10 instances when an IPL century was scored in a losing cause
It is a dream for every batsman taking part in the Indian Premier League to score a century in the cash-rich league.
An IPL century draws the attention of the fans and elevates the player's confidence. If a player scores a 100, he almost guarantees a victory for his side. However, that has not been the case always as out of the 48 instances where an individual has crossed the three-digit landmark, only 38 ended in a winning cause.
Chris Gayle holds the record for the highest number of centuries (6) in his team's win.
Here's a brief summary of the 10 occasions where an IPL centurion's efforts went in vain-
#10 Rishabh Pant - 128*(63) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 10th May 2018
Pant was involved in two run-outs as Delhi Daredevils made a slow start against Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers Hyderabad at Feroz Shah Kotla. The home side could only score 98 in the first 14 overs as the opposition bowling attack had imposed total control.
However, Rishabh Pant switched gears and destroyed the bowling figures of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul. He took 36 balls to reach his half-century while he took just 20 more to add 50 more to it.
In the process, Pant also broke the record for the highest individual score by an Indian in T20s by scoring an unbeaten 128 off just 63 balls. The wicket-keeper batsman’s knock comprised of 15 boundaries and 7 maximums as the Daredevils put up a score of 187 on the board on a slow Kotla wicket.
The fans expected DD to win the match quite comfortably. However, a poor display by the bowling attack and some brilliant stroke-making by the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen ensured that the Daredevils end up on the losing side.
Kane Williamson’s gritty 83* and Shikhar Dhawan’s quick-fire 92* helped SRH achieve the target with 9 wickets in hand and 7 balls to spare. IPL fans will always remember Pant’s monumental effort as one of the most fearless knocks in IPL history.