IPL 2016 | Top 10 memorable moments of the tournament

Arun S Kaimal

ByArun S Kaimal, SportsCafe Editor

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After seven weeks of pulsating T20 action the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League came to a close yesterday with Sunrisers Hyderabad defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore to lift their maiden IPL title. With tons of moments still etched in memory, we look at the top 10 moments of IPL 9.

10. Dhoni’s 90-degree leg stretch

Although he is famous for his captaincy skills and heroics with the bat, the wicket-keeping ability of M S Dhoni is up there with the best. From lightning fast stumpings to catches down the leg side, the Indian limited overs team captain has thrilled the cricketing world many a times. Dhoni, who donned the colours of Rising Pune Supergiants this year after an eight-year association with Chennai Super Kings, had an average campaign as captain and batsman, but he provided the IPL fans with a moment to remember.

In the RPS’ match against Kings XI Punjab, Manan Vohra made a late cut to steer the ball towards the third-man boundary, but Dhoni stretched his legs 90 degree to stop the ball from going to the boundary. The goalkeeper-esque save must have come from his stint as a goalkeeper in his school days. He went on to do the same against Royal Challengers Bangalore to leave Virat Kohli amused. When it comes to street-smart cricket, there is none better than Dhoni.

9. Axar Patel’s hat-trick

The only hat-trick of this year’s IPL came from Kings XI Punjab spinner Axar Patel in the match against Gujarat Lions. The left-arm spinner took four wickets in five balls, including a hat-trick to help Kings XI Punjab register a 23-run win against Gujarat Lions. Chasing a moderate total of 155, the Lions had already lost Brendon McCullum and skipper Suresh Raina before Axar came to bowl. But the spinner destroyed all Gujarat hopes of a win with a spell of 4-0-21-4. Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Karthik, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja fell to the left-arm spinner with the last three coming in three consecutive deliveries.

8. Yuvraj running out Dhoni

M S Dhoni running out Mustafizur Rahman to give India a last-ball victory against Bangladesh was one off the iconic moments of the 2016 World T20. Having seen Dhoni’s style of running out the rival from close range, his India team-mate did the same to the Indian captain to give us one off the most memorable moments of IPL.

In Rising Pune Supergiants match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pune needed 14 runs off the last over for a win. Dhoni was at the crease against Nehra, and he went on to smash the left-arm pacer for a six in the fourth ball to leave the team needing 6 runs off 2 balls. With Dhoni in the middle, the match looked to be heading towards Pune. But, the wicket-keeper batsmen top edged the fifth ball over the keeper and ran for a two. Sran from third man picked up the ball and threw it to the wicketkeeper’s end, where Yuvraj was waiting to run out Dhoni. The all-rounder removed the bails in the same fashion as Dhoni did in the World T20 match and went on a celebratory run.

7. Watson congratulates de Kock after century

Giving a send-off to the batsman has become a norm for bowlers in recent times. Wild celebrations and fist pumping follows the fall of almost every wicket. But Shane Watson set an example for others to follow in the match against Delhi Daredevils by refusing to celebrate and instead congratulated Quinton de Kock for the South African’s magnificent innings. De Kock had scored the first century of the IPL season in that match, and destroyed the RCB bowling line-up to take Delhi Daredevils to the verge of victory. Watson removed the southpaw in the 19th over with a short ball, but instead of celebrating the all-rounder said “well played” to the batsman and clapped for him. We hope to see more of it in the gentleman’s game.

6. Pollard-Bravo stare

From a moment to remember to moment to forget. West Indians Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard are lively characters on and off the pitch and their ferocious nature came to the fore in the crucial match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions. With both teams needing a win, the match was already heated up and it went a notch up when Pollard came out to bat.

Pollard stopped Bravo in between his run up and asked him to wait before bowling the ball. Bravo went back with a smile and returned with a bouncer which Pollard defended uncomfortably. Bravo picked the ball up and ran straight to Pollard to engage in a stare down. Pollard held the bat like he was about to hit Bravo with it, while Bravo nudged him with chest before walking away. With both them good friends on and off the field, it could also have been a friendly stare down.

5. Watson and Wiese relay catch

You win as a team, you lose as a team and you catch as a team. Just like a 4x100m relay dash, Shane Watson and David Wiese did a relay catch in the match against Delhi Daredevils to give us one of the best catches in this edition of the IPL. Shreyas Iyer jumped out of his crease and skied the ball over the circle hoping for a boundary. Watson ran back from mid-on and caught the ball near the boundary. However, with the momentum taking him over the ropes, the Aussie threw the ball back into the ground to allow Wiese to take the catch.

4. Raina’s diving catch

From one great catch to another. Suresh Raina’s brilliance in the field is not new to the followers of IPL and Indian cricket. The left-hander has taken a plethora of brilliant catches throughout his career to leave cricketing fans in awe and shock. He added one more to the list in this edition of the IPL by taking a one-handed stunner in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Raina was fielding in the slips when Suryakumar Yadav glanced one off Dwayne Smith’s ball. The ball seemed to be flying over Raina’s reach at slip, but the left-hander pulled off a one-handed stunner to the shock of even his own team-mates.

3. Dhoni’s final over fury

M S Dhoni is one of the best finishers in world cricket. But, the Captain Cool failed to produce enough memorable knocks in this edition of the IPL to take his team to the IPL playoffs. Having lost out on the last four race, Rising Pune Supergiants and Kings XI Punjab took on each for the wooden spoon in their last match of the season.

Needing 23 runs off the last over, Pune faced an uphill task to win the match even with Dhoni in the middle. Axar Patel bowled the final over and the win became even more improbable for Pune after Dhoni managed only 11 off 4 balls. Two sixes were needed in the last two balls for a win, and if there is one man you can bank on, to do the job, then it is Dhoni. The RPS skipper smashed Axar for back-to-back sixes and helped his team finished 7th with almost the best finish of this year’s IPL.

2. Mustafizur’s yorker against Russell

Lasith Malinga has been the expert of toe-crushing yorkers. Although, the Sri Lankan missed the ninth edition of the IPL, Mustafizur made sure that no one missed the toe-crushing yorkers by producing some of his own. The Bangladesh bowler played an important part in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s title winning run especially with his death bowling. The 20-year-old produced some brilliant yorkers, with the one against Andre Russell a standout.

In the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, Mustafizur executed the perfect yorker by hitting Russell’s middle-stump leaving the West Indian on the ground. Although KKR won the match, the impressive yorkers from the Fizz were a treat to watch.

1. Kohli’s 4th IPL century with 8 stitches

When Virat Kohli pointed to his left hand after scoring his fourth IPL century of the season, everyone wondered what the RCB skipper was gesturing about. With multiple stitches on his webbing in the left-hand, the right-hander scored a magical 113 off 50 balls to keep his team alive in the playoff race back then. The Indian Test skipper’s ability to play through the pain helped him and his franchise in getting to the final before they came unstuck against Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

All Images Courtesy: © IPL

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