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Top 10 Batting Performances of IPL 2020 | Looking back at the top 10 best batting performances of IPL 2020 | Indian Premier League 2020

The biggest and the toughest T20 league saw some brilliant batting performances by the players for their respective teams. The three grounds on which the games were played were true and provided ideal opportunities for the batsman to score big. Especially on wickets like Sharjah in the early stages of IPL 2020, every ball seemed to clear the ropes as the batsman dominated.

However, not all the masterly innings resulted in triumphs. But, the performances were noteworthy to get some recognition. Here’s a look at the top 10 knocks from the tournament.

10. Sanju Samson 74 (32) vs CSK

Sanju Samson, the dynamic wicket-keeper batsman came into bat at no.3 after the departure of their opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the powerplay. And when he was in the zone, he made the most of the ground dimensions, going after opponent’s experienced spinners and made sure that his team comfortably got to a 200+ score. His innings of 74 came in no time with a strike rate of 231.25, which included nine mammoth sixes with most coming the V-region over the bowler’s head.

He dominated the experienced spinning duo and took the game away from CSK. He added 121 runs for the second wicket with captain Steve Smith before getting out to Lungi Ngidi.

9. Ishan Kishan 99 (58) vs RCB

Playing his first game of the season, Ishan Kishan, the young sensation, came into bat when his team was struggling while chasing a total of 200+ vs RCB. The required rate was already above 10 RPO when Ishan took the charge of increasing the run rate for his team. He constructed his innings brilliantly and with Kieron Pollard at the other end, he went all guns blazing against RCB’s quicks in particular. He stitched a crucial partnership of 119 runs off 51 balls with Pollard which leveled the scores at the end of the 20 overs. He missed out on a well-deserved hundred and his efforts with the bat went in vain as his team lost the match in Super Over.

Also read: Was Ishan Kishan the best uncapped Indian batsman in IPL 2020?

8. Ambati Rayudu 71 (48) vs MI

Chasing a modest total of 163, the Chennai Super Kings didn’t get off to a good start as they lost both their openers for six runs. Then in walked Ambati Rayudu, who, along with Faf du Plessis, negotiated the spells of MI’s pacers and reconstructed the innings. Rayudu never allowed the required run rate to get out of CSK’s control, with his footwork good against MI’s spinners.

He even took on MI’s lead bowler Jasprit Bumrah in one over. Rayudu got support from the other end as Faf rotated the strike pretty well. The duo added 115 runs for the third wicket which proved to be a match-winning partnership for CSK. Rayudu scored 71 runs off just 48 deliveries which included six fours and three huge sixes.

Also read: Twitter reactions when CSK finally beat MI after a run of losses

7. Faf du Plessis 87 (53) vs KXIP

KXIP posted a 179-run target after they opted to bat first. Chennai badly needed to win this game to put the side’s campaign back on track. Before this match, there was talk about openers not scoring enough runs and putting pressure on the middle order. In this game, the Chennai openers came out all guns blazing.

While Watson took some time to get going, Faf went after the bowling in the powerplay. In one of the powerplay overs, he smashed Chris Jordan for three boundaries, and thereafter taking calculative risks to get to his fifty. After reaching a personal milestone, he changed gears and didn’t allow their spinners – Harpreet Brar and leggie Ravi Bishnoi to settle, employing the sweep shot effectively to find boundaries at will. He ended up with 87 not out off 53 balls along with his partner Shane Watson to bag a comfortable 10-wicket win for CSK.

6. Suryakumar Yadav 79*(43) vs RCB

Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai Indians’ number three, again had an incredible season with the bat. He proved to be one of the big reasons why Mumbai went to clinch their fifth IPL title. In the game versus the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he played a sublime knock of 79 not out which included 10 fours and three sixes to help his team seal the playoffs berth.

Chasing a total of 165, MI lost three wickets for 72 runs against an in-form RCB bowling lineup, but Surya kept taking those calculative risks to win the game for his side.

5. Nicholas Pooran 77 (37) vs SRH

Nicholas Pooran, the West Indian batsman, was on fire against Sunrisers Hyderabad where he notched up a fifty off just 17 deliveries to complete his first fifty of the season. This fifty was the the fastest half-century of IPL 2020. Pooran targeted Abdul Samad’s first over, smashing the uncapped Indian player for 28 runs, which included four sixes and a four to reach the landmark. His efforts with the bat weren’t enough to take his team home as KXIP lost that game by 69 runs. But this game will be remembered for the artistic strokeplay from the bat of the Caribbean batsman.

4. Shikhar Dhawan 78 (50) vs SRH

Shikhar Dhawan, the Delhi Capitals opener, was the second-highest run-getter of the tournament. Shikhar was one of the consistent performers with the bat, which helped his team make it to the Final of the league for the first time in tournament history.

It was his knock of 78 in the Qualifier 2 which guided his team to the IPL 2020 Final. Batting first, Shikhar provided a blistering start with his new opening partner, Marcus Stoinis, and that set the stage for a big first innings total. This was his sixth half-century of the season, and it comprised of two sixes and six fours. Most importantly, it came in a virtual knockout, as he surpassed the 600-run mark in the 13th edition of the IPL.

3. Rohit Sharma 68 (51) vs DC

It’s not always easy to come back from injury and perform in the most crucial game of the tournament. Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians skipper, was looking out of touch since he made his comeback to the team after an injury layoff. Many questioned his approach at the start, and MI’s skipper silenced them all when he struck a fifty to chase down a modest total of 156/7 to win the trophy for a record fifth time.

Rohit came to open the innings with his regular opening partner Quinton de Kock and straight away took the attack to DC’s bowling. He lofted one six over long-on off Ashwin’s bowling and after that, it was a typical Rohit Sharma show. Also, he thanked his teammate, Suryakumar Yadav, as he sacrificed his wicket for his skipper in the 11th over when Rohit was batting on 47.

Rohit’s knock made sure that there wasn’t much to do for the batsman to come after him.

2. Ben Stokes 107* (60) vs MI

Before this game, Ben Stokes was struggling big time find his best form. He hadn’t hit a single six in the tournament, and was struggling with his timing. Many were doubting his ability to cope with the pressure of opening the innings, because this role was new to him as there was pressure on him with the regular opener Jos Buttler batting in the middle order.

Against an in-form bowling lineup of MI, the target of 196 wasn’t going to be easy for RR. Stokes started his innings by targeting their best new-ball bowler Trent Boult by putting on his dancing shoes against him and minimizing his effect in the powerplay. When the run rate started to hover around 11 runs per over, that’s when Stokes and his partner Sanju Samson took the attack to the MI bowling. During his innings of 107* runs, Stokes hit 14 fours and three sixes to see off the chase for his team.

1. KL Rahul 132 (69) vs RCB

KL Rahul, the Kings XI captain, produced one of the finest knocks in the history of the IPL as he smashed a swashbuckling inning of 132 not out which included 14 fours and seven sixes against RCB. Rahul took his time early in the innings and reached his fifty in 36 balls. Then, he required only 26 balls to get to the three-figure mark.

He had his share of luck in the innings, as he was dropped a couple of times by RCB skipper Virat Kohli. But, he made the most of these opportunities as he powered his team to a total of 206/3. The hallmark of this innings was how he paced his innings at the halfway point of the 1st innings, which was followed by a brutal display of range hitting in the death overs.

The KXIP skipper bagged a few records to his name:

• KL’s unbeaten 132 is the highest individual score in the T20 format in the UAE.
• His unbeaten 132 is the highest score by an Indian player in IPL history.
• He the fastest Indian (60 innings) to reach 2,000 IPL runs, overtaking Sachin’s record (63 innings).

Written by Vaibhav Tripathi. Follow Vaibhav on Twitter today.

Comparison: Who was the Best Bowler in IPL 2020? | A statistical comparison between Archer, Bumrah, Shami and Nortje

The thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has recently been concluded after providing us so much fun and entertainment. As the IPL was in the UAE, we all had expected mostly spinners in the list of highest wicket takers. But, contrary to our expectations, there are seven fast bowlers among the top 10 wicket takers of this season. It shows how impressive the fast bowlers were in the mega event.

In this article, I have chosen five of them to compare statistically and find the most impactful in all aspects. The names are Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Shami and Anrich Nortje. I haven’t considered Trent Boult because he didn’t bowl that much in the middle overs and death. There are five parameters to judge these five. I will compare their performance in the:

• Powerplay
• Middle overs
• Death overs
• Number of Balls bowled to concede one boundary; and
• Number of extra runs given per innings

All the calculations are done against the top eight batters of every opposition (I haven’t taken the extra runs conceded by the bowlers into account while calculating their stats in the three phases as I have taken that as a separate parameter). So, let’s find out the best one.

1. Impact in the Powerplay

To compare their performances in the power play overs, I have considered five sub-parameters; namely wickets taken per innings bowled, bowling average, bowling strike rate, dot ball percentage and the economy rate in the PP against the top 8 batters. The best one under each sub-category will get 5 points; the second best will get 4 points and so on. I have drawn a table showing their respective stats in the PP below.

Jofra Archer reigns supreme in the four sub-parameters viz – wickets/inns, average, dot percentage and econ. rate, as well as second in terms of SR. So, he scores 24 points (5+5+4+5+5) out of 25 in the PP phase. Similarly, the points of Bumrah (4+4+5+4+4), Shami (4+3+3+3+3), Nortje (3+2+2+2+1) and Rabada (2+1+1+1+2) are 21, 16, 10 and 7 respectively in this section.

2. Impact in the Middle Overs (7-15)

Their respective numbers in the middle overs phase against the above mentioned sub-parameters are tabulated below.

From the table, it is clear that Archer was the best in three sub-parameters viz. average, dot percentage and economy rate and second best in terms of wkts/inns and SR. So, he scores 23 points (4+5+4+5+5) out of 25 in this parameter. Similarly, the respective scores of Nortje (5+3+5+4+1), Bumrah (4+4+2+3+4), Rabada (4+2+3+2+2) and Shami (3+1+1+1+3) are 18, 17, 13 and 9 points.

Also read: Who was the best uncapped Indian batsman in IPL 2020?

3. Impact in the Death Overs (16-20)

Their respective numbers in the death overs phase against the top eight batsmen alongside the above mentioned sub-parameters are tabulated below.

Rabada was the best in terms of wkts/inns, average and SR, the second best in terms of dot ball percentage and the third best in terms of economy rate takes him to 22 points (5+5+5+4+3) in this section. Similarly, the respective scores of Bumrah (3+4+3+5+5) and Jofra (1+1+1+2+2) are found to be 20 and 7 respectively, whereas Shami (4+3+4+1+1) and Nortje (2+2+2+3+4) score 13 points each in this section.

4. Balls bowled to concede one boundary (BPB)

An important attribute in T20s is how infrequently you concede boundaires. I have tabulated the total number of balls these guys have bowled to the top eight batsmen of all the teams and the number of boundaries conceded by them. The names are arranged in descending order of balls-per-boundary (BPB). The best one will get 12.5 points, the second best will get 10 points and so on in this section.

5. Extras conceded per innings

It’s always very important for a bowler to be disciplined and give away as little extra runs (wides or no balls) as possible. In my discipline parameter, I have tabulated the number of inns they have bowled and the number of extra runs given to calculate the extra runs per inns. The bowler with the least ratio will get full 12.5 points, the one having second-least ratio will get 10 points and so on. The names are arranged in the increasing order of extra runs given per innings.

A graph is plotted below showing the differences in the extra runs conceded by these five per innings.

It is very clear from the table as well as the graph that Nortje was the most disciplined bowler among these five, so he gets full 12.5 points in this section. The respective scores of Archer, Bumrah, Rabada and Shami are 10, 7.5, 5 and 2.5 in this section.

TOTAL POINTS AND OUR WINNER:

The total points obtained by each of these five bowlers are tabulated against their names below. The names are arranged in descending order of the points obtained by them.

Therefore, I find Jofra Archer to be the most impactful bowler among these five fiery fast bowlers in the IPL 2020 considering the mentioned parameters.

Do you agree? Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.

Who was the Best Uncapped Indian Batsman in IPL 2020? | Which Uncapped Indian batsman performed the best in IPL 2020? The stats

The most luxurious T20 league in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL), has come to an end. After almost two months of super competitive cricket, we witnessed the Mumbai Indians lifting the trophy for a record fifth time.

There were so many brilliant individual performances, out of which the performances of some local talents took centre stage. So, in this article, I am going to compare the five most successful Indian players of this season who are yet to make their T20I debut. The names are Mayank Agarwal, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal.

What I am going to do is to compare the various aspects of their batting and rate them out of 10 under each considered parameter. I have 10 parameters in which the best one is going to get 10, the second best is going to get 8, the third best is going to get 6, and so on. Let’s go.

1. Overall average in IPL 2020

Let’s see the overall average of these five in IPL 2020. For that, I have drawn a table showing the total runs scored by them and the number of times they got out in this season. I have arranged the names in descending order of their total average.

So, Ishan has the highest overall average among these and thus gets 10 points in this section. The respective points of Suryakumar, Mayank, Shubman and Devdutt are 8, 6, 4 and 2.

2. Overall strike rate in IPL 2020

Let’s now compare the overall strike rates of these individuals. I have tabulated the number of runs scored along with the number of balls faced and calculated their respective strike rates. I have arranged the names in descending order of their SR.

Therefore, Mayank having the best overall SR gets 10 points in this section. The respective points of Ishan, Suryakumar, Devdutt and Shubman are 8, 6, 4 and 2 under this parameter.

3. Average against seam bowling in IPL 2020

If I see what these guys have done against seam bowling, I am glad to say all of them have scored more than 250 runs against the seamers this season. I have mentioned the runs scored by them against the seamers and the number of times they were dismissed by them. I have arranged the names in descending order of their averages against seam bowling.

So, Mayank Agarwal scores 10 points under this parameter having the best average versus seam bowling. The respective scores of Ishan, Shubman, Suryakumar and Devdutt are 8, 6, 4 and 2 in this section.

4. Strike rate vs seam bowling in IPL 2020

I have drawn a table showing the number of deliveries the mentioned batsmen have faced and their respective runs scored against seamers to calculate their strike rates versus seam bowling. I have mentioned the names in descending order of their strike rates.

So, in this parameter, Ishan has been the best and thus gets full 10 points. The scores of Suryakumar, Mayank, Devdutt and Shubman are 8, 6, 4 and 2 respectively in this parameter.

5. Average vs spin bowling in IPL 2020

Being Indian players, all five have done decently against spin bowling in this IPL. Their respective averages have been calculated in the table below. The names are mentioned in descending order of their average vs spinners.

So, we find Ishan to be the clear winner in this parameter scoring 10 out of 10. The respective scores of Suryakumar, Devdutt, Mayank and Shubman are 8, 6, 4 and 2 in this parameter.

6. Strike rate vs spin bowling in IPL 2020

Now let’s see who has hit the spinners in best manner. Here I have tabulated the number of balls faced and the number of runs scored, and arranged the names in descending order of their SRs versus spin bowling.

Therefore, Mayank tops in this parameter with 10 points having a phenomenal SR of 177.04 against spinners this season. The respective points of Suryakumar, Ishan, Shubman and Devdutt are 8, 6, 4 and 2 in this parameter.

7. Percentage of runs in boundaries

Being able to hit boundaries is a big criterion to be a successful in T20 cricket. I have mentioned their total runs, the runs from boundaries alone and arranged their names in descending order of that percentage score in the table below.

It is clear from the above table and graph that Suryakumar Yadav has got the most percentage of boundary runs among these five and hence tops in this parameter with 10 points. The respective scores of Ishan, Mayank, Devdutt and Shubman are 8, 6, 4 and 2 in this parameter.

8. Balls-per-boundary in IPL 2020

As I have already mentioned, hitting boundaries is obviously a big criterion to be successful as a T20 batsman. But, how frequently a batsman hits these boundaries is most important. So, I have calculated the number of boundaries these five have hit in the IPL this season and arranged the names in ascending order of the number of deliveries taken to hit one boundary.

Therefore, I find Mayank Agarwal to be the best in hitting boundaries most frequently. Thus, he scores 10 points in this parameter. The respective points of Suryakumar, Ishan, Devdutt and Shubman are 8, 6, 4 and 2 in this section.

9. Dot-ball percentage in IPL 2020

The fewer dots you play, the better batsman you become in T20 cricket. So, I have calculated the number of dots played by these five batsmen and tabulated the data along with the total number of balls faced by them. I have arranged the names in ascending order of their dot-ball percentage.

Mayank having the lowest dot-ball percentage scores 10 in this criterion. The points of Ishan, Suryakumar, Devdutt and Shubman are 8, 6, 4 and 2 respectively.

10. Consistency Parameter: The Frequency of 30+ Scores

In any format of cricket, being consistent is one of the major parameters to judge a player. So, I have calculated how many times they have crossed 30 runs and divided the number of innings batted by that to calculate their number of innings taken to score one 30+ score.

As Suryakumar remained unbeaten on 12 in one game, there exists a probability that he might or might not have scored 30+ that day. Therefore, I have taken his number of 30+ scores as 7.5 from 15 innings. Below is a graph showing the no. of innings played to score one 30+ score by each of them.

It is clear from the graph that, Ishan has taken the least number of innings (1.625) to score one 30+ score and hence scores 10 points in this parameter. The respective scores of Devdutt (1.875) and Mayank (2.75) are 8 and 4 respectively. Suryakumar and Shubman have taken 2 innings each, so they both get 6 points each in this parameter.

TOTAL SCORES AND OUR WINNER:

Adding all the points of these five players, I mention their total points in the table below. The names are arranged in descending order of the points scored by these five batters in the mentioned parameters.

So, considering these ten parameters, I find Ishan Kishan to be the best uncapped Indian batsman in IPL 2020.

Do you agree? Do share your thoughts!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.

Rating the Australian IPL 2020 players out of 10 | Which Australian player performed best during IPL 2020?

IPL 2020, one of the most competitive in recent times, had a number of Australian stars competing for the chance to lift the most prized trophy in T20 franchise cricket.

Overall, it was an up-and-down tournament for the Aussies. The bubble was a factor for all to manage, but a few of the Australian players in particular would have liked better performances, especially given the greater T20 focus in Australia over the past 12-18 months.

In this article, we will rate each Australian player (who played a minimum of five matches) in IPL 2020 out of 10, starting with the two most expensive purchases. Here goes.

Pat Cummins (KKR): 14 matches, 12 wickets, average 34.08, econ. 7.86

Are these the numbers Kolkata Knight Riders would have wanted after forking out a record Rs 15.50 crore (US $2.1 million)? Not quite.

Brought in to take KKR to another level in the powerplay and death overs, KKR ended up struggling for wickets in the powerplay overs. Cummins’ run of games without a wicket in the middle part of the season hurt KKR, as they lost a number of matches by a big margin to eventually miss out on the playoffs. 12 wickets in 14 matches means that Cummins’ price tag wasn’t justified, especially when you consider that seven of those wickets came in two matches (three vs DC and four vs RR). 4/10

Glenn Maxwell (KXIP): 13 matches, 108 runs, avg. 15.42, SR 101.88. 3 wickets, avg. 56.33, econ. 8.01

The biggest disappointment.

Kings XI Punjab made a conscious effort to strengthen their middle order for IPL 2020. The addition of Glenn Maxwell for a large price tag of Rs 10.75 crore (US $1.34 million) was a key part of their strategy, and had the potential to take KXIP to the next level.

Unfortunately, though, it didn’t work out. Maxwell’s biggest contributions came with the ball, and even those numbers aren’t all that impressive. Also, Maxwell’s struggle was perhaps a factor in KL Rahul’s lower strike rate in IPL 2020, as the KXIP captain felt he needed to bat deep. Maxwell’s strike rate of 101.88 says it all. 1/10

Shane Watson (CSK): 11 matches, 299 runs, avg. 29.90, SR 121.05

You know it’s a weird year when Shane Watson gets left out of the CSK XI. This happened on three occasions, as Watson struggled to find his best form. His only innings of note was 83* against Kings XI Punjab in an otherwise lean season.

After CSK’s exit from the competition in the league stage, Watson announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. CSK fans are rightly thankful for Watson’s efforts over the past three years; part of a career that contains plenty of highlights, especially in white-ball cricket. 4/10

Marcus Stoinis (DC): 17 matches, 352 runs, avg. 25.14, SR 148.52. 13 wickets, avg. 21.76, econ. 9.53

The best Australian player at this year’s IPL? Arguably yes.

Marcus Stoinis’ contribution would play a key factor in how Delhi Capitals would fare, as they looked a little thin in terms of big hitting. He started off with a bang, smashing 53 off 21 balls and taking two wickets vs KXIP. While he had a bit of a lean period towards the backend of the season (as most DC batsmen did), Stoinis performed well in the playoffs, scoring 65 (46) and 38 (27) vs MI and SRH respectively, to go with 1/5 and 3/26 with the ball.

His overall strike rate of nearly 150, along with 13 wickets, gave his team another dimension. 7.5/10

Nathan Coulter-Nile (MI): 7 matches, 5 wickets, avg. 41.20, econ. 7.92

Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was purchased for a hefty fee by Mumbai Indians, was considered a key player for the franchise. He was earmarked as the player to provide the best support for Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.

After coming back from injury during the tournament, Coulter-Nile took a while to find his stride. But, his performance in the IPL 2020 Final (2/29) was outstanding, courtesy of brilliant bowling in the crucial death overs. 5/10

James Pattinson (MI): 10 matches, 11 wickets, avg. 29.01, econ. 9.01

James Pattinson was a solid performer in the early stages of the season for MI. The pace bowler took nine wickets in his first six games in IPL 2020, which provided value in the absence of Coulter-Nile.

However, Pattinson drifted away a little towards the backend, with just two wickets in his last four games at a high economy rate. In the end, though, it can be said that Pattinson provided some good value as a replacement player for the great Lasith Malinga. 6/10

Steve Smith (RR): 14 matches, 311 runs, avg. 25.91, SR 131.22

Steve Smith, the Rajasthan Royals captain, hit two half-centuries in his first two games of IPL 2020, which increased the belief that this could be a big season for Smith and RR.

However, what followed was a significant form slump by Smith’s standards, as he scored just 44 runs in his next six knocks. The mid-season slump from Smith and RR was too much to overcome in the end as they missed the playoffs. This was coupled with the team struggling to find its perfect combinations, with Smith often shifting around in the batting order. 5/10

Aaron Finch (RCB): 12 matches, 268 runs, avg. 22.33, SR 111.20

Rs 4.4 crore (US $570,000) seemed like good value for the Australian T20I captain, as Royal Challengers Bangalore aimed to have a better season.

RCB did have a better season, but Finch didn’t produce his best form. While his partnership with the exciting Devdutt Padikkal was a positive in RCB’s season, Finch’s one half-century in 12 matches is under-par for a player of his quality. In the end, he was left out of the side for the big end-of-season games. 4/10

Josh Philippe (RCB): 5 matches, 78 runs, avg. 19.50, SR 101.50

The talented Josh Philippe showed some promising signs at the backend of the season. Batting on some slow pitches, Philippe fought hard in his three matches as opener, after he replaced Aaron Finch.

Although he couldn’t produce the big runs, RCB can believe they have a gem in their ranks for future seasons. 4/10

David Warner (SRH): 16 matches, 548 runs, avg. 39.17, SR 134.64

It wasn’t a vintage David Warner IPL season, but it was still very solid. The addition of Wriddhiman Saha at the backend of the season certainly helped free Warner up, as he struck at over 150 in his last five games, after batting within himself quite often throughout the tournament.

However, the SRH skipper was crucially unable to influence matches in the playoffs (17 and 2), which hurt his team’s chances. 7/10