#IPLGOAT QF: Harbhajan vs Malinga
We started with 24 players and now we are left with only 8. Now, the competition will only get fiercer and the choice tougher. To start off, we have two Mumbai Indian bowling stalwarts; one a crafty off-spinner, and the other a fearsome fast bowler. Who will progress to the Semi-Finals?
The #IPLGOAT is a knockout competition to determine the greatest IPL player of all time. We have done our homework and have come up with a list of 24 players. It will be a knock-out competition. Each day, you will see head to head matchups, with the winner progressing to the next round. The round of 24 will be followed by the Quarter-Finals, then the Semi-Finals, and ultimately the Grand Finale to determine the Greatest IPL player of all time. So what are you waiting for? Cast your vote and make it count.
Beware though, do not get carried away by merely the exploits of the current IPL; remember that you are selecting the Greatest IPL player of All Time! Choose wisely.
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We started with 24 players and now we are left with 8. The competition will only get fiercer and the choices tougher. To start off, we have two Mumbai Indian bowling stalwarts; one a crafty off-spinner, and the other a fearsome fast bowler. Harbhajan Singh shrugged off competition from his Indian spin counterparts while Malinga annihilated the competition, securing a comprehensive 77% of the votes. Now though, only one can progress to the Semi-Finals. Who will it be?
1. Harbhajan Singh
The Stats:
Matches: 124, Wickets: 118, Bowling Average: 26.12, Economy Rate: 6.98
Claim to Greatness:
Harbhajan Singh has become the fourth on the highest wicket-taker list in IPL since Mumbai Indians picked him up in the inaugural auction in 2008. So critical have been his contributions to his team, that Mumbai Indians have ensured that they retain him at all costs. He has even captained Mumbai Indians in 20 matches. He has often been called upon to bowl at the most difficult times, including the power-play, and yet, he has maintained a sensational economy rate of less than 7. The feisty off-spinner has always been extremely competitive and has played a tremendous role in instilling much needed aggression into the team, though admittedly, he has crossed the line at times. Harbhajan Singh has also contributed at crucial times with his lusty hitting down the order. He once scored 64 off 24 balls against Kings XI, in a joyful display of clean hitting, sending the ball sailing over the ropes no less than 6 times.
2. Lasith Malinga
The Stats:
Matches: 98, Wickets: 143, Bowling Average: 17.8, Economy Rate: 6.67
Claim to Greatness:
In all probability, no player has dominated the IPL like Malinga has done. He is not just a good bowler; he is not just a great bowler; he is an out-of-the-world bowler! Malinga has slinged his way to 143 wickets in 98 matches at an average of 17.8 and an economy rate of 6.67. These are staggering numbers. Malinga has the most wickets, has the best bowling average, and has the best strike rate of any bowler with more than 40 wickets. He takes 1.46 wickets per match; the other bowlers in the top ten wicket-takers list take exactly 1 wicket per match. I am tempted to rest my case here, but then the numbers do not do justice to the impact that Malinga has had. In a 20-over game, opposition teams have simply chosen to play out Malinga’s four overs. Not that it has worked though. No total was too small to defend as long as Malinga had overs left in the bank. Malinga running in and slinging a 150 km/h toe-crushing yorker at yet an other hapless batsman will remain as one of the enduring memories of IPL.