Top 5 IPL knocks in a losing cause
The biggest T20 extravaganza in the world, the IPL, is slated to begin from September 19. Over the years, the marquee tournament has produced some of the most thrilling matches in the history of the format that have seen batsmen playing out of their skins and producing once-in-a-lifetime innings.
However, cricket is a cruel game and sometimes even the most special knocks go in vain. IPL has seen many such brilliant innings where the batsmen have fallen just short of leading their teams to victory after giving it all out in the middle.
Here we take a look at some of these heroic innings in the IPL that didn't result in victories but won the hearts of cricket lovers and got etched in their memories.
#5 Virat Kohli: 79, RCB v DD, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, 17th April 2016
The 2016 IPL season was completely owned by Virat Kohli who hit four centuries through the course of the tournament. The 11th match of the IPL season saw Virat Kohli's RCB take on a resurgent Delhi Daredevils side (now rechristened as Delhi Capitals).
Put into bat first, RCB were off to a horror start as Chris Gayle departed on naught off the third delivery of the innings. AB de Villiers came one down and joined his skipper in an attempt to steer the team out of trouble.
The duo began cautiously but after they got the hang of the wickets, fury was unleashed. Virat Kohli was at his sublime best as he belted 79 runs off just 48 deliveries. His stellar innings was laced with seven boundaries and three sweetly-timed sixes with him hitting at an envious strike-rate of 164.58.
Virat Kohli, along with AB de Villiers, put up a century stand of 107 runs for the second wicket and RCB finished with a strong total of 191 runs in 20 overs.
However, the effort ended in a losing cause, as Delhi Daredevils wicket keeper-batsman Quinton de Kock smashed his first IPL century and took his side to victory with an over to spare.
#4 Chris Morris: 82, DD vs GL, Arun Jaitley Stadium, 27th April 2016
This was one of those innings where the South African showed his full potential with the bat. In the 23rd match of IPL 2016, the now defunct side of Gujarat Lions had posted a challenging target of 173 runs courtesy Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum's heroics.
Chasing 173 runs, Delhi Daredevils were off to a horrible start as inside four overs the capital team were reduced to 16/3. With a loss imminent, skipper Zaheer Khan came up with a last-ditch plan of sending Chris Morris up the order to number six.
The Pretorian came in at a precarious situation and blasted a belligerent 82 off just 32 deliveries which included four fours and eight delightful sixes.
When it seemed that Delhi would edge this, Dhawal Kulkarni held his nerve to eke out a one-run win for the hosts in this IPL game. Morris was left stunned and so were all the Delhi supporters.
#3 AB De Villiers’ 89, RCB vs KXIP, Holkar Stadium, Indore, April 10, 2017
The 8th match of IPL 2017 saw the Kings XI Punjab lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bangalore at their designated home venue, the Holkar Stadium, Indore.
The RCB were dealt a huge blow before the match as skipper Virat Kohli was ruled out of it due to an injury. AB de Villiers was also making a comeback into the RCB playing XI after a back injury had ruled out the South African from the first two games of the IPL.
With Kohli missing in action, the responsibility fell on the shoulders of AB de Villiers who walked in the middle after stand-in skipper Shane Watson perished in the first over itself.
WIth wickets falling at the other end, de Villiers started belting the bowlers to all corners of the park.
While the rest of the RCB batsmen managed a collective score of 59 runs in 74 balls, de Villiers himself stroked an impressive 89 off 46 balls which was studded with three boundaries and nine massive sixes. RCB ended up with a decent total of 148-4 but the KXIP batsmen made no fuss about the target and chased it with ease.
#2 MS Dhoni: 84* CSK vs RCB, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, 21 April 2019
One of the greatest finshers of the game, MS Dhoni was at his imperious best during this Southern derby of the IPL. Playing against RCB in their den, Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Ranchi-born batsman came up with an innings that is still etched in the memories of ardent MSD'ians.
Batting first, RCB had put up a respectable total of 161 on the board. The CSK inning was off to a horrendous start as four wickets fell in the powerplay overs at a poor score of 28.
In walked MS Dhoni and he strung together useful partnerships with Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja to inch closer to the target. However, Dwayne Bravo perished in the penultimate over and CSK were left to chase 25 runs in the final over with MS Dhoni on the strikers end.
MS Dhoni was up against Indian pacer Umesh Yadav and one would have thought that the seasoned Indian bowler would easily defend the cushion of 25 runs. However, MSD had other plans.
The first five balls of the over read: 4, 6, 6, 2, 6-- and Virat Kohli and RCB were staring at an imminent IPL defeat that came out of nowhere.
With just two runs required off the last ball, Dhoni was unable to put bat to ball that was delivered outside off. The non-striker Shardul Thakur ran valiantly trying to steal the single off a bye but the wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel was accurate with his throw and Thakur fell just short of his crease and CSK lost by one run.
This was only the fourth instance in IPL when Dhoni had remained not out in an unsuccessful run chase.
#1 Suresh Raina 87, CSK vs KXIP, Wankhede Stadium, 2014
Arguably, Suresh Raina’s best IPL knock came in a losing cause. Batting first, the Kings posted 226 in their 20 overs, thanks to a blitzkrieg 122 off just 58 balls by Virender Sehwag.
A steep target became a mountain when the South African Faf du Plessis departed in the second over. But then came Suresh Raina who played a whirlwind knock that nearly became one of the greatest escapes of the game.
Right from the word go, the UP batsman looked in ominous touch. The southpaw started belting the DD bowlers to all corners of the park.
Raina added 66 for the second wicket with Dwayne Smith in 28 balls, of which Smith scored just 7. Raina was ferocious as he threatened to single-handedly make a mockery of the target.
His 25-ball 87 gave him a strike-rate of 348 and included 12 fours and six sixes. That means 18 of his 25 balls were hit for boundaries. Unfortunately, Raina was run out after taking CSK to 100 for 2 in just 6 overs.
CSK eventually lost the IPL match by 24 runs but his inning became something of a modern legend and is still remembered as one of the greatest T20 knock ever played.