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If ever there was a season where the importance of having good openers was clearly evident, it was IPL 2021. Teams benefitted from having quality openers at the top, as they played key roles in winning games.
From coming out of the blocks firing on all cylinders, which pegged back the opposition bowlers, to masterfully controlling chases with controlled displays at the top, openers in IPL 2021 did them all.
However, not all teams in IPL 2021 were fortunate enough to have a productive opening pair. Some of the teams just couldn’t get their opening combinations right, while others fired but did so inconsistently.
On that note, let's have a look at how each of the eight teams fared with their opening combinations in IPL 2021. As always, scoring runs isn’t the only criteria. Numerous aspects such as consistency and match-winning impact, amongst others, have been given due cognisance.
Without further ado, let's get started.
#8 IPL 2021: Kolkata Knight Riders
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stuck with their opening combination of Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana for all eight IPL 2021 games they played. But the duo largely faltered, barring the first two games of the season.
One of the slowest pairs around, both Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana had a strike rate of less than 125 this season. The opening pair averaged just 29 runs this season and only managed to go wicketless twice in the powerplay in IPL 2021.
Both those instances came in the first two games, after which Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill looked bereft of ideas at the top. The KKR duo struggled to rack up the runs or clear the in-field, often consuming too many balls, which put the other batsmen under pressure.
#7 IPL 2021: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Although Jonny Bairstow was one of the in-form openers in IPL 2021, the Englishman never got the support he needed from the other end. While he struck the ball at an averaged of 141.71 and smacked 248 runs in seven games, his partner David Warner had an appalling strike rate of 110.28
While it would be harsh to criticise SRH’s IPL 2021 top-scorer, one failure of Bairstow was his inability to see out the chases in most of his team's games. Especially in Chennai, the Englishman threw his wicket away after flying out of the blocks, which more often than not triggered an SRH collapse.
It was too late by the time David Warner was dropped, and the Australian’s poor form is the reason behind SRH’s lowly position in the IPL 2021 points table. The explosive left-hander looked a pale shadow of his former self and visibly struggled with his timing throughout IPL 2021.
#6 IPL 2021: Rajasthan Royals
Jos Buttler came to the party by the time Rajasthan Royals arrived in Delhi, but the franchise struggled massively with its opening combination early on in their IPL 2021 campaign.
Manan Vohra was given multiple chances but never lasted more than 11 balls in each of his IPL 2021 innings. Jos Buttler scored almost 65% of his IPL 2021 runs in his last two games and averaged 17.8 before that.
RR finally stumbled on a promising opening pair later on, with both Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal showing promise. While Jaiswal gave RR some good starts in the limited opportunities he received, Buttler single-handedly guided the team to a win with a stunning 64-ball 124 against SRH in what turned out to be RR’s final match in IPL 2021.
#5 Mumbai Indians
Just like most things about Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021, their opening pair, too, struggled to come to grips with the sticky Chennai wicket.
Used to the fast-paced nature of the Wankhede track, Quinton de Kock struggled more often than not on the sluggish pitches in Chennai. The South African had a strike rate of 117.42 this season, which was significantly lower than the 140.5 he managed in IPL 2020.
Rohit Sharma fared much better and showed tremendous versatility to adapt, dig his heels in and bat in Chennai. He notched up 250 runs in seven games and made one of his best starts to an IPL campaign in recent memory. But he failed to convert his starts, getting dismissed in the 15-45 run range five times this season.
#4 IPL 2021: Punjab Kings
KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal scored almost half of Punjab Kings’ IPL 2021 runs (49.53 %) as the duo’s importance was evident during the tournament.
Only one other PBKS batsman other than Rahul and Agarwal - Deepak Hooda - who scored a blistering half-century against RR went past fifty this season.
While Mayank Agarwal scored 260 runs at a strike rate of 141.3, KL Rahul was firmly in the Orange Cap race with 331 runs at an average of 66.2. Although his strike rate of 136.21 attracted criticism, as it was on the slower side, his importance to the PBKS setup was never in doubt.
Three of KL Rahul’s four fifties in IPL 2021 came in a winning cause as the captain led his team from the front.
#3 Royal Challengers Bangalore
One of the most aggressive opening partnerships in IPL 2021, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli complemented each other brilliantly this season. While the left-hander donned the aggressor's role on most occasions, Virat Kohli looked at ease playing the anchor's role.
The duo averaged 50+ while opening in IPL 2021, scoring at almost ten runs per over. Considering RCB had immense firepower to come after the opening dup, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal showed great selflessness to let go of individual numbers and play the team game in IPL 2021.
The duo’s masterful chase against KKR was one of the highlights of IPL 2021, with Padikkal leading the way with a stunning century, as the RCB duo chased down a 178-run target in under 17 overs and ten wickets in hand.
#2 Chennai Super Kings
The Chennai Super Kings showed a sign of things to come in the latter stages of IPL 2020, and the Ruturaj Gaikwad- Faf du Plessis pair announced themselves on the big stage in IPL 2021.
The duo gelled perfectly, complementing each other to make CSK the fastest scorers in IPL 2021. The fact that CSK had the best balls per boundary ratio was hugely down to their prolific opening duo, who provided the team outstanding starts more often than not.
Gaikwad and Du Plessis notched up two century-plus stands in IPL 2021, and it was their chemistry that was a standout feature of their partnership. While Gaikwad took time to get going, Du Plessis dominated the powerplay with his gung-ho approach.
The pair’s success was one of the main reasons why CSK dominated many games in IPL 2021. Their success at the top once again highlighted the importance of having a strong opening pair in the IPL.
#1 Delhi Capitals
The only duo to better the CSK opening pair in IPL 2021 was Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw. Easily the most fearsome opening duo in the tournament, the two DC batsmen more often than not provided solid starts to their team.
Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan managed a staggering 688 runs in eight games in IPL 2021, putting up a 50-run partnership five times in eight games. Batting first or second didn’t matter to them, as the pair sizzled and flourished at the top.
Prithvi Shaw was the quickest starter in IPL 2021, averaging 178.57 in his first ten balls this season. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan played the conditions perfectly, oscillating between aggression and calmness depending on the situation.
The end result was a destructive opening pair, who scored more than half of DC’s runs and guided them to winning positions in IPL 2021.
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