IPL 2021: 3 instances bowlers made best batsmen their bunnies
Like every other format of cricket, the bowlers have had their bunnies in the IPL. It has been 13 years since the IPL's inception, and the big names have played a lot of cricket against each other in the tournament.
A 'bunny' is a batsman who always finds a way to lose his wicket to a particular bowler. For example, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan picked up Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni's wicket seven times in the 13 IPL innings they faced off in.
Similarly, Sunrisers Hyderabad pace bowler Sandeep Sharma has sent Virat Kohli back to the pavilion seven times in 14 innings. But in this article, we will look at those three bowlers who made famous batsmen their bunnies by dismissing them every time they came face to face in the IPL.
3. Ben Hilfenhaus to David Warner: IPL Innings - 3, Dismissed - 3 times
Australian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus was quite successful during his IPL stint with the Chennai Super Kings. He had even been a part of the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils), but he never got an opportunity to play for those two franchises.
Hilfenhaus represented the Chennai Super Kings in 17 matches, picking up 22 wickets at an economy rate of 7.73. His bowling strike rate was 16.91 and he also won two Man of the Match Awards.
The right-arm pacer dismissed the likes of Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma in the IPL, but his bunny was his compatriot David Warner. While playing for Delhi, Warner was caught off Hilfenhaus twice.
Playing against SRH in IPL 2014, the CSK pacer trapped Warner in front of his stumps to maintain his 100% record against the southpaw.
2. Mustafizur Rahman to Ravindra Jadeja: IPL innings - 3, Dismissed - 3 times
Mustafizur Rahman is the only foreign cricketer in IPL history to bag the Emerging Player Award. He played an integral role in the Sunrisers Hyderabad's 2016 IPL triumph.
Rahman is now part of the Rajasthan Royals squad, and the Bangladeshi speedster will be keen to play against the Chennai Super Kings this year. The pacer could have the chance to extend his fantastic record against CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja
The left-arm pacer rattled Jadeja's stumps when the two players crossed paths for the first time in IPL 2016. Later in the same season, Jadeja handed a catch to Bhuvneshwar Kumar off Rahman's bowling.
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Two years later, when Jadeja returned from Gujarat Lions to Chennai Super Kings, Mustafizur Rahman dismissed the Team India star again while donning the Mumbai Indians jersey at the Wankhede Stadium. It will be interesting to see if Rahman can keep his 100% record against Jadeja intact in IPL 2021.
1. Rahul Sharma to Kumar Sangakkara: IPL innings - 5, Dismissed - 5 times
Rahul Sharma is the only bowler in IPL history to dismiss a particular batter five times in five innings. The Indian leg-spinner played for the Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers, and the Pune Warriors in his IPL career.
In 44 IPL matches, the 34-year-old picked up 40 wickets, five of them being of Kumar Sangakkara. He scalped Sangakkara's wicket for the first time in IPL 2010 during a match between the Deccan Chargers and the Punjab Kings.
Rahul switched to the Pune Warriors the following season and picked up Sangakkara's wicket on both occasions when Pune clashed with the Chargers. He then repeated the feat in the 2012 season as Sharma rattled Sangakkara's stumps in both Warriors vs. Chargers matches during the league phase.
Unfortunately, Rahul Sharma has not received an opportunity to play an IPL game since the 2014 season.