ByAnupam Pandey, SportsCafe Editor
One of the most historic days in the history of cricket, April 18, remains as one of the biggest days for cricket fans, as in 2008, it announced the arrival of the Indian Premier League, as Brendon McCullum scored 158* against RCB. In 1958, one of the deadliest fast bowlers of the West Indies team, Malcolm Marshall, was born. In 1992, India’s star opener and the man who can bat at any position, KL Rahul, was born. In 2017, Chris Gayle became the first player to reach 10,000-runs in T20s.
The first match of the IPL took place on 18 April 2008 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where Kolkata Knight Riders delivered a stunning performance to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 140 runs. After being put in to bat, Kolkata posted a massive total of 222 for 3 in 20 overs. Brendon McCullum was the star of the night, smashing an unbeaten 158 off just 73 balls, which included 10 fours and 13 sixes.
(Brendon McCullum scored 158* runs against RCB in the first match of IPL)
He dominated the innings from start to finish and set the tone for the tournament. In reply, Bangalore had a disastrous batting performance and were bowled out for just 82 in 15.1 overs. Rahul Dravid scored only 2, while young Virat Kohli managed just 1 run. Praveen Kumar was the top scorer with 18 not out, but it was not enough to challenge the huge target. Ajit Agarkar picked up 3 wickets, while Ashok Dinda and Sourav Ganguly also contributed with the ball.
A stylish batsman who can also keep the wickets, Kannaur Lokesh Rahul was born on 18th April, 1992 in Bangalore, Karnataka. Playing for the Indian team, he has gained experience of 67 test matches so far and has accumulated 4053 runs at an average of 35.86, which includes 11 centuries and 20 half-centuries. In the ODI Format, KL Rahul has been a reliable player who has scored 3360 runs and is averaging 50.90 with the bat.
(KL Rahul was born on 18th April, 1992)
His strike rate of 90.44 and 8 centuries show how important he has been for the Indian team. The T20I format is the one where he has played 72 matches and has got 2265 runs with an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 139.12. Talking about the IPL, KL Rahul has scored 5333 runs for 5 different teams with a strike rate of 136.56.
Celebrating the Birthday of another Legend on 18th April, Malcolm Denzil Marshall was born in 1958 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Playing for the West Indies team, Marshall featured in 81 test matches and in the 151 innings, he picked 376 wickets while maintaining an average of 20.94 and an economy rate of 2.68.
(Malcolm Denzil Marshall was born on 18th April, 1958)
In the same format, he claimed to have an impact with the bat as he scored 1810 runs with an average of 18.85 for the West Indies team. Coming to the ODIs, Marshall played a key role for the team and was able to get 157 wickets at an average of 26.96 and an economy rate of 3.53. With the bat, his record in the ODI format includes 955 runs at an average of 14.92 and a strike rate of 76.64.
Being the first player to smash 10,000 runs in T20, Chris Gayle once again proved his dominance as Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Gujarat Lions by 21 runs in Rajkot during IPL 2017. Batting first, RCB posted a strong total of 213 for 2 in 20 overs. Gayle led the charge with a powerful 77 off 38 balls, hitting 7 sixes and 5 fours. He shared a crucial 122-run opening stand with Virat Kohli, who contributed 64 from 50 balls.
(Chris Gayle became the first man to score 10000 runs in T20)
In the final overs, Travis Head added 30 not out, while Kedar Jadhav finished aggressively with 38 off just 16 balls, pushing the score beyond 200. In reply, the Gujarat Lions made a fighting effort but ended on 192 for 7. Brendon McCullum top-scored with 72 off 44 balls, while Ishan Kishan played a quick knock of 39. However, Yuzvendra Chahal turned the game with 3 wickets, supported by Pawan Negi’s economical spell.
Comments
Leave a comment0 Comments