3 players who took a wicket off the final ball of their IPL careers
IPL has become the top domestic T20 cricketing tournament in the world. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has developed the league brilliantly over the last 13 years.
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic hit everyone hard the previous year, the BCCI successfully organized IPL 2020 in the United Arab Emirates.
The previous IPL season shattered many records in terms of viewership and fan-following. The primary reason behind the league's enormous popularity is the top-quality talent participating in the competition.
Legendary players such as Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, VVS Laxman, Shane Warne, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid were the faces of the eight franchises in the first season.
Over the years, many cricket legends have associated themselves with the IPL before bidding farewell to the sport.
Some end their careers with repeated failures, whereas some players exit on a high note. Here are three players who completed their IPL career with a wicket off the final ball in their last matches at the league.
#3 Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history. The Sri Lankan pacer is one of the few players to have represented only one IPL franchise in his entire career.
Mumbai Indians released him earlier this year after he retired from franchise cricket. They had retained him for IPL 2020. However, Malinga skipped the tournament owing to personal reasons. Thus, the Mumbai-based franchise signed Aussie pacer James Pattinson as his replacement.
Malinga played 122 IPL matches, scalping 170 wickets at an economy rate of 7.14. His last appearance for MI came in the IPL 2019 final.
Malinga bowled the match's last over and won the title for MI, dismissing Shardul Thakur LBW on the final ball.
#2 Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist was a specialist wicket-keeper batsman. It was rare to see him playing as a fielder. Gilchrist never bowled a delivery in his IPL career until his last game.
The Australian legend captained the Kings XI Punjab in a fixture against the Mumbai Indians in 2013. KXIP had dominated MI that night at the HPCA Stadium. The visitors required 51 runs off the final six deliveries with only one wicket in hand.
Skipper Adam Gilchrist took the ball in his hand as Praveen Kumar kept wickets.
Harbhajan Singh was on strike, and he naturally attacked Gilchrist. Unfortunately, he could not middle the delivery as the ball landed in Gurkeerat Singh's hands.
Gilchrist made the occasion even more memorable by performing the 'Gangnam Style' dance to celebrate his only IPL wicket. It will remain special for him, considering it was the only time the Aussie ever bowled at the IPL.
#1 Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is the only Indian player to have taken a wicket with the final ball of his IPL career.
The right-arm leg-spinner represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first three IPL seasons. Kumble led the Bangalore-based franchise to the runners-up spot in IPL 2009. In the subsequent season, RCB finished in the third position under Kumble's leadership.
After Bangalore lost the semi-final in 2010, they locked horns with the Deccan Chargers in a third-place play-off match.
Deccan Chargers won the toss and opted to bat. However, they struggled to tackle Anil Kumble's leg-spin. The veteran ended with figures of 4/16 in 3.3 overs.
Kumble managed to dismiss Pragyan Ojha to end his career. RCB won the match by nine wickets and qualified for the Champions League T20.