IPL: Top 5 man of the match performances in a losing cause

#4 Adam Zampa

Australian spinner Adam Zampa took the second six-wicket haul in IPL history

The Rising Pune Supergiants had a short stint in the IPL, featuring in just two seasons. They had two contrasting seasons though, finishing 2016 second from the bottom and finishing 2017 second from top as the runners up.

Towards the end of the round-robin stage of IPL 2016, Pune faced daunting opposition Sunrisers Hyderabad (who would go on to win the title). David Warner won the toss and elected to bat first. Though they got off to a slow start managing to rack up just 60 runs in 10 overs, they had lost just the one wicket. With a deep batting lineup, they had the potential to explode in the death overs and post a formidable target on the board.

However, a relatively unknown figure by the name of Adam Zampa had other plans. His spell of 4-0-19-6 stopped the Sunrisers in their tracks. It's unusual for a spinner to be bowling the final over of the innings. Zampa made it seem usual though, as he bagged three of his six wickets in the last over, thus curtailing the Sunrisers to a paltry total of 137.

Zampa's six-wicket haul was only the second six-wicket haul in the history of the IPL after Sohail Tanvir's superb spell in the inaugural season.

However, Zampa's brilliant effort with the ball was negated by a dismal batting effort by the Pune batsmen. They continued their bad form in the tournament and fell 4 runs short of the humble 137 target. Adam Zampa brought home the man of the match award for his excellent figures, though he would have enjoyed it to its fullest if it had been coupled with a victory for his team.