Top 10 IPL 6 knocks from the losing side

There is an air of romance about a heroic effort in a losing cause. IPL 6 has been an interesting tournament on many counts. For a start, some of the pitches, like the ones at Mohali, Bangalore and Jaipur, have offered reasonable pace and bounce. Bowlers have won matches for their sides and there have been some low scoring thrillers. But the most incredible aspect of IPL 6 has been the number of stunning innings that have come from the losing sides. Although each innings is equally a gem in its own right, under pressure, some, as Orwell would put it, are more equal than others. One way of going about these wonderful knocks is quantitatively. But, subjectively speaking, nothing about cricket can ever be determined quantitatively. Ask Laxman’s fans, for example. The other way would be to look at the next highest score in the team, combined with how tough the situation actually was. That is what turns some of the smaller knocks into absolute gems. Nevertheless, we will take a minimum qualification of 50 runs to bring some sanity, as there has been a flurry of classy knocks that undeservedly ended on the wrong side.

Match 30 – Shane Watson’s 101 Vs CSK – Watson produced a scintillating innings, the ilk of which is rarely seen in T20 cricket. His 61 ball knock was studded with half a dozen boundaries and an equal number of sixers, powering Rajasthan to an imperious total. But his own countryman, Michael Hussey, thwarted his celebrations, scoring a brisk 88 backed up by Suresh Raina’s half century to overhaul the Rajasthan Royals’ total.

Match 38 – Manvinder Bisla’s 92 Vs CSK – What makes this innings an incredible one apart from a strike rate of nearly 151 is the fact that the next highest score for KKR chasing a target of 201 against CSK is 32. Bisla was on course to win the match single handedly for KKR before he got out close to the end of the chase. It came in an away match, which adds a few brownie points for the knock.

Match 5 – MS Dhoni’s 51 Vs MI – Once again, this was an innings that single-handedly took CSK to victory. The next highest score for CSK in the match was 20. The 26 ball gem gave Dhoni a strike rate of 196, the next highest in the match being Keiron Pollard’s 150. Eventually, CSK fell 9 runs short of the target.

Match 16 – AB de Villiers’ 64 Vs CSK – Any AB de Villiers knock is a sublime one. This one off 32 balls was more sublime than others as he really took the CSK bowlers apart in the last few overs of the RCB innings, the total rocketing to 165. However, CSK pulled it off with one ball to spare, a team effort rather than any particular individual shining through, although Jadeja fans would disagree.

Match 8 – Eoin Morgan’s 51 Vs RR – Chasing 145, Eoin Morgan was winning it for KKR on his own might, scoring a brisk 38 ball 51 that had 3 boundaries and 3 sixers. The next highest KKR score of 22 shows he hardly had any support, KKR eventually losing the low scoring match. Morgan’s was the only half-century in the match too.

Match 46 – Robin Uthappa’s 75 Vs RCB – Uthappa deserves extra points for this innings, for gaining his composure and coming back to open after witnessing a stunning AB de Villiers half century that came off just 23 balls. PWI fell 17 runs short as Uthappa, who took just 45 balls for his innings, couldn’t manage to find support from the other end.

Match 45 – Shaun Marsh’s 73 Vs CSK – Chennai Super Kings have steamrolled quite a few gladiators this IPL. Marsh’s innings was a testimony of his talent and temperament. Ably supported by Miller on the other end, Marsh threatened to take the game away from CSK with this 51 ball knock that had 8 boundaries and 2 sixers. KXIP, chasing a target of 187, eventually lost by 15 runs. This knock, too, came in an away match, which makes it even more special.

Match 36 – Darren Sammy’s 60 Vs RR – Sunrisers were heading towards an embarrassment before Sammy restored some dignity with his quick fire 60 off just 41 balls. Amit Mishra’s 21 was the next best score in a disappointing batting display. However, Sammy takes Sunrisers to a score of 144, giving them a semblance of a chance, only to be blown away by Watson’s blitzkrieg 98*.

Match 2 – Dinesh Karthik’s 60 Vs RCB – Dinesh Karthik’s 37-ball counterattack set MI on the track chasing 156. With 3 boundaries and 4 sixers, Karthik made sure the run rate didn’t climb too much. However, after his dismissal, Mumbai Indians lost their way, eventually falling short by just 2 runs.

Match 34 – Shikhar Dhawan’s 63 Vs CSK – Shikhar Dhawan, coming back from an injury, played a knock that was as fluent as it gets after a long layoff. However, Dhoni spoiled his party. Nevertheless, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s best batsman should be complimented for his 45 ball knock supported by Ashish Reddy from the other end. CSK, chasing 160, won in the last over.

Notable Mentions

Match 28 – Rohit Sharma’s 73 Vs DD – Rohit Sharma has been in good form this IPL, trailing Chris Gayle and Michael Hussey on the Orange Cap list. This 43 ball innings had 5 sixers and as many boundaries. Nevertheless, 161 by MI didn’t prove sufficient as Sehwag went berserk, with Delhi Daredevils chasing the target down in 17 overs. This knock, though, would lose out to some of the other innings in this list, considering there were 3 other half centuries in a high scoring match.

Match 20 – Gautam Gambhir’s 60 vs KXIP – The 39 ball innings was one of aggression, Gambhir spanking 9 boundaries. While Eoin Morgan was at the other end, it seemed as if KKR would cruise through the chase. But, they perform hara-kiri, eventually losing the match by 4 runs.

There were a few other knocks that deserved an honorable mention too. Aaron Finch’s 65 (42) against KXIP, Chris Gayle’s 61 (33) against KXIP, David Miller’s 56 (34) against MI and David Warner’s 61 (37) against MI were 4 other wonderful innings of substance that still ended up in heartbreak. These didn’t make it to the top 10 largely because they came in high scoring matches, but in cricket, there is always room for debate and one can always beg to differ.