IPL 2019: Alzarri Joseph leads the top-five bowling spells
With another season of Indian Premier League coming to an end, it’s time to recall the top five performances. The season was witness to several memorable displays from different players who single-handedly won their teams matches from difficult positions.
Here we take a look at the top-five bowling performances:
Alzarri Joseph: 6/12 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
22-year-old Azlarri Joseph’s IPL career was off to a dream start as he knocked over in-form David Warner with his first delivery. He went on to smash a record set during the inaugural season in 2008. Clever use of pace got the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen as he finished with dream figures of 6/12 – the all-time best in the tournament history, bettering the previous mark set by Rajasthan Royals’s Sohail Tanvir (6/14). He counted Warner, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul among his victims. Thanks to his stunning spell, Mumbai Indians were able to defend 136 as the rolled over SRH for 96. Clearly, one of the top performances in IPL history.
Mohammed Nabi: 4/11 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
A performance that went under the radar because a certain Jonny Bairstow combined with Warner to demolish Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers hitting century each. While the batters made the headlines, SRH’s Afghanistan allrounder Mohammed ensured a powerful lineup led by Virat Kohli had no chance at hunting down 232 with an excellent performance with the ball. He landed major dents inside the Powerplay overs itself. After removing opener Parthiv Patel in his opening, innings’ second, over, he made landed two body blows in his next. He removed the highly rated Shimron Hetmyer (9) and then outfoxed AB de Villiers in the same over leaving them struggling at 22/3. He completed his spell unchanged, adding the scalp of another big-hitter in Shivam Dube to finish with 4/11. RCB never recovered from his early strikes.
Sam Curran: 4/11 vs Delhi Capitals
In Mohali, Delhi Capitals were cruising in their chase of 167. They needed 30 runs off 24 deliveries with seven wickets remaining. A cakewalk? Well, nobody told Kings XI Punjab allrounder Sam Curran. After having called him to bowl one over in the Powerplay, KXIP captain Ravichandran Ashwin kept him in the reserve for a late introduction. And what a game-changer that proved. DC had lost two wickets in successive deliveries in the 17th over, leaving them in somewhat tricky spot. Curran was called back and the visitors needed 23 runs in 18 deliveries. He changed the complexion with the wickets of well-set Colin Ingram and Harshal Patel in the space of three deliveries, leaving DC 148/7. KXIP pacers brought them back into the game. It went into the final over with the hosts clearly in the driving seat. Curran was given the handed the ball to defend 15 in the final over with two DC wickets remaining. He cleaned up Kagiso Rabada with the first delivery. Having taken a wicket off the final delivery in his previous over, the Englishman was on a hat-trick. He duly completed that with a yorker, finishing with 4/11 in 2.2 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah: 2/14 vs Chennai Super Kings
Jasprit Bumrah loves the big stage. In the high-pressure IPL 2019 final, the MI pacer showed his class with batting legend Sachin Tendulkar calling him the best bowler in the world currently. He completed his quote of four overs in three spells. He bowled once in the Powerplay (five runs), then returned in the 11th over to send back Ambati Rayudu with a bouncer in which CSK managed just one run. MI captain Rohit Sharma held him back for the death-overs. With CSK clobbering three fours and a six in an over of Lasith Malinga, Rohit turned to his deadly weapon. Had it not been for a dropped catch, Bumrah would have removed Watson on 56 off the very first delivery of his third over. That over resulted in just four more. Another expensive over followed and Bumrah was to negate that. He had the danger-man Dwayne Bravo out-caught behind and had it not been for a slip from wicketkeeper as he allowed four byes, that over would have cost MI just five runs. Bumrah ended with 2/14, keeping MI in the game.
Imran Tahir: 4/27 vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders had started well. At the halfway stage, they were 77/1 with Andre Russell yet to bat. Imran Tahir had just been introduced into the attack. He rewarded his captain with two wickets in second over – Rana holed out after getting the start and Robin Uthappa out for a first-ball duck. KKR recovered from the minor stutter with Chris Lynn and Dinesh Karthik creaming Ravindra Jadeja for 23 runs in an over. Dhoni recalled Tahir. Lynn (82) went for the big shot and was caught in the deep with Tahir celebrating in his typical style. But then Russell walked in. he began in ominous fashion with a four and six off the first three deliveries faced. Tahir was unfazed. He bowled a leg-break, Russell again went after it but this time mis-hit it towards long-on where he was caught on 10. The South African spinner prevented KKR from posting an imposing total, restricting them to 161 which CSK overhauled.