Five best batting cameos in T20 cricket while chasing
T20 cricket has redefined the definition of match-winning innings. A format where momentum tends to shift with every ball, a short cameo is akin to a match-winning 20 or 30 off a few balls is hailed as a magnanimous feat, while sometimes a fifty plus innings bereft of the desired strike-rate is subjected to intense criticism and scrutiny.
Perhaps what makes the batting cameos at the backend of an innings stands out is due to two-fold reasons. Firstly, with the ball getting old and opposition's death specialists with all their knuckleballs, slower cutter and toe-crushers, in full swing, batting is at its most difficult. Secondly, the pressure of the situation is magnanimous which can get better from you, young Vijay Shankar's struggle whilst facing the same bore a testimony to it.
Nevertheless, there have been a plethora of breathtaking cameos by batsmen that have proceeded to transcend the expectations of cricket fans.
Here's the compilation of some of best cameos played in T20s over the years:
#5 Albie Morkel, 28 off 7 balls
Occasion: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, League Match, IPL05, M.A. Chidambram Stadium, Chennai 2012
Equation: 43 off 12 balls
In the 2012 season of the Indian Premier League, the Royal Challengers from Banglore looked well on course for a huge away win at the Chepauk against the eventual runners-up Chennai Super Kings.
After having made an imposing 205 runs in 20 overs, RCB, while defending still had 43 runs in the bag after 18 overs. RCB skipper Daniel Vettori turned to Virat Kohli to bowl the 19th over. All of Chennai's hopes hinged on Albie Morkel who had just come in. Morkel proceeded to tee into Kohli taking 28 off his over while hitting three massive sixes over long-on and a couple of boundaries to reduce the equation down to 15 of the last six balls.
Though Morkel got out in the last over, Bravo and Jadeja finished off the job to achieve an improbable win.