Ajit Agarkar's 3 best IPL moments
Ajit Agarkar is reportedly in line to join the BCCI selection committee for the Indian men's cricket team. The former India all-rounder was a member of the Delhi Capitals coaching staff earlier this year in IPL 2023, but he has left the Delhi-based franchise now.
Agarkar will likely begin a new phase in his cricketing journey soon. He achieved a lot of success as an all-rounder during his playing days. Shedding some light on his IPL numbers, Agarkar played a total of 42 matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals (then known as Delhi Daredevils).
In those 42 games, Ajit Agarkar bagged 29 wickets with an economy rate of 8.83. He scored 179 runs at an average of around 20 and a strike rate of just above 115. Now that the former India international has moved away from the IPL, in this article, we will look at his best three moments in the premier T20 league.
#1 Ajit Agarkar lights up IPL with his pace bowling brilliance
Many cricket fans remember that Brendon McCullum scored a dazzling hundred in the first-ever match of the Indian Premier League. However, not all of them would know that Ajit Agarkar took the highest number of wickets in that game.
Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL 2008, Agarkar bowled a fantastic spell of 3/25 in four overs. It proved to be his career-best figures in the IPL.
Agarkar's maiden IPL wicket was Jacques Kallis, whom he dismissed caught out. Cameron White handed a catch to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha off Agarkar's bowling, while Balachandra Akhil got caught out as well.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore managed only 82 runs in 15.1 overs while chasing a target of 223 runs. Agarkar's spell played a big role in the Kolkata Knight Riders' 140-run win.
#2 Ajit Agarkar ends drought of wickets with Sachin Tendulkar's scalp
While Agarkar started his IPL career with a three-wicket haul, he could not perform consistently in the next few matches. There was a phase in his career, where the right-arm bowler failed to take a wicket in seven back-to-back matches in the league.
Agarkar ended his drought with the big wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in a league game between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at Buffalo Park in 2009. Agarkar bowled only one over, where he went for 12 runs, but dismissed the Mumbai Indians captain caught out.
#3 Agarkar shines in Kolkata Knight Riders' win against Rajasthan Royals
In the 53rd match of IPL 2009, the Kolkata Knight Riders battled against defending champions Rajasthan Royals at Kingsmead. RR got off to a dream start as Naman Ojha smacked 22 runs off the first over bowled by Bradley Hodge.
However, RR could not continue the momentum. Charles Langeveldt and Ajit Agarkar completely shifted the game in KKR's favor by conceding a total of 30 runs in eight overs and picking up five wickets.
Ajit Agarkar bowled a spell of 2/15 in four overs. He rattled the stumps of Johan Botha and Shane Warne to end his IPL 2009 season on a high.