5 best matches in first two weeks of IPL 2024 ft. GT vs PBKS
IPL 2024 began on March 29. The first two weeks of the tournament are done and dusted. After the first two weeks, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals are the only teams with zero losses to their name, while Mumbai Indians are the only franchise with zero points in their account.
It has been a fantastic start to IPL 2024, with the batters ruling the roost in the competition. The tournament will get more exciting in the coming days as the Rivalry Week will start on April 8.
Before that, here's a look at the five best matches from the first two weeks of IPL 2024.
#5 Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings, March 25
The sixth match of IPL 2024 was held on March 25 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Home team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) took on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in that game. A 45-run knock from Shikhar Dhawan helped PBKS reach 176/6 in 20 overs.
Chasing 177, RCB lost early wickets, but Virat Kohli's 49-ball 77 kept them alive. In the end, the equation was down to 47 runs off 20 balls when Dinesh Karthik and Impact Player Mahipal Lomror united in the middle. The duo had an excellent partnership of 48 runs from just 18 balls to help Bengaluru win by four wickets.
#4 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, Match 8
Hyderabad hosted its first IPL 2024 match on March 27 between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI). A flat deck was on offer for that game, and both teams made the most out of it.
Half-centuries from Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen ensured that SRH set a new record for the highest team total in IPL matches, scoring 277 runs in 20 overs. MI did not give up easily and scored 246/5 in their 20 overs. Tilak Varma played a fantastic knock of 64 runs from just 34 deliveries.
#3 Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings, April 4
A last-over thriller entertained the fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium last night in IPL 2024. Gujarat Titans (GT) rode on Shubman Gill's unbeaten 89 to set a 200-run target for the Punjab Kings.
The visitors were down to 111/5 in the 13th over. With Jitesh Sharma and uncapped players Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma being the only recognised batters left, GT were the favorites to win, but Singh played an unbelievable knock of 61 from 29 to help PBKS reach 200/7 with one ball to spare.
#2 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, March 23
IPL 2024's first Saturday night match was an absolute blockbuster at the Eden Gardens. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) recovered from 119/6 to finish with 208/7 in 20 overs. Andre Russell scored 64 runs off just 25 deliveries to guide KKR to a fantastic total.
However, SRH's Heinrich Klaasen smacked a 29-ball 63 to turn the game on its head. He hit eight sixes that night to keep Hyderabad alive till the last over. Eventually, KKR's uncapped pacer Harshit Rana kept his nerve and defended 12 runs off the final over to help Kolkata win by four runs.
#1 Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, March 24
There was a lot of hype surrounding the Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians match before IPL 2024. When the two teams clashed in Ahmedabad, they delivered a game for the ages.
The crowd heavily booed opposition captain Hardik Pandya, who left GT for MI. GT managed only 168 runs in their 20 overs, and it seemed like MI would pull off a comfortable chase, but Ashish Nehra and Shubman Gill used their resources to perfection to stop MI at 162/9.
With 26 needed off the last two overs, debutant Spencer Johnson conceded just eight runs and picked up two wickets in the 19th over. Hardik Pandya then hit Umesh Yadav for a six and a four on the first two balls of the 20th over. Yadav bounced back by dismissing Pandya and Piyush Chawla on the next two balls.
Jasprit Bumrah and Shams Mulani only managed two runs off the last two deliveries as the crowd roared at the Narendra Modi Stadium, celebrating their team's win against the five-time champions.