IPL 2019: Top 3 knocks by Chris Lynn in IPL history

A fairy tale began for the Kolkata Knight Riders way back in 2014, when they handed a debut to the much-noted Australian batsman, Chris Lynn. And when one goes on to take a Catch of the Season-contender at the mid-wicket boundary to leave AB de Villiers stranded, you know the man is a phenomenon.

In the same fixture, Lynn struck a 31-ball 45 as well, to take his side over the line. Fast forward to the present, and the Aussie is a mainstay at Eden Gardens; perhaps KKR's most important player.

The season after, Lynn was ruled out due to a shoulder injury, but in the last couple of editions, the right-handed opener has established himself as one of the most destructive and loved T20 batsmen in the world.

While he fell just short of 300 runs in IPL 2017 despite having featured in just seven outings, Lynn recorded 491 runs in 16 games last term. More importantly, he led the charge at the top of the order and instilled a sense of responsibility while donning the KKR shirt last season.

On that note, let's revisit the top three Chris Lynn innings in IPL history.

#3 50(22) v RCB, IPL 2017

Lynn tormented the RCB bowlers when the two sides met in 2017

So let's begin with a typical Chris Lynn performance. He might not construct an innings or anchor one, but in the balls he faces, the explosive batter fires the team ahead of the opponent, courtesy of his boundary-hitting capabilities and muscle power.

Lynn doesn't caress the ball, he smokes it. And he did so against Virat Kohli and co. Travis Head shone for the Challengers, striking 75 off just 47 after the team was initially in a spot of bother. A total of 158 was definitely healthy, considering the fact that RCB had a decent bowling attack and an able skipper.

But there was Lynn to spoil the party, of course. With five fours and four maximums, the Brisbane Heat superstar took the game beyond RCB's reach by playing a little less than four overs.

Along with Sunil Narine, Lynn amassed a 100-run partnership and as a consequence of this deadly start, KKR chased down the total in just 15.1 overs.

#2 45(42) v RR, IPL 2018

Now this might raise your eyebrow, but there are a whole lot of reasons for this innings to be on this list. First of all, let's understand that at night, the Eden Gardens pitch was churning out a few tricks. Rajasthan Royals, while batting first, were mopped up for a meager 142 in 19 overs.

In reply, Sunil Narine got the hosts off to a flyer, but in the meantime, Lynn was struggling to find his usual rhythm. But instead of throwing the kitchen sink at the ball, the Aussie decided to add some calm to his batting approach. He rotated strike and stood up to the task while watching wickets fall on the other end.

Lynn curbed his instincts, and instead of attempting to deposit a full-length ball to long on, he nudged it to the deep for a single. He did help himself to five fours and a six. More importantly, against a spin attack that could have done him for good, the 28-year-old put his haters to bed.

Although he couldn't complete his half-century and take his team to two points all by himself, Lynn maneuvered his usual batting style to thread an important innings that saw KKR win the game.

#1 93*(41) v GL, IPL 2017

Well, Lynn's unbeaten 93 against the now-defunct Gujarat Lions goes down as not only his best innings so far, but also one of the IPL's most dominant displays. Thanks to Suresh Raina's 68 and a quick-fire 47 from Dinesh Karthik, Gujarat posted a huge total of 183.

It was always a target that could be chased on a fast track where the ball was coming on to the bat, but the manner in which KKR completed the task left everyone gasping for breath.

You might not believe it, but in less than 15 overs, without losing a wicket, KKR hunted the total down. It was not all just muscle from Lynn, but pure effortlessness. With eight towering sixes and six fours, Lynn raced to a fearless 93 and took the team over the line.

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