IPL 2023: Top 3 batting performances from Week 5

After five weeks of exhilarating cricket, the ongoing IPL 2023 has now moved into its most crucial phase. Teams are hoping to put together winning streaks in order to improve their prospects of making the playoffs.

After multiple high-scoring encounters in the previous week, there weren't too many run-fests on offer last week but there were thrills and spills all around.

Defending champions GT have a comfortable lead at the top 😎

📸: IPL/JioCinema

#IPL2023 #RRvsGT #crickettwitter https://t.co/tCe7nuTNNB

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) posted the highest score of the week when they scored a massive 214 runs against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Together, in a total of 10 fixtures in Week 5, as many as 3,189 runs (103 runs less than in Week 4) have been scored by the 10 IPL franchises.

With that being said, let's take a look at the five best batting performances from Week 5 of IPL 2023.

Note: Only the games from Match 39 (KKR vs GT) to Match 47 (RR vs GT) in IPL 2023 have been taken into consideration.

#3 Devon Conway - 92* off 52 vs PBKS (Match 41)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have a rich history of phenomenal overseas openers like Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, and Faf du Plessis. With his recent performances, it looks like they have found another one in Devon Conway.

Although his side ended up on a loosing side, Conway continued his rich vein of form and slammed his fifth fifty of the season against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

In a day game in Chennai, the hosts opted to bat first. CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Conway started brilliantly, putting up an 86-run stand for the first wicket.

The Mr Consistent of CSK - Devon Conway 🏏

📷 : IPL/JioCinema

#CSKvPBKS #Cricket #IPL2O23 https://t.co/QZzSTi9pB6

While Gaikwad was stumped for 37, Conway continued his onslaught and carried his bat through the innings. Continuing his ominous batting form, Conway clobbered 92* off just 52 balls.

On a day where he timed everything to perfection, the Kiwi left-hander smashed as many as 16 boundaries and a solitary six. Alongside his marvelous knock and MS Dhoni's late 4-ball 13*-run cameo, CSK breached the 200-run mark.

Unfortunately for them, PBKS showed a courageous fight and ended up winning the tie on the very last ball. However, Conway was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his brilliant batting display in the first innings.

#2 Suryakumar Yadav - 66 off 31 vs PBKS (Match 66)

Suryakumar Yadav in action for MI [IPLT20]

Probably the most impactful batter of the week, Suryakumar Yadav was at his best once again after a slow start to the tournament.

The star batter helped Mumbai Indians (MI) pull off a sensational high-scoring run-chase for the second game running when he scored a brilliant 66 off 31 against PBKS in Mohali.

After being put in to bat first by Rohit Sharma, Punjab Kings posted 214/3 in their stipulated 20 overs. Liam Livingstone (82*) and Jitesh Sharma (49*) were the two best batters for the hosts as they had an unbeaten partnership of 119 runs for the fourth wicket.

MI needed a strong start in order to hunt down the target. It didn't help when they lost both Rohit Sharma and Cameron Green inside the powerplay overs. Their dismissals led Suryakumar enter the crease when there were no fielding restrictions.

Although they made 54 runs in the first six overs, MI were in desperate need of a clinical partnership. That's when Suryakumar joined forces with Ishan Kishan.

The right-left combination did wonders for MI as the duo stitched a 116-run partnership from just 55 balls. Kishan used his brute force to hit his seven fours and four maximums, while Suryakumar displayed some outrageous strokeplay to clobber eight fours and a couple of sixes.

✨ of Mumbai batting: Suryakumar & Ishan 🏏

📷 : IPL / JioCinema

#PBKSvMI #Cricket #IPL2023 https://t.co/gxj0oG0rXd

SKY unsettled the PBKS bowlers with his sheer brilliance of playing with the field and finding gaps at odd spaces on the ground.

PBKS made a slight comeback into the game when they dismissed both the batters in a space of eight runs. But Tilak Verma and Tim David once again finished the game off in style to hand Mumbai their second-highest successful run-chase ever.

#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal - 124 off 62 vs MI (Match 42)

Yashasvi Jaiswal raising his arms after a ton vs MI [IPLT20]

Probably the best knock of the ongoing 16th edition of the league came from the bat of RR's young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal.

While playing at his home ground at Wankhede Stadium, Jaiswal hit a wondrous 124 off just 62 balls. Unfortunately for him, he still ended up on a losing side.

After opting to bat first, Rajasthan rode on Jaiswal's brilliant performance. Although his opening partner, Jos Buttler, played an indifferent knock of 18 from 19 balls, the young left-hander made the most of the powerplay and put the MI pacers under pressure right from the word go.

Despite losing partners at the other end, Jaiswal continued his onslaught and never backed away from going over the ropes.

Yashasvi Jaiswal with a peach of a knock to score his century in IPL 2023 🙌🏻

📸: JioCinema/IPL

#IPL2023 #MIvsRR #CricketTwitter https://t.co/Qu6zXSRf6z

Playing his pull shots, lofted drives and sweeps to perfection, Jaiswal hammered as many as 16 fours and eight lusty maximums, meaning 112 off his 124 runs came in boundaries. This was the first-ever IPL century where a batter plummeted over 90% off his runs in boundaries.

One can see how special Jaiswal's knock was by knowing that the second-best individual score by a RR batter on the night was only 18 runs (by Buttler). Even the extras conceded by the MI batters accounted for 25 runs!

Striking at a phenomenal rate of 200, the local lad from Mumbai propelled his side to a gigantic score of 212/7 in the first innings. Despite his best efforts, Jaiswal's knock went in vain as MI chased down the first-ever 200+ run target at the Wankhede Stadium.