5 most expensive overs in IPL history

One bowler, two batsmen, six legitimate deliveries, hundreds of feelings and thousands of emotions. An over has it all. It’s an event, one among forty, that makes you feel melancholy, joyous, surprised, angry, animated, and what not. Ours is a batsman’s game and shorter the format gets, more is the point validated.

When the stage is as big as the Indian Premier League with a certain Chris Gayle or MS Dhoni staring down the bowler with a 4.25-inch wide hammer, he has no escape. The IPL has witnessed some of the hardest hitting batsmen across the globe, whacking bowlers out of the park at will. These batsmen have had the capability to change the complexion of the game in a single over. So let us have a look at six of the most expensive overs in IPL history, where batsmen showed no sympathy to the bowlers.

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#5 Virender Sehwag’s against Andrew Symonds: 30 Runs (2008)

Who better than the “Multan of Sultan” to end this list? Chasing a modest target of 143 against Deccan Chargers in the seventh match of the tournament, the Delhi dasher smashed 94*(41) to take Delhi home comfortably.

It was in the thirteenth over of the match when Viru decided to take on Andrew Symonds. The first ball went over extra cover, next over square leg, then towards fine leg, another one over cover, then, another pull, and the last one went rows back over long on to put an end to Symond’s misery.

This is how the over went: 4, 6, 4, 6, 4, 6

#4 Chris Gayle’s against Rahul Sharma: 31 runs (2012)

Chris Gayle the record for highest ever T20 score

It was in the 21st match of the 2012 edition, between RCB and Pune Warriors, when a young leg-spinner named Rahul Sharma realized what it was like to bowl to Christopher Henry Gayle.

Chasing a huge target of 183, RCB lost some early wickets. In the thirteenth over of the innings, Ganguly decided to bowl the young leg-spinner. Saurabh Tiwary, who was batting on the other end took a single on the first ball and then the juggernaut started. Five balls, five sixes - one over long off, the other one over deep mid wicket, next one over the bowler’s head, then over long on, and the last one towards deep square leg to end a long over from Rahul Sharma.

This is how the over went: 1, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

#3 Chris Gayle against Ravi Bopara: 33 runs (2010)

He holds the record for scoring most sixes in IPL

This time, Gayle decided to take on Ravi Bopara. In the 34th match of the 2010 edition of IPL, playing for KKR, against KXIP, Gayle took Ravi Bopara to the cleaners. Manoj Tiwary took a single on the first ball of the over and then Chris Gayle turned on the 'beast mode' and smashed Bopara for four back to back gigantic sixes.

Under pressure, Bopara bowled a wide ball which went for a four too, another wide, and a single of the last ball, which ended the English bowler's nightmare. Although KKR lost the match courtesy Jayawardene’s excellent hundred, Gayle won many hearts in a single over.

This is how the over went: 1, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5Wides, Wide, 1

#2 Suresh Raina against Parvinder Awana: 33 runs (2014)

Most successful IPL Player

In the second qualifier match of the 2014 edition, Chennai Super Kings took On the Kings XI Punjab. Batting first, Punjab posted a huge total of 227 runs courtesy Virender Sehwag’s hundred.

Chennai came out all guns blazing during the chase. In the last over of the power play, Raina decided to take on the young Parvinder Awana.

The first two balls went for two sixes, one over the mid-wicket boundary and next over long on. The Next five balls(no ball included) saw Raina hit five beautiful grounded shots, the highlight of which was the flick through deep mid wicket. Although CSK lost the match, Raina impressed everyone with his 25-ball-87.

This is how the over went: 6, 6, 4, 4, 4(no ball), 4, 4

#1 Chris Gayle against Prasant Parameswaran: 37 runs (2011)

Chris Gayle scored 30+ runs in an over thrice in IPL history

It was the 50th match of the 2011 IPL season between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kochi Tuskers. Chasing a modest target of 126, Chris Gayle came to his destructive best in the third over of the innings when he smashed Prasant Parameswaran for 37 runs in a single over.

The first two balls went for sixes over point region, then a four through mid wicket, another one through covers, then two back to back sixes, one over cover and one straight back over the bowlers head and finally, a four thanks to an inside edge, to add insult to Prasant’s injury.

RCB chased down the target with 41 balls remaining and Chris Gayle was awarded man of the match for his performance.

This is how the over went: 6, 6(No ball), 4, 4, 6, 6, 4