Indian Premier League: Interesting records you must know
A thrilling 2016 Twenty20 World Cup is done and dusted, but the slam-bang version of cricket is here to stay for some more time, with the ninth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) starting on April 9. Here are some IPL records which will get you going:
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To date, only 13 hat-tricks have been achieved in IPL. And of those, three belong to Amit Mishra. The leg-spinner has done it in 2008, 2011 and 2013 for three different teams. Celebrated Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh got it twice, in 2009, a rare feat considering his limited bowling opportunities. In a spinner dominated field, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Makhaya Ntini, Praveen Kumar and Shane Watson are the only pacers to scalp three wickets off three successive deliveries.
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Blame it on poor India-Pakistan relations or jingoistic politics, IPL has been robbed of some of the finest bowlers in the game. But when the tournament first started in 2008, there were players from Pakistan rubbing shoulders with international stars. And Sohail Tanvir was one amongst them. Turning up for Rajasthan Royals (RR), with an unusual bowling style, the unorthodox left-arm pacer toyed with batsman. His figures of 6 for 14 against CSK is still the best. Anil Kumble (5 for 5 against RR) Ishant Sharma (5 for 12 against Kochi Tuskers Kerala), Lasith Malinga (5 for 13 against Delhi Daredevils), Ravindra Jadeja (5 for 16 against Deccan Chargers) and James Faulkner (5 for 16 against Sunrisers Hyderabad) make the top-five.
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In a tailor-made format for batting frenzy, bowlers hardly get the opportunity to impress. But it's always been a treat to watch thinking bowlers taking on the brutality, which often borders madness, of modern-day batsmen. One such bowler is Lasith Malinga. The Sri Lankan fast bowler, known for his deadly accurate yorkers, holds the record for most wickets, with 143 scalps in 98 matches. Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra, with 111 wickets in similar number of matches, is second. Harbhajan Singh (110 in 111 matches), Piyush Chawla (109 in 111 matches) and Dwayne Bravo (105 in 91 matches) complete the top-five.
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Having played every conceivable match possible for any player, Suresh Raina has accumulated most runs in the tournament, and with an impressive average. The left-handed batsman's 3699 runs in 128 innings is beyond compare. His India team-mate Rohit Sharma (3385 in 124 innings) is second. Chris Gayle (3199 in 81 innings), Virat Kohli (3137 in 115 innings) and Gautam Gambhir (3133 in 116) follow Raina in the list of players with most runs.
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With an unrivaled batting line-up which has the likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, RCB often make opposing bowling attacks look pedestrian. In 2013, RCB scored 263 for 5 against Pune Warriors. This total is still the highest posted by any team. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also posted similarly improbable totals, 246/5 against Rajasthan Royals in 2010 and 240/5 against Kings XI Punjab in 2008. RCB's 235/1 against Mumbai Indians in 2015 and Kings XI Punjab's 232/2 in 2011 made the top-five in the list.
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Again, it's Gayle ruling the roost. The 36-year-old marauder from Jamaica made a mockery of erstwhile Pune Warriors India's bowling attack by reaching 100 off mere 30 balls in an IPL match in 2013. In the same innings, he also registered the highest individual total of 175 not out off 66 deliveries, which included 13 4's and 17 6's. Yusuf Pathan also played an equally belligerent knock, but the Indian all-rounder took seven more balls, to post the second fastest ton. David Miller (38), Adam Gilchrist (42) and Sanath Jayasuriya (45) complete the top-five.
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