Brilliant individual performances in IPL knockout games that don't fade away

Sport is not easy. Even the masters of the game, who are incredibly deft with their skills, fail when they are presented with terribly tough situations that are bursting to the seams with pressure. A knockout game in a high-profile tournament is exactly that kind of a situation; the tension and the drama in these contests can sometimes go through the roof.

Of course, some rare players have a tendency to excel in these games. Lendl Simmons scored a responsible knock to help Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier of the current IPL season, in the process booking Mumbai’s ticket to the final directly. On the other hand, Suresh Raina, who is usually a very reliable big-match player, failed to come to the party for once.

Over the years, there have been a few memorable contributions from players who put their hand up on the big day. Those performances are special not just in terms of their statistical value but also for the intent displayed when the stakes were the highest. Such moments of brilliance remain etched in our memory and simply don’t fade away, right along the lines of the Axe Signature range.

Here, we take a look at the four most memorable individual performances in IPL knockout games:

Virender Sehwag, Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, 2014 2nd Qualifier

Virender Sehwag

Kings XI Punjab had an amazing 2014 season, but rather surprisingly they lost in the first qualifier to Kolkata Knight Riders. They still had a second shot at the finals, as they took on Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium for the second qualifier. KXIP had won both their league games against CSK, with Glenn Maxwell proving to be the difference-maker each time, and the time seemed ripe for a revenge performance by Dhoni’s men.

Not according to Virender Sehwag though. Having struggled for form much of the season, Sehwag chose the biggest occasion to make the biggest statement.

The Nawab of Najafgarh didn’t get a lot of strike in the first three overs, but he eventually warmed up with two fours off Ishwar Pandey and three consecutive fours off Ashish Nehra to get going. He added 110 for the first wicket with Manan Vohra, and brought up his own fifty in just 21 balls. From then on, he hit a six almost every over, with two coming in consecutive deliveries off Ashish Nehra in the 12th.

Sehwag brought up his second IPL century in the 16th over, which was studded with 11 fours and six sixes. He was finally caught at cover for a blistering 122 off just 58 balls, with 96 runs coming off boundaries. KXIP managed 226 and won the game comfortably, and the entire world was once again reminded of Sehwag’s ability to single-handedly change the complexion of a game.

Murali Vijay, Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils, 2012 2nd Qualifier

Murali Vijay narrowly missed out on a century in the IPL 2011 final, scoring 95 in 52 balls against RCB. But he wasn’t about to miss out on the chance the next year.

In 2012, CSK won the eliminator to earn a clash against Delhi Daredevils in the second qualifier. And Vijay ensured that there would be little trouble for the Men in Yellow at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. He scored a swashbuckling 113 in just 58 balls with 15 fours and four sixes to take CSK to an imposing total of 222, which was good enough to defeat DD by a whopping 86 runs.

For CSK, the next highest score was Dwayne Bravo’s 33 – that’s how much Vijay dominated the proceedings. He added 68 for the opening wicket with Michael Hussey and followed that up with a 69-run partnership with Suresh Raina. Vijay’s biggest victim was Virender Sehwag, who was hammered for two sixes and two fours in the 11th over.

Plenty of bowlers went for multiple fours in their overs, making Vijay’s knock one of the most memorable ones in IPL knockout history.

Anil Kumble, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Deccan Chargers, 2009 Final

Royal Challengers Bangalore had a horrid start to the 2009 season under Kevin Pietersen’s captaincy. But after his exit for national duty, Anil Kumble was handed over the reins, and under him, RCB pulled off the near impossible – winning five successive games, including the semi-final against Chennai Super Kings, to reach the final.

In the title decider, they were pitted against Deccan Chargers, who had disposed of the table-toppers Delhi Daredevils with disdain thanks to an Adam Gilchrist whirlwind. Kumble then stamped his class all over the match, coming up with arguably the best bowling performance in an IPL final – he finished with 4 for 16 in his four overs.

Always known for his brave captaincy, Kumble opened the bowling with the new ball and knocked Gilchrist out for a duck in the very first over. He came back to remove Andrew Symonds in the ninth over, snuffing out the Australian’s good start to his innings. He wasn’t finished yet though; Kumble also knocked off Rohit Sharma and Venugopal Rao in the same over, the 17th, to virtually clean up Deccan Chargers’ middle order himself.

RCB only had 144 to chase but they stumbled and eventually fell short by six runs. While Kumble ended up on the losing side, his bowling – replete with guile, guts and gumption – will definitely go down as an unforgettable moment in the history of the IPL.

Adam Gilchrist, Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils, 2009 Semifinal

Adam Gilchrist

Deccan Chargers had a mixed league campaign under Adam Gilchrist in 2009, but it was still an improvement from their performance in 2008. They managed to sneak into the semifinals, squeaking past Kings XI Punjab on the basis of a better net run-rate, with seven wins out of 14 games.

They were presented with an unenviable task in the semis though – they had to face table toppers Delhi Daredevils. DD’s rollicking campaign had seen them win 10 out of their 14 games, when no other team had won more than eight.

However, batting first, DD could manage only 153 on the big day at SuperSport Park, Centurion; they were restricted by the fierce spell of 3-27 by Ryan Harris. All that, however, was forgotten the moment Adam Gilchrist decided to flex his batting muscles. The marauding Aussie turned the game into a no-contest, much like he did in the 2007 World Cup 2007 final. He hammered 85 off just 35 balls at a strike-rate of 242, hitting 10 fours and five sixes, helping DC chase down the target in 17.4 overs.

Gilchrist had started off in style, hitting the feared Dirk Nannes for five consecutive fours in the very first over. Pradeep Sangwan was hammered for two fours and a six, and the big gamble of Virender Sehwag bowling spin in the Power-play didn’t help either as Gilchrist hammered him for a four and three sixes in four consecutive deliveries.

When Gilchrist fell with the score at 102 for three, he had scored close to 85% of the total runs, a massive number indeed. It was a memorable blitz that outdid every other memorable blitz in the tournament, and for that Adam Gilchrist will always be remembered fondly by Indian spectators.