IPL 2022: Top 3 batting performances from Week 2
The second week of the ongoing IPL 2022 got underway with a double-header on Saturday and came to a head in thrilling fashion with a last ball finish. Debutant Gujarat Titans (GT) continued their unbeaten run when Rahul Tewatia hit a winning six on the last ball of the match against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
After playing the maximum number of games (3) in the first week, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) played just a solitary game in Week 2 and ended it as table-toppers.
On the other hand, three former IPL winners in Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are yet to open their accounts. They are languishing at the bottom of the points table.
The first week of the competition saw numerous high-scoring encounters. Despite some exhilarating matches in Week 2, no team has breached the 200+ mark in this period.
Together, in a total of eight fixtures in Week 2, as many as 2,671 runs (a single run more than in Week 1) have been scored by the 10 IPL franchises.
With that being said, let's take a look at the three best batting performances from Week 2 of IPL 2022.
Note: Only the games from Match 9 (MI vs RR) to Match 16 (PBKS vs GT) in IPL 2022 have been taken into consideration.
Honorable mentions:
1. Liam Livingston's 60 off 32 vs CSK
2. Dinesh Karthik's 44 off 23 vs RR
#3. Shubman Gill's 96 off 59 vs PBKS
After becoming the third draft pick for them, Shubman Gill found his new home in the Blues of Gujarat. He started the season in a forgettable fashion, getting a duck against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), but found his groove against Delhi.
However, in the second week's last game between GT and PBKS, Gill put in another amazing effort and showcased why he is one of the best talents going around in the Indian circuit.
While chasing a challenging target of 190, Gill lost his opening partner Matthew Wade early in the innings. The right-hander, however, looked in exceptional touch. He cut, drove, and thumped Punjab bowlers in style. The lad from Punjab stitched an important partnership of 101 runs with debutant Sai Sudharsan.
Gill placed his shots into the gaps with perfection and recorded his best IPL individual score of 96. He hit as many as 11 fours and 1 six in an innings that finished at a strike rate of 162.7.
The highlight feature of his knock was that he played just nine dot balls in his 59-ball stay at the crease. After 58 balls of sheer elegance, Gill lost a bit of his shape on the 59th and got dismissed by Kagiso Rabada.
The game went into a tense situation as Gujarat needed 12 runs off their last two balls. However, Tewatia kept his cool and smashed two sixes to stun Punjab. Gill was adjudged the Player of the Match for his knock, which fell just four runs short of a hundred.
#2. Jos Buttler's 100 off 68 vs MI
Jos Buttler got the second week of the IPL off to a flyer as he took the Mumbai Indians bowlers to the cleaners. The Englishman scored 100 off just 68 balls and won his side their second game of the tournament.
After being put in to bat first, Rajasthan Royals' Buttler manifested his intentions from the word go. He smashed a four and a six in the first two overs before clobbering Basil Thampi for 26 runs in an over. Buttler then milked a few singles before unleashing his striking prowess again, against Murgan Ashwin.
In the penultimate over of the innings, the keeper-batter recorded his second and IPL 2022's first century, in 66 balls. As it required something special to get rid of Buttler, bumrah" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Jasprit Bumrah delivered a toe-crushing yorker. However, it was a bit late for Mumbai as Buttler's 100 propelled Rajasthan to 193.
During the chase, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Verma batted competently before Rajasthan's spinners spun a web around them. A lower-order collapse meant that Mumbai fell 23 runs short of the target.
#1. Pat Cummins' 56 off 15 vs MI
Mumbai Indians were once again on the receiving end of an explosive and stormy innings. Pat Cummins made his grand return to the IPL, blowing away Mumbai bowlers with utmost ease.
After winning the toss and bowling first, KKR made a strong start as they reduced MI to 55-3 in 11 overs. However, with Suryakumar Yadav's 14th IPL half-century and a late blitz by Keiron Pollard, Mumbai posted a total of 161-4 in their 20 overs.
During the chase, opener Venkatesh Iyer kept his wicket intact at one end while the other batters lost the plot, giving wickets away at regular intervals.
Mumbai were setting their sights on their first win of the season when they dismissed dangerman Andre Russell. However, little did they know that a carnage show was in store for them.
Pat Cummins, who picked up two wickets but also gave away 49 runs while bowling, came in at No. 7 when KKR needed 62 off the last 42 deliveries. He found a single on his first ball before smashing Tymal Mills for a six and a four. He did the same against Bumrah and proved to be the rub of the green for KKR.
After a strategic timeout, Cummins created mayhem in Pune as he smoked his countryman Daniel Sams for 35 runs in an over. The Australian skipper reached his third IPL fifty in just 14 balls (joint-fastest in IPL). With 4 boundaries and 6 maximums, KKR chased down the total with four overs remaining.