IPL 2019: Dhoni, Russell, and more - top five innings from the league stage

IPL 2019, the closest fought season till date with just 1 point separating the 4th and 8th placed teams. There were last over finishes and nail-biting moments galore. Every single team had their moment in the sun. And there were also tons of special performances from the batsmen. It is often difficult to choose the best innings from a tournament like the IPL, as the quality of batsmanship on display is of the highest standards.

But, based on the match situation, conditions, and opposition, or at times the sheer class of the innings, here’s a look at the five best innings from the group stage of the IPL. To keep it fair, only an innings per batsman has been chosen. So, just the one entry for Andre Russell here!

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#1 Rishabh Pant – 78 off 27 Balls vs MI

The unorthodoxically magnificent Pant (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

The second highest run-getter from the previous season is the enigma that is Rishabh Pant. A new look Delhi Capitals were hoping for him to recreate some of that magic in this season. And boy, didn’t he start with some belligerent brilliance. It was Delhi’s first match of the season against the Mumbai Indians.

Walking in at 112-3 at the end of 13 overs, the stage was set for Pant to go berserk from Ball 1. He started in uncharacteristically circumspect fashion, getting his first run off the 6th ball. And then it started. He swatted the ball with utter disdain, unleashing a fusillade of unorthodox shots in the most unorthodox areas.

He spared no bowler, even Jasprit Bumrah was dispatched for 18 runs off the 8 balls he faced. The Delhi Capitals got off to an enterprising start, which set the tone for their IPL run. Though Pant couldn’t quite replicate his form from the previous season and gave up his wicket easily more often than not, he ended up with 401 runs. 78 of the best came in his very first match.

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#2 Jonny Bairstow – 114 off 56 Balls vs RCB

A sight to behold for SRH Fans (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

From heated Ashes rivals to one of the best ever opening duo in the history of IPL – Jonny Bairstow and David Warner have come a full cycle. And their amazing chemistry was best visible in Sunrisers’ match against RCB. The duo was involved in three consecutive century partnerships, the third of which saw Bairstow go one-up on Warner and thrash out one of the best innings of this IPL season.

Striking 7 sixes and 12 fours in his innings of 114, Bairstow’s brutal assault was poetic violence at its best. None of the bowlers were spared, as everyone from compatriot Moeen Ali to newbie Ray Barman leaked runs like beer in an Irish pub. Though Warner’s innings of 100* was equally fantastic, Bairstow was the one who took charge in this match and subdued RCB deep into submission.

This was only the second instance in T20 history when both openers scored centuries, and the 185 these too put together is an IPL record for the highest opening stand. It was a debut season to remember for Bairstow.

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#3 Andre Russel – 49 off 19 Balls vs SRH

The Dre Russ Show (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

In spite of an indifferent run for KKR, including the mid-season rut of 6 losses in a row, Andre Russell has been an absolute superstar for the team this season. 501 runs at strike rate of 204, dotted with an incredible 50 sixes. The remarkable consistency with which he brought KKR out of the rut has to make this one of the most impactful performances across a season ever in the IPL.

Though he scored 4 half centuries for the team, none were as impactful as the 49* of 19 balls that he scored against SRH while chasing. Coming in at 118-4 in the 16th over, with 66 runs still required, the equation seemed to be a bit too much even for Russell. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar going for just 6 runs in the next over, the equation became 53 required of 3 overs. And KKR won the match with 2 balls to spare.

In company of Shubman Gill, Russell unleased an assault that sent shockwaves across the SRH unit. Usually among the best bowling units in the IPL, they just couldn’t get the better of a committed Russell. Walloping 4 sixes and 4 fours in his 19 ball vigil, Russell brought true the adage of "snatching victory from the jaws of defeat." This was certainly one of the major highlights of KKR’s season, thanks to Dre Russ.

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#4 MS Dhoni – 75 off 46 balls vs RR

A Thala Dhoni Special (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

The legend that keeps giving. Though CSK have had a very comfortable season and were the only team that never ever looked like not making the playoffs, their batting in the initial part of the season was only about one man – MS Dhoni. CSK, in their home match against RR, were looking down and out with the score at 27-3 in 5 overs, as Dhoni walked in.

He started in his usual circumspect fashion, guiding the team to a respectable score, before the now patentable Dhoni’s Final Act. At the end of the 17th over, CSK were at a modest 115-4 with Dhoni at 38 of 34 balls. And at the end of the 20th over, CSK finished at 175, with Dhoni finishing off at 75 of 46 balls.

A remarkable 28 runs came off the last over. A typical Dhoni flourish took CSK to a winning total and kept their IPL march going on. CSK’s top order batting failures was often masked by their superlative bowling performances, but MSD ensured that they always put up competitive totals on the board.

#5 Hardik Pandya – 91 off 34 balls vs KKR

Hardik Pandya - MI's Biggest Asset (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

When an Andre Russell innings isn’t the best of the match, you know that it was something special. And it was Hardik Pandya who eclipsed Russell’s 80 of 40 balls which had propelled KKR to 232-2 in their innings. Though it didn’t quite lead to a win for Mumbai Indians, the sheer audacity and confidence with which Pandya went about the innings deserves a mention in this list.

Walking in at 58-4 in the 9th over, Pandya had a monstrous task in front of him, which was getting close to the impossible territory with every passing ball. However, embellished with 9 sixes and 6 fours, Pandya unleased a magical innings that made Mumbai Indians believe. Enroute his 91, he also charted this IPL’s quickest 50 of just 17 balls.

Though his hitting prowess has been documented well enough over the past few IPL seasons, this year he developed a consistency that made him a dangerous asset for MI.