#IPLGOAT: Malinga vs Steyn vs Nehra

05/20/2016

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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.

De Villiers vs Raina vs Gambhir - Click on the link to vote.Follow us on FB and Twitter to keep track of the GOAT contest! Vote to see your favourite player crowned as the Greatest IPL Player of All Time. #IPLGOAT

1. 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.

2. Dale Steyn

The Stats:

Matches: Matches: 90, Wickets: 92, Bowling Average: 25.06, Economy Rate: 6.72

Claim to Greatness:

That Dale Steyn is a great fast bowler, arguably, the greatest of his generation; not many would dis-agree. But when it comes to IPL, there is a mis-conception that Steyn has not really fired. Steyn has taken 92 wickets and his economy rate is an extra-ordinary 6.72, second only to Lasith Malinga among fast bowlers with more than 15 wickets. What makes the numbers even more impressive is that the captains tend to use Steyn during the power-plays and death overs. In fact, he has the second most number of dot balls of any bowler in IPL. Numbers aside, Dale Steyn is simply a treat to watch with his aesthetic run-up and fearsome pace. Finally, Steyn might be the meanest fast bowler around but he has always displayed exemplary sportsman spirit.

3. Ashish Nehra

The Stats:

Matches: 82, Wickets: 98, Bowling Average: 23.44, Economy Rate: 7.74

Claim to Greatness:

Nehra has done yeoman service to Indian Cricket. He has had some memorable performances, most notably, the six-wicket haul in Durban during the 2003 World Cup, and has always given his best on the field. Yet, he has always been under-appreciated and has often been the butt of many a joke. The case has been no different in the IPL. In fact, he has played for no less than 5 IPL teams. He does not generate the pace he used to in his prime, nor does he have remarkable variety, yet he more than makes up for it with guile and experience. His 98 wickets have just taken 82 matches and they have come at an impressive average of merely 23.44. Among the Indian fast bowlers, he is the second highest wicket taker. Nehra has also played the role of a mentor, sharing his experience with his junior team mates.