6 fastest cameos in the IPL

IPL has just crossed a monumentallandmark of 500 matches. The tournament that started as hit every ball for six has come a long way. However, it has provided the viewers with some delightful cameos which often turned out to be game changing.Some of these cameos have aided in building a big first innings total, some have won games from hopeless situations while others have been just valiant solo efforts in an otherwise lackluster scorecard. Whatever the outcome, these knocks have made the spectators (and even the opposition) amazed.Let us re-live the top cameos of IPL.NOTE: Only innings of 30 runs or more have been considered. The knocks are arranged in order of strike rates.

#6 Yusuf Pathan (72 off 22) v Sunrisers 2014; SR: 327.27

In their last league game in 2014, Kolkata Knight Riders opted to field knowing that they would need to chase the target set by Sunrisers in 15.2 overs to qualify as the No. 2 team in the league and have two shots at reaching the Final.

Chasing 161 for victory, KKR had a decent start with Uthappa keeping them in the hunt. But the qualification target got stiffer with every passing over. When Yusuf Pathan walked in, they needed 106 from 47 balls.

Yusuf did not look completely comfortable and was dropped twice, include once on nought. However, he kept taking his chances and on this day, it paid off. He kept hitting towering sixes over square leg and deep mid-wicket to register the fastest IPL 50 (off 15 balls). The innings included a 26-run over off Dale Steyn which read 4,6,6,4,4,2.

He was finally dismissed for 72 off only 22 balls taking KKR past the qualification target with a cushion of six balls.

#5 Luke Wright (34 off 10) v KingsXI 2013; SR: 340

In a match popular for giving the IPL fans the first glimpse of David Miller’s abilities, Luke Wright played an outstanding cameo. Pune Warriors had dropped skipper Angelo Mathews for Wright and it proved to be the right choice for them.

Walking in at the fall of Yuvraj Singh’s wicket, in the 18th over, Wright hit each of the first six balls he faced for four. Long-on, cover, long-off, midwicket, extra cover and third man were the destinations of the balls he faced. After an almost anti-climactic two off the next ball, Wright set the strike rate right with a six off the one after.

His blistering innings came to an end in the last over when he attempted to smash an Azhar Mahmood length ball to long-on, only to be caught inches inside the rope.

#4 Kieron Pollard (45* off 13) v Daredevils 2010; SR: 346.15

Kieron Pollard justified his humungous price tag with a blistering innings against Delhi Daredevils to confirm Mumbai's place in the final four for the first time in the IPL in 2010.

Pollard’s innings started with four edges off spinner Sarabjit Ladda. However, he managed 13 runs off those 4 balls thanks to small boundaries and thick edges of his bat. However, once the medium pacers came on, Pollard made full use of his massive frame to plunder sixes.

He scooped an Ashish Nehra yorker over the keeper’s head before muscling some freebies from Andrew McDonald. Feasting on his generous full-tosses and half trackers, Pollard smashed 24 runs off the last 5 balls of the innings to finish with an unbeaten 45 off merely 13 balls.

#3 Suresh Raina (87 off 25) v KingsXI 2014; SR: 348

Chennai Super Kings, chasing 227 in a knock-out game, seemed to be cantering home. Suresh Raina, batting like a dream, launched CSK to 100 for 2 after just six overs – the highest Powerplay score in Twenty20 cricket.

Thrashing the fiery Mitchell Johnson and inexperienced Sandeep Sharma with equal ease, Raina reached his 50 in only 16 balls. But he reserved his best for Parwinder Awana. The hapless bowler went for 33 as Raina smashed 2 sixes and 5 fours in an over.

George Bailey’s brilliant direct hit cut short an innings which promised a lot more than 87 but given the zone Raina got into, only a run-out could have probably ended it.

Raina’s innings remains the fastest innings of 50 or more in the IPL and fourth fastest such knock in all T20s.

#2 AB de Villiers (41 off 11) v Mumbai Indians 2015; SR: 372.72

Chasing 210 for victory, Royal Challengers had a bizarre start to their run chase. The normally destructive Chris Gayle was dismissed for an uncharacteristic 24-ball 10. Manvinder Bisla and Virat Kohli also fell cheaply leaving the team struggling at 62 for 3 in 10.3 overs. In walked AB de Villiers.

As is so often the case, he seemed to be batting on a completely different pitch. At times, his strokes transcended the believable. Starting with a clever guide down to third man for four, he hit the next for a six over long-off before bringing out the upper cut to reach 14 off 3. But he reserved his best for Lasith Malinga, arguably the best T20 bowler ever.

AB punished Malinga for 22 runs off 5 balls. It included a six that hit the roof of the Chinnaswamy stadium and a boundary off a reverse lap shot. On either side of these strokes, he hit a six and four of more mortal shots. The surreal innings came to a premature end when he slogged rookie Jaspreet Bumrah straight to the long-on fielder.

#1 AB de Villiers (31 off 8) v Pune Warriors 2013; SR: 387.5

This match is best known for the monumental innings of Chris Gayle, who slammed an unbeaten 175 in just 66 balls. Gayle’s record smashing effort grabbed all the headlines (and rightly so) but AB de Villiers matched him shot for shot in his brief stay.

Coming to bat in the 17th over, AB started his innings with a boundary over deep midwicket. He hit the next ball for six over long-off. The next 5 balls saw a boundary through extra cover, another through square leg and a couple of sixes, one over midwicket and the other his trademark audacious scoop over fine leg. He was dismissed in the 19th over in an attempt to hit another six over extra cover.