10 best all-round performances ever seen at the IPL
The value of an all-rounder in any format of the game is well documented! In T20 Cricket, you are in high demand if you can score runs and pick wickets at the same time. That is one of the reasons why the likes of Pollard, Jadeja and Yuvraj Singh have fetched big bucks in the IPL auctions.In the 7 seasons that have been completed, only one man (Shane Watson) has won the player of the tournament award twice, and he is an all-rounder. Even this season, right at the beginning we saw James Faulkner scoring 46 runs and picking 3 wickets to help his side register a win. So, here we take a look at 10 such great all-round performances over the last 7 years of the IPL:
#10 Shane Watson vs DD (52 and 3 for 10)
It was the 1stever semifinal in IPL history as Rajasthan Royals took on the Delhi Daredevils. RRs openers began well but got out in quick succession. The move to send Sohail Tanvir at number 3 failed, so someone had to step up to ensure a collapse doesnt occur.
The Aussie all-rounder did just that as he top scored with a fifty as RR gave DD a target of 193 to progress to the finals. DD definitely had the armoury to chase it down, but Watson opened the bowling and bowled brilliantly by removing the top 3 (Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhawan) to end up with figures of 3 for 10 in three overs.
From there, it was just a mere formality as Rajasthan reached the finals comfortably!