IPL 2024: Biggest hits and flops so far. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Glenn Maxwell's poor returns with the bat are some of the flops while Nitish Reddy's rise and Jasprit Bumrah's 5-21 are some of the hits from the last week.
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is getting interesting with a few matches going down the wire, with both youngsters and veterans cracking up some good scores and spells. Here is a look at the biggest hits and flops of IPL 2024 between April 8 and 14.
Biggest hits from April 8 -14 IPL 2024 Matches
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 64 against Punjab
It was an off day for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) big hitters against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in game 23 of IPL 2024. They were reduced to 64/4 in 9.4 overs and were staring at being bowled out rather cheaply. They needed someone to take responsibility, steady the innings, and give it a flourish. Andhra Pradesh youngster, Nitish Kumar Reddy, 20, took over both tasks.
He first resurrected the innings in the company of Heinrich Klaasen, putting a stand of 36 runs in 3.3 overs for the fifth wicket. He then wrested back the momentum with a quick stand of 50 runs in 3.2 overs with Abdul Samad for the sixth wicket. The two stands turned out to be crucial as SRH posted a fighting 182/9. Nitish was excellent in rotating the strike and punishing the bad balls, resulting in 4 fours and 5 sixes during his 37-ball 64. This innings showed that Nitish is a talent to watch out for.
Rashid Khan’s 24 not out and 1/18 against Rajasthan
If Rashid Khan does not get you with the ball, he will then hurt the opposition with the bat. And sometimes, he can be at his best in both departments. Rajasthan Royals (RR) turned out to be at the receiving end of Rashid Khan’s all-round skills. First, Rashid bowled a tidy spell of 1/18 in 4 overs, going at 4.5 runs per over, while all other Gujarat Titans (GT) bowlers conceded more than 10 runs per over.
Later, Rashid came out to bat to help the Titans chase down 40 off the last 15 balls, scoring a match-wining cameo - 11-ball 24* featuring 4 fours. With 15 runs to get in the last over, he struck three fours, including the winning one, in a game that seemed lost at one stage.
Bumrah’s 5/21 against Bengaluru
Taking wickets on a batting beauty is a tough ask, but not for a certain Jasprit Bumrah. The Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer took 5/21 in 4 overs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to restrict them below 200. Mumbai chased down the target with 4.3 overs to spare, showing how easy it was to bat on the Wankhede ground.
He first took the big wicket of Virat Kohli who inside edged it to the keeper. Kohli was sent back for just 3. Later, he dismissed the dangerous Faf du Plessis who fell for 40-ball 61 to stop RCB from out batting Mumbai. His three late strikes in the death overs stopped RCB from scoring above 200 while Mumbai chased down the target with ease.
Phil Salt’s 89 not out against LSG
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have two explosive openers who can destroy any bowling attack on their day. Opener Sunil Narine had an off day against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Game 28, but his partner Phil Salt ensured he made up for it, by going hammer and tongs, making a masterful 47-ball 89* with 14 fours and 3 sixes.
Kolkata chased down a target of 162 with 26 balls to spare. Salt’s knock clean hitting and his game awareness were most noteworthy. He managed to find gaps to strike as many as 14 fours.
Read More: Biggest hits and flops of IPL 2024 so far
Biggest flops hits from April 8 -14 IPL 2024 Matches
Glenn Maxwell's poor returns with the bat
Glenn Maxwell has been a pale shadow of his big-hitting persona in IPL 2024 so far. His poor run of scores has hurt RCB as they have struggled to force the pace in the middle overs. The match against Mumbai was no different as Maxwell was out LBW to a googly from Shreyas Gopal.
His series of scores read 0, 3, 28, 0, 1, 0 so far. He has looked rather off-colour with the bat. He tries to bat himself out of the trouble and ends up throwing his wicket away. Now, the Aussie all-rounder has taken a break from cricket due to mental health, and may not appear further in the tournament.
Hardik Pandya’s 2 and 2/43 against Chennai
Mumbai bowlers had done well to restrict Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batters to 180/3 on a flat Wankhede track. And then captain Hardik Pandya decided to bowl the crucial 20th over, and it turned the match around. MS Dhoni slammed three sixes in the 20th over as CSK posted 206/4, with the last over costing Mumbai 26 runs. Mumbai eventually ended short by 20 runs, the same amount of runs Dhoni scored in 4 balls.
A tighter bowling in the 20th over could have seen CSK being restricted to a far lower total than the 206 they managed. Later, Pandya failed to lead from the front with the bat or provide support to Rohit Sharma who single-handedly anchored the chase with a ton. But ‘Hitman’ could not take the team across the finish line. Pandya’s poor show as player-cum-captain proved to be the difference in the result.
Jaiswal’s poor return for Rajasthan
Rajasthan’s opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is coming off a great Test series against England where he scored the most runs. But he seems to have lost his batting touch in IPL 2024 putting pressure on the batters to follow. In the two matches played between April 8 and 14, Jaiswal has got the starts but has failed to capitalise on them. He made 24 against Gujarat, and 39 against Punjab after a series of low scores.
Jaiswal has a reputation for giving quick starts and making rapid fifties and even hundreds in the previous IPL season. But this edition, he is struggling with his timing, big-hitting, and even strike rate. Jos Buttler makes a great opening partner for the youngster. Moreover, Buttler is back to his groove, scoring runs after a slow start to the season. RR fans would hope that one opener firing may inspire Jaiswal to do the same.
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