5 most memorable innings in the IPL knockout matches
The Indian Premier League is renowned for immense competition, nail-biting finishes, and tightly-contested encounters. The league stages, of course, play a crucial role in determining the entrants of the next stage- playoffs. But once the teams appear here, all that has happened in the league becomes a thing of the past. A team could have topped the table and yet can be out of the race of the finals after one bad outing. And therefore, the IPL playoffs are indeed the most significant. There have been numerous commendable knocks by batsmen in these crunch games. Let’s take a look at 5 of such innings that defined a knockout game-
5. Murali Vijay- 95 from 52 balls vs RCB, IPL Final 2011
The Yellow Army was on the quest for a consecutive IPL title, and Murali Vijay ensured it through his magnificent knock of 95 runs from 52 deliveries including 4 boundaries and 6 massive sixes in the final clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2011. The Tamil-Nadu batsman showed no mercy during his fearless knock and took his team to a daunting total of 205. He missed out on a deserving and special century but his knock played a key role in his team’s triumph.
4. Virender Sehwag- 122 from 58 balls vs CSK, IPL 2014 Qualifier 2
Kings XI Punjab was up against the mighty Chennai Super Kings in the second qualifier of the 2014 IPL season and the Nawab of Najafgarh came out all guns firing on what was a batting paradise at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Doing what he does the best, Sehwag took on every bowler in his blistering knock of 122 off 58 that included 12 boundaries and 8 maximums. On the back of his knock, KXIP posted a massive 226/6 for on the board.
3. Suresh Raina- 87 from 25 balls vs KXIP, IPL 2014 Qualifier 2
Suresh Raina’s 87(25) is still the greatest non-century IPL knock ever. pic.twitter.com/radxSUcfyP
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) May 30, 2020
The second qualifier of the 2014 edition did not only have Sehwag’s incredible ton to marvel at. Mr IPL decided to open his arms and give the treatment to the KXIP bowlers when CSK began the chase. Raina’s unbelievable knock included 6 sixes and 12 fours and CSK raced off to 100 runs within the first 6 overs. Despite such a memorable knock, Raina was not able to take his team home that day as CSK got dismissed for 205 and lost the match by 24 runs.
2. Manish Pandey – 94 from 50 balls vs KXIP, IPL 2014 Final
KXIP were up against Kolkata Knight Riders in the final clash of the IPL 2014. The match saw Wriddhiman Saha score a cracking 115 runs off 55 balls courtesy which his team posted a massive 199 on the board. KKR had a huge task at hand and that too with the never-ending pressure of a finale. The openers failed to do much and that is when Manish Pandey stepped in at No. 3 and scripted one of the finest knocks in the history of the league, He smacked seven fours and six sixes and led his team to win its second IPL title in three years.
1. AB de Villiers – 79* from 47 balls vs GL, IPL 2016 Qualifier 1
#OnThisDay in 2016, AB de Villiers played his IPL’s best knock thus far against Gujarat Lions in Qualifier 1#RCB were restricted to 29/5 while chasing 159 and he along side Iqbal Abdullah crafted one of the greatest chases ever seen in IPL!
He ended up scoring 79*(47)❤️ pic.twitter.com/TR1MAooN41
— Devvrat (@DevvratUnadkat) May 24, 2018
The South African superstar has played innumerable blinders through his bat in the history of the game. But his 79 off 47 against (now defunct) Gujarat Lions was something else. The Lions had posted a moderate target of 159 for the RCB. However, their bowlers broke the back of the Challengers and reduced them to 29/5 during the Powerplay overs. That’s when ABD joined hands with the likes of Stuart Binny and Iqbal Abdullah to snatch a victory from the jaws of the opponents. His knock included 5 boundaries and as many sixes and he led RCB to a victory with 10 balls to spare.
