IPL 2020: 5 Batsmen Who Scored Over Half Their Runs In Boundaries in an Inning

Boundary hitting has become mandatory in T20 cricket. The more boundaries and sixes a batsman can hit, the more prolific he is.

Players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Kieron Pollard, and Virender Sehwag hogged all the limelight and built their legacies by smashing boundaries consistently. But times have changed.

Now, even technically correct batsmen like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mayank Agarwal have adapted to the demands of T20 cricket and have begun scoring boundaries consistently. They've added innovation to their traditional batting, which has resulted in splendid performances.

In IPL 2020, we've witnessed quite a few breathtaking innings where batsmen scored over half their runs in an inning through boundaries and sixes. Here are five examples.

#5. Shikhar Dhawan - 66 runs (out of 106* vs KXIP)

Shikhar Dhawan

Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan achieved this feat during the 38th match of IPL 2020 while playing for his team, the Delhi Capitals. After opting to bat first, DC lost the wicket of the swashbuckling opener, Prithvi Shaw, early.

Then Dhawan took the responsibility of leading the team's batting contingent. He continued his rich vein of form and went on to score his second consecutive century in the tournament. He added valuable runs with Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Shimron Hetmyer to anchor his side to a decent total of 164.

Dhawan's unbeaten knock of 106 runs came of just 61 balls and was studded with 12 fours and three towering sixes. This means he scored 66 runs in boundaries during the knock. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as KXIP won the match comfortably by five wickets.

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#4. Chris Gayle - 72 runs (out of 99 vs RR)

Chris Gayle

Arguably the greatest showman in the history of T20 cricket, Chris Gayle continues to prove that age is just a number. He scored multiple match-winning knocks for the KXIP team this year while leading his side's resurgence in the second half of the Dream 11 IPL 2020.

During match number 50, Gayle turned back the clock. He played a vintage knock of 99 runs to steer his side to a decent total of 185 against Rajasthan Royals.

After Steve Smith won the toss and chose to field first in this must-win encounter, Jofra Archer and scalped Mandeep Singh for a golden duck. Chris Gayle walked in to bat at number 3 position and managed to weather Archer's fire-breathing spell. Then he joined hands with skipper KL Rahul to stitch together a 120-run partnership for the second wicket.

After Stokes dismissed Rahul in 14th over, Gayle took the responsibility of maximizing his team's score upon himself. In the company of Pooran and Maxwell, Gayle provided finishing touches before losing his wicket to Jofra Archer in the 20th over of the innings. He hit six boundaries and eight sixes during his 63 ball stay at the crease. Thus, he scored a mind-blowing 72 runs through boundaries.

But again, despite Gayle's heroics with the bat, Rajasthan Royals chased down the target in just 17.3 overs.

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#3 Ben Stokes - 74 runs (out of 107* vs MI)

Ben Stokes

Going into this match, Rajasthan Royals desperately needed a win to stay alive in the playoffs race. They were up against the seemingly invincible Mumbai Indians.

After choosing to bat first, Mumbai Indians set a challenging target of 196 runs. Mumbai team possessed arguably the best bowling line-up of the tournament, so almost everyone predicted that it would be a tricky chase for Rajasthan Royals. But, Ben Stokes, arguably the world's best all-rounder today, had other plans.

Opening the batting for his side, Stokes pummelled the Mumbai Indians bowlers all over the park and scored a majestic hundred. During the unbeaten 107-run inning, he hit 14 fours and three sixes, scoring 74 runs out of his total tally.

Stokes' unbeaten 152-run partnership with Sanju Samson helped his team register a thumping eight-wicket victory against the Mumbai Indians.

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#2 Mayank Agarwal - 82 runs (out of 106 vs RR)

Mayank Agarwal

In the 9th match of IPL 2020, Mayank Agarwal registered his maiden IPL century in a losing cause against the Rajasthan Royals team.

After losing the toss, KXIP were put in to bat first. The Punjab batsmen accepted the challenge and played attacking cricket throughout. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal put on a magnificent 183-run partnership for the first wicket before Mayank departed in the 16th over. He scored 106 runs in just 50 balls at an astonishing strike rate of 212. In the end, KXIP managed to set a mammoth target of 224 runs in front of their opponents.

Mayank Agarwal hit 10 fours and 7 sixes in this inning, scoring 82 runs off his total tally. But Sanju Samson's brilliance and Rahul Tewatia's blistering knock helped their opponents, Rajasthan Royals, chase down the target.

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#1 KL Rahul - 98 runs ( out of 132* vs RCB)

KL Rahul

Over the last few years, KL Rahul has become one of the most consistent batsmen in the IPL. He has scored more than 500 runs consecutively in the IPL in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

In match number six of the Dream 11 IPL 2020, Rahul scored an unbeaten 132, the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in the league. He opened the innings and put on decent partnerships with Mayank Agarwal and Nicholas Pooran. Rahul's superlative performance helped KXIP to set a target of 207 runs for RCB.

While carrying the bat throughout the course of the first innings, KL Rahul shifted gears effortlessly during different phases of the match. His onslaught during the death overs showcased his big-hitting skills to the cricketing universe.

Rahul hit 14 boundaries and 7 sixes during this knock, scoring a whopping 98 runs off his overall tally. KXIP comprehensively won the contest by 97 runs.