IPL 2018: 6 Talking points from week 1
IPL 2018 is just a week old, but we have already witnessed some thrilling performances, some which have resulted in match-winning efforts and some that have endured the disappointment of a loss.
We have seen some star players reinvent themselves and we have also seen multiple IPL debutants performing on the grand stage seamlessly as if they are made for it. Staying true to the IPL motto, talent has certainly met opportunity and the opportunities have transformed into heroic performances.
We take a look at 6 talking points from week 1 of the mega event.
6) Dwayne Bravo’s bravado
The West Indian all-rounder, who is better known for his death bowling abilities in recent years, showed that he is still a force to reckon with, with the bat in hand.
Bravo walked in to bat when the score read 75-5 at the end of 12 overs. Chennai Super Kings still needed 91 runs in just 48 balls. CSK kept losing wickets at the other end and soon found themselves in a hopeless situation needing 47 runs to get off the last 3 overs with just 2 wickets in hand (and the last batsman being an injured Kedar Jadhav). This is when Dwayne Bravo decided to take the matter into his own hands.
He blasted Mitchell McClenaghan for a couple of sixes and a boundary and the equation read 27 to get from 12 balls. With India’s number one T20 bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, bowling the penultimate over, Mumbai Indians would have been confident of defending these runs. But Bravo had other ideas. He hit Bumrah out of the boundary 3 times and the over cost MI 20 runs, eventually resulting in the match going CSK’s way.
Although Bravo was out after a breezy 30-ball 68, his single handed effort was enough for the men in yellow to start their long-awaited campaign on a winning note.