STAT NUGGETS
Follow UsChennai knocked Punjab out of the playoffs race while Kolkata did the same to Rajasthan. Here are the major statistical milestones from the two games:
Most runs in a season for KXIP
Since KL Rahul made his move to Kings XI Punjab in 2018, he has been one of the most prolific run-scorers. In his debut season with KXIP, he had scored 659 runs, which was a record itself. He then came close to scoring 600 runs in 2019 (593). In IPL 2020, he once again breached the 600-run barrier. Though, KXIP are out of the tournament their batsmen have been exceptional this season and Rahul has been the leader of the pack. His 670 runs in IPL 2020, is the most a KXIP batsman has scored in a season of IPL. Rahul went past his own record he had set in 2018.
Second-most innings between a 50+ score
Throughout the season, KXIP's top order has been one of the most lethal ones. Though they had been losing majorly because of their bowling, their batting hardly failed. In their match against Chennai Super Kings, it was one of those off days when their top order failed. However, out of the blue, one batsman stepped up and that was Deepak Hooda. With a half-century after 47 innings, Hooda propelled KXIP to a defendable total of 153 in a do-or-die match. Since his first half-century which dates back to 2015, there was a gap of 47 innings before he registered his second against CSK. The gap of 47, is the second-most a batsman has gone without a fifty in IPL.
Most consecutive 50+ scores for CSK
Even though CSK are out of contention, they surely have found an opener in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad for the 2021 IPL season. The lad from Maharashtra seems to be making a habit of scoring fifties and he is scoring those with ease. Why wouldn’t he, when he is coming into bat on the back of two consecutive fifties. Though his innings was scratchy at the start against KXIP, it didn’t hamper his confidence. Gaikwad went ahead to score yet another half-century, making it three in three. Thus, he became the first CSK batsman in IPL and the first uncapped batsman ever to register three consecutive half-centuries.
Jofra Archer and other RR bowlers in the Powerplay
Now that Rajasthan Royals are out of the tournament, it is that point of time in which they try to decode where they went wrong. One of the reasons would be their bowling in the Powerplay. Throughout the season, Jofra Archer has been under the pump to get them off to a great start. Although he has done that, the lack of support has led to RR’s decline. Jofra in the Powerplay this season had bagged 10 wickets at an economy of 4.3 in the 26 overs he bowled. In addition to his scintillating record, out of the 10 times he had bowled the first over of the innings, five times he got a wicket. However, the other bowlers have bagged only six wickets in 58 overs at an economy of 9.9.
Dinesh Karthik’s struggle in overs 1-15
One of the main reasons Dinesh Karthik has been hailed as one of the best batsman is because of the way he plays spin. In a team’s middle order which contains three overseas batsmen, his role was a crucial one. But, this season has been a different story for him. Whenever he has batted in the first 15 overs of the innings, it has been a struggle. More than struggle, he just seems to be clueless. However, it has been the complete opposite when he bats in the last five overs. In overs 1-15, he has an average of 6.3 and a strike rate of 78.8 in 11 innings. But, in the four innings he has played in overs 16-20 he has scored over 100 runs at a strike rate of 192.7.
Eoin Morgan’s highest IPL score
In a must-win match, a team’s skipper stepping out and leading from the front is a morale-booster. That is exactly what Eoin Morgan did in the match against RR. Morgan came into bat at the end of the 9th over with the score at 74. After having a 20-run partnership with Rahul Tripathi, wickets started to tumble. Generally, Morgan has been a slow starter this season, but today was different. In his first 20 balls, Morgan struck at 200 and later on in his next 15 he did slow down a bit. Regardless of that, Morgan amassed an unbeaten 68 off 35 balls to propel KKR to a total of 191. The 68 runs he scored is his personal best in IPL.
Best bowling Powerplay for KKR in IPL
Though KKR bowlers were defending a mammoth total of 191, in the back of their minds, the target would have been much lesser. In order to boost the NRR, KKR had to restrict RR for 113 to go past the NRR of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Keeping this in mind, KKR bowlers provided the perfect start. The KKR pacers ran through the top order of RR and by the end of the Powerplay, RR had lost half their side for a score of 41. This was the first time in IPL, KKR had bagged five wickets within the Powerplay.
The second-best spell inside the Powerplay
Prior to this match, Pat Cummins was struggling to pick up wickets, whether in the Powerplay or any other phase. It's not only Cummins, almost every KKR bowler has struggled. However, on the day, Cummins came out all guns blazing. Out of the five wickets bagged by KKR in the Powerplay, Cummins was the major contributor with four wickets. By the end of the Powerplay, he became the second KKR bowler to bag four wickets within the phase after Shoaib Akhtar in 2008. Overall in IPL, he is the fifth bowler to pick up four or more wickets inside the Powerplay. Ishant Sharma against the now defunct Kochi Tuskers had bagged a five wicket haul within the Powerplay in 2011.
Worst Powerplay score for RR in IPL
Chasing a massive total, the only thing RR were hoping is to get a good start. On the contrary, they got off to their worst possible start. The pressure of scoring quick runs with field restrictions in play, got the better of RR’s top order. It's not that they didn’t score, RR openers got off to a stupendous start scoring 19 runs in the first over. But, the major concern was wickets were falling at regular intervals. By the end of the Powerplay, RR batsmen had scored 41 runs but had lost five wickets, which certainly dented their chances of winning. This was the first instance of RR losing five wickets inside the powerplay in IPL.