IPL 2017: Top 5 performances from English players in IPL history
While the Indian Premier League is famed for bringing the best of the best together, English involvement in the star-studded tournament has historically lacked.
During the early years, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressed reservations about the sport-changing competition, with even Kevin Pietersen initially turning it down before later coming on board.
The inaugural IPL in 2008 featured just one player who had donned the England shirt: Dimitri Mascarenhas, who competed for the Rajasthan Royals – underdogs masterminded to victory by Shane Warne.
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However, as the IPL has developed and opposition has relented, an increasing number of English players have gotten involved in an attempt to sharpen their skills in the game’s shortest format.
Here are the five best performances from English cricketers in the history of IPL.
# 5 Paul Collingwood: 75 for Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2010
The IPL was a crucial component in Paul Collingwood’s transition from a reserved, middle-order stalwart into a T20 thrasher capable of leading England to World Twenty20 victory. Despite only appearing in 2010, Collingwood smashed a memorable 75 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a comfortable 37-run triumph.
A most unusual shot for Collingwood was to become his own: a dance down the track to position himself for a midwicket pummel. Jacques Kallis, Cameron White and Abhimanyu Mithun were all subject to Colly’s newfound swagger, the Englishman swatting seven sixes – some massive – in a 46-ball assault.
An all-rounder by trade, the Englishman wasn’t called upon to bowl that day, but his ferocity with the bat earned him the Man of the Match award and wrestled the contest away from Bangalore, who stalled and stumbled in hapless pursuit of 185.
A little over a month later, captain Collingwood was holding the World T20 trophy aloft, capping off a most-unexpected trip to the title with a win over old foes Australia. It was a mighty month and a bit, to say the least.