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New Zealand opener Devon Conway has established himself as one of the best all-format batters in the world since his debut two years ago. The South Africa-born cricketer has already won a World Test Championship (2019-21) title in his brief career at the international level.
Conway also won the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Chennai Super Kings earlier this year. The left-hander has had a highly impressive record in the tournament - 924 runs in 22 innings at an average of 48.63 and a strike rate of 141.28. He has filled in the shoes of Faf du Plessis, who was released by CSK after their title-winning campaign in 2021.
The 32-year-old celebrated his birthday yesterday. On that note, we look at his top five knocks in the T20 competition.
#1 47 (25) vs GT, IPL 2023 final
Defending champions Gujarat Titans were asked to bat first in the second consecutive final since their inception in 2022. They scored a mammoth total - 214/4 in 20 overs. Sai Sudharshan played the innings of his life, scoring an unbeaten 96 off just 47 deliveries.
After the rain break, the target was reduced to 171 in 15 overs. The CSK opening duo came all guns blazing. They brought up 52 runs in only the first four overs, as Devon Conway took on Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami, while Gaikwad (26 off 16 balls) lent a strong support as well.
This partnership (74 off 37 deliveries) was integral in setting up a base for the rest of the chase. Both the batters played attacking cricket with excellent execution against arguably the finest bowling attack in the competition at their home ground. He won the Player of the Match for his effort, which makes this his best innings in the competition, considering the occasion.
#2 92*(52) vs PBKS, IPL 2023
CSK won the toss and elected to bat first at their home ground. Conway was the aggressor in the opening partnership, as Gaikwad was not at his best in this encounter. He could only accumulate 37 off 31 balls and was dismissed in the ninth over of the innings.
The left-handed batter wasted no time in getting set and anchoring the innings. His risk-taking approach paid off really well. He batted brilliantly against the pace unit of Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran on a wicket, where the ball was not coming onto the bat that easily.
Conway kept up with the scoring rate in the middle overs of the innings. He played a prototype anchor inning in modern T20 as we know it. However, his monumental effort of 92* off 52 (16 fours and a six) ended up in a losing cause.
#3 87 (49) vs DC, IPL 2022
CSK had a terrible season, finishing ninth on the points table. However, the Gaikwad-Conway partnership had shown results in its very first season. This partnership set the tone for yet another Super Kings victory against the Delhi-based franchise.
Batting first, Conway was the aggressor this time too. Ruturaj Gaikwad brought up a 33-ball 41. On the other hand, the New Zealand opener took on Axar Patel in the powerplay and Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs. The duo added 110 runs in 11 overs, as Gaikwad was dismissed by Anrich Nortje.
However, Conway struggled when he was in the 80s. The left-hander was finally dismissed by a slower one in the 17th over of the innings. His innings took the target beyond the reach of the Capitals, who capitulated in the run chase.
#4 83 (45) vs RCB, IPL 2023
This RCB-CSK encounter had a lot of hype, as several cricket fans went to witness MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli up against each other for possibly the last time in the tournament. However, Devon Conway's performance turned out to be the highlight of the first innings.
Mohammed Siraj dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad in the third over of the innings. However, that did not stop Conway and Rahane from stitching together an impactful partnership (74 runs off 43 deliveries). The RCB bowlers seemed to have no answers for this duo. His 80-run stand with Shivam Dube made things even more difficult for the home team. In his impressive 83-run knock, Conway hit six fours and as many sixes at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
#5 87 (52) vs DC, IPL 2023
CSK won the toss and elected to bat first in this away game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Conway and Gaikwad put up their highest opening stand (141 off 87 deliveries) in this match against the bottom-placed Capitals. They also crossed the 1000-run mark as opening partners in only their 20th innings batting together.
None of the Delhi bowlers looked threatening, as the openers ran away with the game in the first innings. Conway batted aggressively in the powerplay, and Gaikwad followed suit. They brought up the team's 50 in only the fourth over.
The overseas batter brought up his own half-century off 33 balls. His intent post the milestone was even more refreshing to watch. The last of his three sixes - against Nortje in the 17th over - was a treat to watch. He hit a total of 11 fours during his stay at the crease.
