mid-day.com looks at the performances that made headlines in the sixth week of the cash-rich T20 league
MI skipper Rohit Sharma walks back after being dismissed for a duck against CSK at Chennai last Saturday. PIC/PTI
Rohit's flop show continues
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Mumbai Indians (MI) are sweating over captain Rohit Sharma's poor form. The opener, who has scored just 191 runs in 11 matches at an average of 17.36 this season, has failed to cross the single-digit mark for the fifth time in a row—his worst-ever performance in IPL—after being dismissed for just seven against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Wankhede on Tuesday. His form is also a concern for Team India going into the World Test Championship final against Australia next month. The India skipper's last five IPL matches have seen him return with scores of 2, 3, 0, 0 and 7.
Two records in one game
Rajasthan Royals’s (RR) opener Yashasvi Jaiswal created history by scoring the fastest half-century in IPL. The Mumbai-based southpaw reached his 50 off just 13 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), thus breaking the previous record set by KL Rahul and Pat Cummins (14 balls). Jaiswal’s innings witnessed 12 fours and five sixes as RR chased a 150-run target with nine wickets in hand and 41 balls to spare. The match also witnessed RR leggie Yuzvendra Chahal becoming the leading wicket-taker in IPL. Chahal achieved the milestone in his 143rd IPL match when he dismissed KKR skipper Nitish Rana for his 184th scalp, thus surpassing Dwayne Bravo (183 wickets in 161 matches). Chahal claimed four wickets in the game which took his tally to 187 wickets.
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Openers Gill, Jaiswal and Buttler miss tons
Gujarat Titans's (GT) opener Shubman Gill stayed unbeaten on 94 against Lucknow Super Giants, while RR's opening batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler missed centuries by just two and five runs against KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) respectively. The defending champions' in-form batter Gill continued his fine form to help his team post a mammoth 227-2. His innings was laced with two fours and seven sixes, while Jaiswal’s 47-ball 98 not out witnessed 12 fours and five sixes as RR chased 150-run target with 41 balls to spare. Buttler's 95-run knock saw 10 fours and four hits over the park as RR scored 214-2. Gill's quick-fire knock saw GT register a 56-run win, while Buttler's effort went in vain as SRH emerged victorious in a last-ball thriller.
200-run target, no worry for MI
MI recorded their third successive win chasing 200 or more this season when they chased RCB's 200-run target at Wankhede. In this process, the Rohit Sharma-led team chased the target with 21 balls to spare, thus recording the fastest victory in IPL chasing 200 or more. Delhi Daredevils in 2017, chased a 208-run target against Gujarat Lions with 15 balls to spare. Batting first, RCB scored 199-6. In reply, despite skipper Rohit's early dismissal, in-form Suryakumar Yadav (83) and Nehal Wadhera (52 not out) put on a 140-run stand off just 66 balls as the hosts won with six wickets in hand.
No-ball drama off the last ball
With five required off the last delivery, RR pacer Sandeep Sharma and his teammates celebrated after Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abdul Samad holed out to Jos Buttler at long-off. The giant scoreboard too displayed RR winning the match by four runs. However, their celebration was cut short after the umpire signalled a no-ball after the right-arm pacer had overstepped, thus ensuring a free hit to Samad with four required off the final ball. The right-handed batsman was in no mood to spare Sandeep this time around as he smashed the attempted yorker over the bowler's head for a six as SRH chased 215-run target with four wickets in hand for their highest-ever chase in IPL.
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