3 times a bowler made useful runs in a big final of T20 tournament
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 final is in the history books. Defending champions Lahore Qalandars retained their championship by defeating the Multan Sultans by one run in the summit clash at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Lahore Qalandars posted 200/6 on the board in their 20 overs. It was a great wicket for batting, and the Multan Sultans almost chased down the 201-run target. They ended with 199/8 in 20 overs, losing the final by one run.
One of the major differences in the innings of the two teams was Shaheen Shah Afridi's batting performance. The Lahore Qalandars captain, who is known to be a specialist fast bowler, promoted himself up the order and scored an unbeaten 44 runs off just 15 deliveries.
Afridi's whirlwind innings consisted of two fours and five sixes. Batting at number seven, the Lahore Qalandars captain maintained a strike rate of 293.33 and helped his side reach the 200-run target. When Afridi came out to bat, Lahore were 112/5 after 14.1 overs, but his big shots took them to 200/6.
This was not the first time that a bowler scored important runs in a big final of a T20 tournament. Here's a list of three such instances from the past.
#1 Piyush Chawla - 13*(5) vs. Punjab Kings, IPL 2014 Final
Piyush Chawla has made a name for himself with his leg-spin bowling skills. He has helped his teams win multiple matches in T20 cricket with his brilliant bowling performances.
However, in the summit clash of the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Chawla displayed his batting talent and played a match-winning cameo of 13 runs from just five balls. The leg-spinner whacked a four and a six while batting at number eight for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Punjab Kings.
KKR needed 15 runs off 12 balls, when Mitchell Johnson came in to bowl the 19th over. Chawla hit him for a six on the last ball of the over. Next, in the 20th over, Chawla hit Parvinder Awana for a boundary and guided KKR to their second trophy.
#2 Lasith Malinga - 16 (11) vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore, CLT20 2011 Final
Mumbai Indians played against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the summit clash of the Champions League T20 2011 Final. Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga played an impressive knock of 16 runs from 11 balls on a bowler-friendly surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Malinga hit two sixes, helping MI finish with 139 runs on the board after being down to 105/7 at one stage. Those extra runs put pressure on the RCB side as they were all out for 108 and lost the game by 31 runs.
#3 Shane Warne and Sohail Tanvir - 9 runs vs. Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2008 Final
The inaugural IPL season took place in 2008, where the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings made it to the summit clash. The two teams had a thrilling clash, where RR were 143/7 after 17.4 overs, still needing 21 runs off 14 balls.
The year is 2008 at the DY Patil Stadium.
Captain Shane Warne is at the non-striker's end.
The scores are levelled with one final ball to go.
Sohail Tanvir runs for the single.
Rajasthan Royals win the first ever IPL.
"Always the first Royal"💗
#SW23 #ForWarnie #RRvsMI #IPL2022 https://t.co/SeeOvFIKYS
The team's specialist batters and all-rounders were back in the hut as it looked like CSK would successfully defend the 164-run target. However, captain Shane Warne and fast bowler Sohail Tanvir scored nine runs each to help RR win the match on the final ball. Their cameos helped the Rajasthan Royals script history in Mumbai that evening.