Flashback: Only batters to hit two sixes off the first two balls of an IPL innings
T20 cricket demands a fast and aggressive start from the batters. Such is the nature of this action-packed format, that a player has to go big right from the outset. Sixes are the need of the hour in this particular format as they help sides score runs quickly. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), there have been many instances of a player hitting the first ball of an innings for a maximum but there are only two players who have managed to smash two off the first two deliveries.
Let’s take a look at the batters who hit two sixes off the first two balls of an innings in the IPL:
Virat Kohli (2019)
Virat Kohli hit two sixes off the first two deliveries of an innings while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a rain-curtailed five-over encounter. The incident took place in Match No. 49 of the 2019 edition at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. RCB batted first and Kohli did the job against right-arm fast seamer Varun Aaron. The home side managed to reach 62/7 in five overs with skipper Kohli hitting 25 off just seven with one four and three maximums at a strike rate of 357.14. The Royals reached 41/1 in 3.2 overs but the game ended up with no result due to rain.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (2023)
Youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal has taken the ongoing 2023 campaign by storm. The left-handed batter has slammed 575 runs in 13 innings at an average of 47.91 with one century and four half-centuries. In Match No. 56 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the home side batted first and posted 149/8 on the board. In reply, Jaiswal came out all guns blazing as he struck two sixes off the first two balls against Nitish Rana. Jaiswal collected 26 runs off the first over as he went on to script history by smashing the fastest-ever IPL fifty in just 13 deliveries. RR reached the target in 13.1 overs with Jaiswal scoring a brilliant 98* off 47, with 13 fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 208.51.
