. Hyderabad won the match against Delhi and went on to win the tournament as well.