Hundreds in cricket are prestigious for batsmen and a batsman’s worth and contribution to the team are measured in terms of hundreds, by critics and fans alike.
When T20 took over world cricket, people could barely believe that batsmen could smash over a hundred runs in an innings in just 20 overs. All that changed with the advent of the IPL when Brendon McCullum set ablaze the inaugural tournament with a sizzling 158.
The IPL has since witnessed several spectacular knocks, many of them culminating in brilliant hundreds while a few have fallen some runs short. To put in statistical terms, there have been as many as 41 scores between 90-100 in the IPL since its inception.
This season of the IPL has seen four hundreds, starting with Sanju Samson's spectacular effort for Delhi, to Hashim Amla's elegant but powerful hundred, David Warner's blistering knock and culminating in Ben Stokes' counter-attacking hundred. All of them were eye-catching in their own way but it is worth noting that there have been as many scores in the 90s too.
Here in this list, we take a look at those unfortunate men of IPL 2017 who came so close to a hundred but could not scale it.
#4 Chris Lynn – 93* vs Gujarat Lions
Kolkata Knight Riders took a gamble this season by promoting Australian batsman, Chris Lynn, to the top of the order, breaking a very successful pairing in Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa. Lynn justified the move with a stunning onslaught on a hapless Gujarat Lions bowling attack.
The Queensland batsman was in sublime form from the word go in a chase of 184. Gambhir offered immense support as Lynn never backed down. He raced to a half-century in 19 balls, the second joint fastest in IPL and moved to 93* in 41 balls. The opening partnership was unbeaten as KKR scaled 184 with ease but Lynn missed out on a hundred by seven runs.
“One good innings doesn't make a summer. Hopefully, I keep it going. If I can continue this momentum, I'd be very pleased,” Lynn said after the match. But unfortunately injury cut short his season. He is expected to be fit in time for the play-offs.
#3 Manan Vohra – 95 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Manan Vohra played a scintillating knock in a chase for Kings XI Punjab but unfortunately, could not take his team past the finishing line as Hyderabad choked the life of the chase with consistent wickets. A regular of the Punjab line-up for the past five years, the 23-year-old took it upon himself to re-route a wayward chase.
From 82/6, Vohra single-handedly took Punjab to within five runs of the target of 160, but fell in the penultimate over to signal the death of the run chase. Kings XI racked up 41 in two overs in the middle but with just 16 needed off two overs, faltered. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the wrecker-in-chief, stole the limelight with a five-wicket haul as Vohra fell five runs short of a hundred and victory.
“I just wanted to bat around 14-15 overs. I knew that if I play 14-15 overs I would obviously convert the runs and we can get close to the winning thing,” the young batsman revealed after the match.
#2 Rahul Tripathi – 93 vs Kolkata Knight Riders
On a two-paced Eden Gardens track, Pune found a hero in the young Rahul Tripathi, who smacked the ball at a strike rate close to 200 to take Pune to victory. Chasing 156 for victory, Pune was aided by Tripathi's severe attack on the Knight Riders. The Maharashtra batsman smashed a half-century in 23 balls but wasn't done.
Soon after the landmark, the young batsman went into carnage-mode, taking on Kuldeep Yadav and wallopping three sixes in a row. Tripathi, however, could not cap off his brilliant knock with a hundred as he fell seven runs short of the landmark to Chris Woakes. But it came in a match winning cause for the Pune franchise.
“Watch the ball, hit the ball is my way. I know there are areas I need to improve, but I’m just doing what I can. I hit six sixes two times in an over recently. I’m happy I’m hitting the ball well and hopefully it continues,” Tripathi said after receiving the Man of the Match award.
#1 Rishabh Pant – 97 vs Gujarat Lions
The sensational Delhi wicket-keeper batsman played the knock of the IPL when he joined hands with Sanju Samson to chase down a target of 209 set by Gujarat Lions. The duo shared a 143-run stand, which was dominated by Pant, who was severe on the Gujarat bowlers.
The southpaw was on the charge from the beginning, bludgeoning Basil Thampi over extra cover off in just his second ball. Pant raced to 25 in 10 balls and despite attacking right through the innings, he was careful to rotate the strike when a good ball came by. He hurried from 54 to 77 in an over, where he smashed James Faulkner for 23 runs.
The Delhi batsman, however, missed out on a hundred by 3 runs as he fell to Thampi for 97 off 43 balls with six fours and nine maximums. “It was really impressive for me as well with Rishabh batting on 97, not thinking about his hundred at that stage and still going for the shots and playing his shots and not worrying about the hundred and looking to get the team home,” Pant's mentor and Indian legend, Rahul Dravid, said after the game.
