IPL 2020: 5 times a team scored less than an individual player's score in the tournament
The traditionalists of cricket have believed that the T20 format is a batsman-dominated game because, unlike Tests and ODIs, the batsmen are more willing to take risks. Taking high risks in a tournament like the IPL has often resulted in higher rewards, as many batsmen have managed to touch the 100-run mark in an IPL inning.
On the other side, there is also a negative impact of taking more risks. Sometimes the batting lineup entirely collapses after the top three-four batsmen return to the pavilion early. Because of this tendency, there have been multiple one-sided matches in the IPL, although all teams are pretty evenly matched in the competition.
Here's a look at the five instances when an individual batsman ended up scoring more runs than a team in IPL history.
5. KL Rahul — 132* vs. RCB — 109, IPL 2020
Kings XI Punjab skipper KL Rahul led his side from the front in the sixth match of IPL 2020 as the Mohali-based franchise destroyed the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Rahul opened the innings for KXIP and scored an unbeaten 132 off 69 deliveries, including 14 fours and seven sixes.
Punjab posted a total of 206/3 on the board. In reply, Royal Challengers got off to a disastrous start as they lost their first three wickets for just four runs. The trio of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Joshua Philippe returned to the pavilion early. AB de Villiers, Aaron Finch, and Washington Sundar tried their best, but RCB could only manage 109 runs eventually.
4. Rahul Dravid — 66 vs. RR — 58, IPL 2009
Royal Challengers Bangalore finished runners-up in IPL 2009. In one of the league matches against the defending champions Rajasthan Royals, Bangalore's bowling attack did not allow the Rajasthan batsmen to score more runs than Rahul Dravid aggregated in the first innings.
Dravid batted at number five for RCB and scored 66 runs off 48 deliveries. Chasing a modest target of 134 runs, Rajasthan did not get any momentum in the second innings. Bangalore's legendary leg-spin bowler Anil Kumble returned with magical figures of 5/5, while Praveen Kumar and Jesse Ryder scalped two wickets each as Rajasthan lost all their wickets for 58 runs.