The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is already entertaining cricket fans with last-ball thrillers across the world. The league will surely deliver the best action to the viewers in the next few weeks as cricket enthusiasts are making their predictions for the final four and the title winner as well.
Although fantasy cricket has provided an opportunity to win real prizes while having fun watching your favourite game, how can you forget the innumerable iconic moments? Of course, there will be brutal batting displays, razor-sharp bowling execution, unbelievable fielding and catching, and a few oddities in every season, but it brings some nostalgic emotions when you look back at the beautiful journey.
Here are some of the unforgettable moments in IPL history before and after the evolution of IPL fantasy cricket.
1. Brendon McCullum – 158* in the inaugural IPL match in 2008
Brendon McCullum scored a massive knock of 158* in just 73 deliveries in the opening match of IPL season one against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and enthralled cricket fans with his blistering batting performance. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wicket-keeper batsman was in a different mood altogether as he smashed 13 sixes and 10 fours, which tells how brutal he was for the bowlers that day. It helped KKR to win the maiden league match with a huge margin of 140 runs.
2. Rajasthan Royals remarkable triumph as an underdog
Rajasthan Royals became the first team to win the IPL trophy in the inaugural season in 2008. Although RR was considered an underdog and started their journey with a defeat, they united as a team and played some excellent cricket under the mentorship of Shane Warne. He played as a Captain and Mentor of the Rajasthan Royals franchise in the tournament.
CSK scored 163/5 in 20 overs with a good contribution from Suresh Raina. However, RR failed to build good opening partnerships but Yusuf Pathan and Watson’s contributions in the middle order helped them emerge victorious in the 2008 IPL final.
3. Anil Kumble – 5/5 vs Rajasthan Royals in 2009
Anil Kumble was appointed as the Captain of RCB after delivering a below-par show in the inaugural IPL season. He proved a misconception wrong in T20 cricket that bowlers can only be a stationary target for the batsman and it could ruin spin bowling also.
While leading an underperformed team, the veteran leggie took wickets on a damp Newlands surface and almost single-handedly demolished the Rajasthan Royals batsmen for just 58 runs. It helped RCB to win comfortably by 75 runs against another veteran leggie Shane Warne’s team. One of the greatest leg spinners of all time displayed his class in IPL and still holds the record for the most economical 5-wicket haul. He bowled 3.1 overs with one maiden over and conceded just 5 runs at a 1.57 economy rate.
4. Yusuf Pathan – 100 off 37 deliveries vs Mumbai Indians in 2010
In the second game of the third season, Mumbai Indians (MI) set a massive total of 212/6 as they bat first after winning the toss. RR lost their four batters in quick succession and MI is set to win the match with ease as the run rate has already reached the double figure. However, things changed for RR as the Baroda batsman Yusuf Pathan muscled his strength to score a century of 37 balls, including 11 consecutive hits to the boundary. He almost won the match for his team but, unfortunately, fell short of just four runs.
5. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – 51* of 20 balls vs Mumbai Indians in 2012
In 2012, Chennai Super Kings were struggling at 114/5 in 15 overs. Everyone was sure the team would end up scoring an under-par score but, the then-Indian Captain Dhoni had other plans in his mind. He blasted 51 runs off just 20 balls with a strike rate of 255 and remained unbeaten in a match-winning total of 187. He also took three wonderful catches behind the stumps and became the Match of the Match for his unforgettable performance.
6. Chris Gayle – 175* vs Pune Warriors India in 2013
Nicknamed “The Universe Boss,” Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 66-ball 175 is easily the most unforgettable moment in IPL history. He broke multiple records and created many milestones while hitting 17 sixes and 13 fours in his innings. His 175* is unbeaten and is still the highest individual record in the tournament.
7. Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers – 229-run partnership vs Gujarat Lions in 2016
The year 2016 was amazing for RCB as they concluded their journey as the runners-up in the tournament. In a match between Gujarat Lions (GL), RCB was asked to bat first. Although Gayle got out early, Virat and AB de Villiers hammered the bowlers to all corners of the ground. They both scored centuries at M Chinnaswamy Stadium while stitching a memorable partnership stand of 229 runs and posted a mammoth total of 248 runs in 20 overs.
8. Chennai Super Kings victory in 2018
Both CSK and RR teams were suspended for two years from IPL for their involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. However, CSK returned to the league in 2018 with a bang. Consisting of many senior players, the captain-cool-led team clinched 9 wins in 14 games in the league stage. The men in yellow outplayed the orange army Sun Risers Hyderabad team in the finals to clinch their third IPL title. Shane Watson became the hero in the finals by scoring an unbeaten century.
9. Andre Russell – 48 runs off 13 balls vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019
M Chinnaswamy stadium has seen many high-scoring games and RCB vs KKR match was one among them in 2019. RCB put up a total of 205/3 on the board by batting first with Kohli and de Villiers scoring wonderful half-centuries each.
Chasing a mammoth total, KKR batters adopted an aggressive approach from the ball one. However, they lost track by losing their five main-standing batsmen. So, Andre Russel utilized the opportunity and showcased his power-hitting potential with an unbeaten 48 off 13 deliveries and snatched the match from RCB’s hands. He muscled 7 sixes and a four when 53 runs were required off the last three overs.
10. Amit Mishra and his Hattricks
Hattrick is special for any bowler as he must dismiss three batsmen in three consecutive deliveries. Taking a hat trick once is itself an achievement, but Indian leg spinner Amit Mishra has done it thrice in his IPL career. Interestingly, Amit Mishra has taken three hattricks for three different franchises.