It’s only a few days before the 10th edition of the IPL commences with a rematch of last year’s final between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Over the years, the IPL has witnessed many high totals being scored and batsmen smashing the bowlers to all parts of the ground. So far, 42 centuries have been scored in the IPL; 16 by Indian batsmen, and 26 by overseas batsmen.
Also read: Top 5 fastest 50s in IPL history
Even though T20 cricket is considered to be a game for the youngsters, several batsmen have been able to register big scores despite being in their late 30s. Here are the five oldest centurions in IPL history.
#5 Virender Sehwag – 35 years and 222 days
Virender Sehwag was having a pretty decent IPL in 2014 with the Kings XI Punjab but he produced his best knock when his side needed him the most. Kings XI Punjab were the table toppers ahead of the play-offs but a 28-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in the first qualifier meant that they would have to defeat the Chennai Super Kings in the second qualifier to reach their maiden IPL final.
The second qualifier was held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and the Kings XI were sent into bat by CSK skipper MS Dhoni. KXIP began slowly in the first three overs before Sehwag went on a rampage. The flamboyant opener smashed the CSK bowlers to all parts of the ground as his opening partner Manan Vohra looked on.
Sehwag went on to reach his second IPL century from 50 deliveries and registered his highest IPL score of 122 before being dismissed by Ashish Nehra. Sehwag’s monumental effort helped KXIP to a mammoth score of 226/6 in their 20 overs.
Chennai Super Kings were in a commanding position at one point in their chase thanks to Suresh Raina who scored the second fastest 50 in IPL history. However, after Raina’s dismissal for 87 off 25 deliveries, CSK never recovered and ended 24 runs short, thus handing KXIP their first entry into an IPL final.
Sehwag was adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant knock.
#4 Chris Gayle – 35 years and 227 days
“Age is just a number” is a phrase best used to describe Chris Gayle as the swashbuckling West Indies batsman has continued to score big despite being well into his 30s. Gayle is the fifth highest run-scorer in IPL history with 3426 runs and has so far garnered five centuries, all of which have come in his 30s.
The most recent one of these came against Kings XI Punjab at IPL 2015.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore garnered nine points from as many matches and needed to register a victory against the Kings XI Punjab to keep their playoff hopes alive. As far as the Kings XI Punjab were concerned, anything other than a win would put an end to their challenge.
Kings XI Punjab won the toss and elected to field first. Gayle began the first over slowly but began playing aggressively from the very next over, smashing 20 runs off Mitchell Johnson’s bowling.
Gayle went on smashing the Punjab bowlers while Kohli stayed calm at the other end. The southpaw brought up his 50 in just 22 deliveries as RCB were cruising at a run-rate of above 10.
Gayle went on to smash his first IPL century in two years and 14th T20 century in just 46 deliveries and went on to score 117 off 57 deliveries before being dismissed. A 24-ball 47 from AB de Villiers saw RCB end their innings on a mammoth 226/3 in their 20 overs.
In reply, Punjab were skittled out for 88 and became the first team to be eliminated from the IPL. Gayle was eventually adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant ton.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar – 37 years and 356 days
Sachin Tendulkar scored only one hundred in the IPL and this century came nearly two weeks after winning the 2011 World Cup. Mumbai Indians had begun the 2011 IPL brilliantly by winning their first two matches and they were up against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Mumbai.
Kochi Tuskers won the toss and skipper Mahela Jayawardene decided to field. Tendulkar did not begin very aggressively as he got to his 50 in 43 deliveries. However, he switched gears during the death overs and reached his only IPL century off 66 deliveries in the final ball of the innings as Mumbai Indians ended on 182/2.
However, Tendulkar’s knock would go in vain as 50s from Jayawardene and Brendon McCullum handed Kochi Tuskers Kerala their first win of the tournament.
#2 Sanath Jayasuriya – 38 years and 319 days
Mumbai Indians had a disastrous start to the inaugural season of the IPL as in the absence of their marquee player and skipper Sachin Tendulkar, they lost their first four matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab, and Deccan Chargers.
However, they made a sensational comeback by winning their next three games against Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils, and Rajasthan Royals.
Their next match was against the Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai and this was Tendulkar's IPL debut. Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bowl. After being reduced to 46/4, a 95-run partnership between Subramaniam Badrinath and skipper MS Dhoni, who scored 53 and 43 respectively, took CSK to a challenging total of 156/6 in their 20 overs.
The crowd at the Wankhede were eager to see the opening pair of Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya for the first time in the IPL but what they witnessed was far from what they expected as Jayasuriya went on a rampage while Tendulkar remained an onlooker. The flamboyant Sri Lankan batsman went on to score the second-fastest century of the tournament off just 45 deliveries.
Jayasuriya eventually ended his innings on 114 from 48 deliveries, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes as Mumbai Indians chased down the target in just 13.5 overs to register their fourth successive win of the tournament.
#1 Adam Gilchrist – 39 years and 184 days
Kings XI Punjab were having a roller coaster 2011 season and had registered six wins and as many defeats prior to their penultimate league match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Dharamsala. While RCB were already assured of a place in the playoffs, KXIP desperately needed a victory to keep their hopes alive.
The Kings XI won the toss and skipper Adam Gilchrist opted to bat first. They were off to a flying start thanks to some early hitting from Paul Valthaty before he was dismissed for 20. At this stage, Shaun Marsh joined Gilchrist at the crease and the two went after the RCB bowlers. It rained fours and sixes at Dharamsala as both batsmen took Kings XI to a commanding position.
Gilchrist brought up his century off 53 deliveries and was eventually dismissed on 106 after putting on 206 runs with Marsh, who scored 79 off 49 deliveries, for the second wicket. Their partnership was the highest partnership in IPL history for five years before it was broken by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Punjab ended their innings at 232/2 in their 20 overs and in reply, RCB were dismissed for just 121 to hand the home side an important win and keep their playoff aspirations alive. The 121-run win was the highest margin of victory in the tournament, bettering the 85-run margin by which RCB had beaten Kings XI earlier in the tournament.
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