The IPL 2021 was a decent season. The season was decent because the batsmen didn’t perform exceptionally well. Add to it the slow and spinning wickets at Sharjah and Chennai. As a true fan of the IPL, you might have realized that the batting was not in full bloom like every season. However, some batting performances took the tournament by storm. Some of them were delightful as the batsmen were showing class on absolutely dead wickets. From KL showing his KLass to Ishan getting back in top-notch form, here is a look at the top 5 performances with the bat in IPL 2021: –
10) KL Rahul 98* in 42 Balls Against Chennai Super Kings: –
This inning is said to be a KLassy inning! Mayank Agrawal even goes on to say that this is KL Rahul’s best innings ever. The reason being that the wicket was not easy to bat on. With KL Rahul having no pressure of points since Punjab Kings had already been knocked out, KL Rahul expressed himself. He was in full mood. Punjab Kings were chasing a total. KL Rahul slammed 7 boundaries and 8 huge sixes. His lofted cover drive for 6 runs was absolute eye candy. Punjab Kings chased down 135 in just 13 overs.
9) Prithvi Shaw 82 in 41 Balls Against Delhi Capitals: –
Scoring 4 fours in an over are just a dream for many players. Prithvi Shaw achieved this iconic asset for the records in this match. He slammed 24 runs of Shivam Mavi’s bowling while Delhi Capitals was chasing 155. The Delhi Capitals reached home in just 17 overs because of Prithvi Shaw’s exploits. Shikhar Dhawan on the other hand was playing at run-a-ball. Prithvi Shaw and his cover drives and slices were the stars of the evening.
8) Ruturaj Gaikwad 88* in 58 Balls Against Mumbai Indians: –
Ruturaj Gaikwad played extremely well on a slow Sharjah wicket to notch up a score of 88 in 58 balls. Gaikwad was holding the innings together as wickets were tumbling at the other end. He was the anchor of the innings. Ruturaj Gaikwad took on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar, and Trent Boult. Gaikwad smoked Trent Boult for 20 runs in the final over at got the momentum for Chennai. Due to his performance with the bat, Chennai won the game.
7) Ravindra Jadeja 62* off 28 Balls Against Royal Challengers Bangalore: –
Scoring 37 runs of the final over bowled by the purple cap holder is not every batsman’s piece of cake. But Ravindra Jadeja just managed to pull this off! Jadeja was on fire in the day game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He scored 4 fours and tonked 5 sixes. He took the Chennai Super Kings to an immense 191! Harshal Patel was at the mercy of Jadeja in the final over where he conceded 37 runs.
6) Mayank Agarwal 99* off 58 Balls Against Delhi Capitals: –
Mayank Agarwal, according to me is the least appreciated Indian batsman. Season after season he has been performing above average for his franchise but he is in the shadow of KL Rahul. His innings of 99* against the Delhi Capitals is another instance of his abilities. He took the struggling Punjab Kings to a 166. Although his performance was not enough to take his team home. It was overshadowed by a quick fifty by Shikhar Dhawan.
5) Devdutt Padikkal 101* off 52 Balls Against Rajasthan Royals: –
Devdutt Padikkal and his first century in the world’s toughest T20 league is worth a mention. Padikkal helped Royal Challengers Bangalore chase an immaculate 181 runs with 10 wickets in hand. He alongside Virat Kohli was unstoppable on that evening. Devdutt made sure to show his glorious off-drives and Yuvraj Singh like Flick Shots to the viewers. He hit 11 fours and 6 sixes in his glorious innings.
4) Ruturaj Gaikwad 101* off 60 Balls Against Rajasthan Royals: –
Ruturaj Gaikwad, the eventual winner of the Orange Cap in the 2021 IPL season, has made sure he is present twice on the list. Gaikwad performed exceptionally well in this game. He batted throughout the innings. In the end, it was just a matter of time for him to get a hundred. He played at a slow strike rate but scored 9 fours and 6 sixes. The six of the last ball to get the hundred was the longest of them all. He took on the likes of Sakariya, Mustafizur, and Markande. However, his team ended on the losing side!
3) Sanju Samson 119 off 63 Balls Against Punjab Kings: –
It was another Sanju Special that evening. Sanju Samson smoked the Punjab Kings bowlers all over the park that day in Wankhede. Samson was in the mood to pull off a record chase until six runs were required of the last ball. One can still remember him refusing Chris Morris for a single on the second last ball. Only for him to get caught on the extreme boundary. He played well and hit 12 fours and 7 sixes.
2) Jos Buttler 124 off 64 Balls Against Sunrisers Hyderabad: –
To bat against the likes of Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Nabi is not a cakewalk. But Jos Butler did it! And did that in what fashion. He scored a mountain of 124 runs and the team ended with 220 runs. By the time Jos Butler went back he already had done his job! Rajasthan won the game by 54 runs.
Honorable Mentions in the List: –
1) Ishan Kishan 84 of 42 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
2) Suryakumar Yadav 82 off 40 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
3) Mahipal Lomror 41 off 17 Balls.
4) Deepak Hooda 64 of 28 Balls Against Rajasthan Royals.
1) Kieron Pollard 87* of 34 Balls Against Chennai Super Kings: –
How many times has Kieron Pollard been the star of the evening in the El Classico? Innumerable, isn’t it? Kieron Pollard showed his class once again in the match against Chennai Super Kings. After the Chennai batsmen notched up 218 runs and Mumbai was asked to bat Pollard came in to bat. He was looking in good touch. And he took the game away from Chennai with ease. One can still picture him hitting Lungi Ngidi over fine leg for a six on the last ball to seal the game.