5 top non-century IPL knocks in a losing cause
T20 cricket has taken the world by storm ever since it’s inception in 2005. Big hits like fours and sixes are what fans love and slowly but steadily, the shortest format of the game is fast becoming the best format of the game.
Likewise, the Indian Premier League, ever since it’s establishment in 2008, has fast grown into one of the biggest and most entertaining domestic T20 league in the world.
Cricket, as we know, is a team sport and everybody in the team contributes towards the win but sometimes we witness a single player single-handedly takes his team to an improbable victory. We have come across some scintillating knocks in the IPL as well.
Not all individual brilliance leads to a win and that’s exactly what we are going to talk about. This article talks about some individual brilliance in the IPL that went in vain.
Here are the top 5 non-century knocks in a losing cause in the history of the Indian Premier League:
#5 Harbhajan Singh’s 64 off 24 balls for Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab
It was Mumbai’s first home game of the season and the crowd at the Wankhede wanted nothing less than a home win. The home team had won the toss and as usual, decided to chase. The Punjab openers got off to a good start and at the back end of the innings, captain George Bailey’s quickfire 61 not out gave the Punjab unit a competitive total of 177.
Chasing 178, Mumbai got off to a horrendous start as they lost their skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck. Things kept getting worse for them and soon they found themselves reeling at 59 for 6 in the 14th over.
In walked Harbhajan Singh at the fall of Kieron Pollard’s wicket and right from his first ball he began clobbering the bowlers. He along with Suchith stitched a 100 run partnership in just 37 balls but it was all too late as the home team fell 18 runs shy of the target.
Fans were distraught but they found solace in Harbhajan’s breathtaking 64 off 24 balls which was studded with five fours and six humongous sixes.