IPL 2021: Five sensational moments of the tournament
The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has come to an abrupt end in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. But a league as thrilling as IPL is enough to give brilliant performances even in as much time as it lasted. Stopped at game number 29, the league already witnessed a Super Over, centuries, and five-wicket hauls. Here are the top 5 moments from the league:
David Warner sacked as Captain
? Announcement ? pic.twitter.com/B9tBDWwzHe
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 1, 2021
Known for their consistency and streak of qualification in the Playoffs since 2016, not much went SRH’s way this year as they lost six of their seven games and remained mostly at the bottom of the table. Owing to such failure as a leader, David Warner, their prolific captain was stripped of his captaincy and was replaced by Kane Williamson for that role. He was even axed from the playing eleven due to his off form with the bat.
Ravindra Jadeja 62* off 28 vs RCB
Not for nothing we call him Gary Jadeja. Sheer brilliance – @imjadeja @ChennaiIPL #IPL2021 #CSKvRCB pic.twitter.com/UMfTw3y7SC
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) April 25, 2021
Arguably the most complete performance of the season came during CSK’s encounter with RCB, where Jadeja belted the Purple Cap holder Harshal Patel for a whopping 37 runs in the final over to finish unbeaten on 62 off just 28. With the ball, he dismissed both Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers and finished with figures of 3/13 from his four overs. To top all of this, he sent Dan Christian packing with a traditional Jadeja direct hit.
Kieron Pollard 87* off 34 vs CSK
What incredible hitting by Polly Kaka.
Absolute carnage.
Ole karoon karoon maarla se. Bhigo bhigoke maara.#CSKvsMI pic.twitter.com/Z8sqioQN6T— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 1, 2021
If there is one performance that competed with Jadeja’s exceptional show, it was Pollard’s blitzkrieg against CSK. Dhoni’s team posted a massive 218-run target for MI to chase, who lost two quick wickets in the middle phase. Standing tall for his team, Pollard struck like a storm and smacked eight sixes and six fours to get 87 from 34 that led MI to record the second-highest chase in IPL history. Pollard earlier returned with figures of 2/12.
Jos Buttler 124 off 64 vs SRH
Rajasthan Royals had lost their premium all-rounder Ben Stokes to injury at the start of the season. In his absence, Jos Buttler had taken up the opener’s role but he had a quiet season until RR met SRH. Buttler went on a rampage against Williamson’s men as he blasted his maiden century from just 56 balls. He moved from 50 to 100 in just 17 balls, and finished 124 from 64 with 11 fours and eight sixes, as his side won by 55 runs.
Super Over DC vs SRH
There was only one Super Over in the 2021 edition thus far, which came when DC took on SRH. Having restricted DC to an under-par total of 159, SRH was once well-situated at 56/2 before a sudden collapse pushed them into a perilous situation. Kane Williamson fought a lone battle (66 off 51) without much support. However, an unexpected cameo from J Suchith tied the game. DC eventually won the clash, finishing the chase of 8 runs on the last ball of the Super Over.
