For a high-paced format like T20 cricket, a bowler’s nightmare is registering the most expensive over.

While it differs from pitch to pitch, a T20 bowler should understand the mindset of the opposition batsmen before bowling his over. Otherwise, they would be at the mercy of specialist batsmen like Chris Gayle, who has the record for the fastest century in T20 cricket.

Bangalore’s Harshal Patel, who earlier made the news as the first player to take a fifer against current holders Mumbai, was hammered for 37 overs in his final over against Chennai.

After taking three wickets for just 14 runs from his three overs, skipper Virat Kohli handed the ball for Harshal to bowl the final over of the first innings. Needless to say, it was a costly mistake.

Ravindra Jadeja had no mercy on Harshal Patel as he smashed 6,6,6nb,6,2,6,4 in the 20th over. Totalling 37 runs, it was the most expensive over in T20.

With this, Harshal Patel equalled Prasanth Parameswaran’s 2011 record in the Indian T20 League who leaked 37 runs in the third over of Kerala’s game against Bangalore.

Most expensive over in Indian T20 League

Bowler	Opponent	Runs conceded	Year
Harshal Patel	Chennai	37	2021
Prasanth Parameswaran	Bangalore	37	2011
Daniel Sams	Kolkata	35	2022
Parvinder Awana	Chennai	33	2014
Ravi Bopara	Punjab	33	2010

Four bowlers, meanwhile, have conceded a record 36 runs in an over in T20 internationals. Two of them saw the batsmen smashing six successive sixes. 

India’s Yuvraj Singh did it first in 2007 against England, blazing six sixes off Stuart Broad’s final and the innings penultimate over during the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. Yuvraj brought up his fifty with the last six of the over in just 12 balls and was ultimately dismissed in the last over for a 14-ball 58. The Indian cricket team posted 218/4 and beat England by 18 runs. Broad ended with 0/60 in his four overs.

Fourteen years later in 2021, Kieron Pollard smashed six sixes off Akila Dananjaya, as West Indies chased Sri Lanka’s 131/9 in just 13.1 overs and with four wickets in hand. Pollard set the tone early, blazing in the sixth over and taming Dananjaya who had picked an impressive 3/17 in two overs until then, including a hat-trick. The Sri Lankan ended with figures of 3/62 in his four overs in the end.

West Indies' Nicholas Pooran broke multiple records during a T20 World Cup 2024, Group C match against Afghanistan. In the fourth over against Azmatullah Omarzai, Pooran struck three sixes and three boundaries. A no-ball and 4 leg byes made matters worse for the Afghan all-rounder as power-hitter Pooran scored 36 runs in an over to enter an elite list of batters. The 28-year-old's fiery knock ended with 98 runs off 53 balls and helped the Windies to a win.

Shivam Dube has the unwanted record of conceding the most runs in an over by an Indian bowler when he gave away 34 runs to the New Zealand pair of Tim Seifert and Ross Taylor at Mount Maunganui in February 2020. Dube’s first ball was to Seifert and the over went 6641 and then nb466 to Taylor. It was Shivam Dube’s only over on the day. India had posted 163/3 but it proved to be enough as they won by seven runs, Dube’s generosity notwithstanding.

Most expensive over in T20I

Bowler	Opponent	Runs conceded	Year
Stuart Broad	India	36	2007
Akila Dananjaya	West Indies	36	2021
Azmatullah Omarzai	West Indies	36	2024
Karim Janat	India	36	2024
Shivam Dube	New Zealand	34	2020
Nasum Ahmed	Zimbabwe	34	2022

Featured photo: Twitter / Royal Challengers Bangalore

After a disappointing Asia Cup 2022 campaign, the Indian cricket team will look to bounce back when they square off against Australia in a three-match T20I series starting on Tuesday, September 20.

The first T20I of the series will be played at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali while the second match is scheduled at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on September 23. The final match of Australia’s tour of India 2022 will take place at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on September 25.

Led by talismanic captain Rohit Sharma, India will hope to make best use of the T20I series against the mighty Australians to prepare for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November.

Ahead of the forthcoming Australia series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 16-member squad.

Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel have returned to the squad after recovering from a back injury and a side strain, respectively. Both the players underwent rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

Swashbuckling batters Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik have retained their place in the T20I set-up ahead of Sanju Samson.

Axar Patel has also been included in the squad as a like-for-like replacement for star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who recently underwent knee injury and has been ruled out of upcoming India’s assignments.

Additionally, ahead of the first T20 in Mohali, pacer Mohammed Shami, who was a surprise inclusion in India’s T20I squad, has tested positive for Covid-19 and been ruled out of the three-match series. Fast bowler Umesh Yadav has been drafted into the squad and is likely to play his first T20I since 2019.

Defending T20 World Cup champions Australia will be led by Aaron Finch in their short tour of India.

The visitors will miss the services of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis due to injuries. While Starc has been ruled out due to a knee injury, Marsh and Stoinis are suffering from ankle injury and side strain, respectively.

Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams and Sean Abbott have been named replacements for the India series.

Singapore-born cricketer Tim David is expected to make his Australia debut in the upcoming T20I series in India. David received his maiden Australia call-up following his impressive showing in T20 Leagues across the globe. The 26-year-old has already played 11 T20Is for Singapore, amassing 429 runs at an average of 47.67. He is, however, eligible to play for Australia immediately under ICC rules.

Australia head into the India series after whitewashing arch-rivals New Zealand 3-0 in a three-match ODI series.

India vs Australia 2022 T20I squads

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav

Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), Steve Smith, Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (wicket-keeper), Matthew Wade (wicket-keeper), Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott

India vs Australia 2022 schedule, fixtures and live match times

All times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Day and Date	Match	Time (IST)	Venue
Tuesday, September 20	India vs Australia, 1st T20I	7:30 PM IST	Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali
Friday, September 23	India vs Australia, 2nd T20I	7:30 PM IST	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
Sunday, September 25	India vs Australia, 3rd T20I	7:30 PM IST	Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

Where to watch India vs Australia 2022 series live in India?  

The India vs Australia 2022 T20I series will be telecast live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi and their respective HD TV channels in India.

For regional coverage,  India vs Australia 2022 T20I matches will be live on Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu and Star Sports 1 Kannada.

Live streaming of the India vs Australia 2022 T20I series will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website. 

SportsAdda will bring you India vs Australia 2022 T20I series live scores.

Interested in cricket betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.

Featured photo: WILLIAM WEST / AFP

Amit Mishra is the leading bowler with the most hat-tricks in Indian T20 League history.

The former Delhi spinner has registered three hat-tricks in his 14-year career that, at this point, seems done as he went unsold in the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auctions.

Amit Mishra claimed his first hat-trick against Team Deccan in the inaugural edition of the Indian T20 League, taking the wickets of Ravi Teja, Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh.

His next two hat-tricks in the tournament came in 2011 (vs Team Punjab) and 2013 (vs Team Pune).

Yuvraj Singh is second on the list for most hat-tricks in Indian T20 League. The all-rounder’s two hat-tricks are of major importance in the competition’s history as he is the only player to register two hat-tricks in a single campaign.

After his hat-trick against Bangalore on May 1, 2009, the former Indian all-rounder took just 16 days to grab his second career hat-trick against Team Deccan.

Lakshmipathy Balaji is the first player to ever take a hat-trick in the Indian T20 League. The former India pacer grabbed his maiden - and only - hat-trick off the final three deliveries of the meeting against Punjab in 2008 to lead Chennai to an 18-run victory.

Balaji’s pace partner Makhaya Ntini would be the first overseas player with a hat-trick in Indian T20 League history. The South African pacer initially dismissed Sourav Ganguly off the final ball of his third over and then plucked out Debabrata Das (27) and David Hussey (0) when he came to bowl the final over of his spell in the 16th over.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the latest bowler with a hat-trick in the Indian T20 League. The Rajasthan spinner dismissed Kolkata’s Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Mavi and Pat Cummins in quick succession to help his side return to winning ways in the 2022 edition.

In all, there are 18 bowlers who have taken a hat-trick in the Indian T20 League.

Interestingly, Dwayne Bravo, who now boasts of most wickets in Indian T20 League history, has never taken a hat-trick in the tournament.

Most hat-tricks in Indian T20 League

Player	No. of hat-tricks
Amit Mishra	3
Yuvraj Singh	2
Lakshmipathy Balaji	1
Makhaya Ntini	1
Yuzvendra Chahal	1

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel are the joint-holders of the record for most wickets in a single Indian T20 League season. The pacers scalped 32 wickets in 2013 and 2021, respectively.

Bravo held the record solo for eight years when he took 32 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95 in the 2013 edition. These exploits earned him the first of his two Purple Caps.

Eight years later, Harshal Patel would match Bravo’s record achievement as he bagged 32 wickets for Team Bangalore in the Indian T20 League 2021. Although Patel achieved the tally in fewer matches (15), his economy rate was a tad bit expensive in comparison to the former (8.14).

South African pacer Kagiso Rabada is third on the list of most wickets in a single Indian T20 League with 30 scalps. The former Delhi pacer, who joined Team Punjab for the 2022 campaign, took wickets on a whim that year but at a heavy cost of 548 runs. Rabada, unfortunately, is the only bowler to take the most wickets and concede the most runs in the same season.

Lasith Malinga and James Faulkner complete the top five list for most wickets in a single season. The seasoned pacers, both retired, registered 28 wickets in a single campaign in the 2011 and 2013 editions, respectively.

Malinga’s economy rate of 5.95 from 16 matches in the 2011 season is one of the best for any bowler in a single Indian T20 League season, and his performance is what keeps him apart from Faulkner.

Australian James Faulkner grabbed 28 wickets at an economy of 6.75 in the 2013 Indian T20 League and eventually lost the Purple Cap honour to Dwayne Bravo at the end of the campaign.

Most wickets in a single Indian T20 League season

Player	Runs	Wickets	Economy	Season
Dwayne Bravo	497	32	7.95	2013
Harshal Patel	459	32	8.14	2021
Kagiso Rabada	548	30	8.34	2020
Lasith Malinga	375	28	5.95	2011
James Faulkner	427	28	6.75	2013

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / ARUN SANKAR

The Indian T20 League, since its inception in 2008, has been a bystander to some of the most breathtaking bowling performances over the years. Right from Lasith Malinga’s inch-perfect yorkers to the devastating pace lengths of Harshal Patel, the spectators have been duly entertained by something extremely miraculous.

The nature of the league or the format per se is such that you are bound to stay connected right till the end. But what makes the league even more interesting is the fight to win the individual awards. In context, the Indian T20 League honours the bowler with the most number of wickets with a Purple Cap at the end of every season.

2008: Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan)

Pakistani players played only the inaugural season of the league, and that was enough for Sohail Tanvir to assert his claim. Representing Rajasthan in 2008, the left-arm pacer played a key role in his side’s route to the final. During the course, he picked 22 wickets in 11 games at an impressive average of 12.09.

2009: RP Singh (Deccan)

RP Singh was an absolute revelation in the second edition of the tournament. Applauded for his mesmerizing in-swingers and an ability to find a gap between the pad and the bat, he notched up 23 wickets in 16 games to earn the Purple Cap that year.

2010: Pragyan Ojha (Deccan)

After two mediocre seasons, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha finally burst onto the scene in 2010 with a blistering performance for Deccan. Picking up 21 wickets in 16 games that year, he not only won the Purple Cap but also won the hearts of many.

2011: Lasith Malinga (Mumbai)

Four-time Indian T20 League winner with Mumbai, Lasith Malinga won the Purple Cap in only his third season of the tournament. In 2011, the Sri Lankan pacer returned with a total of 28 wickets in 16 games at a mere economy of 5.95.  

2012: Morne Morkel (Delhi)

Delhi have always been known for their strong overseas bowling core. In 2012, Morne Morkel delivered what was promised as he went on to pick 25 wickets in 16 games, but that, unfortunately, wasn’t enough as his side crashed out of the play-offs stage.

2013: Dwayne Bravo (Chennai)

In 2013, Chennai made it to their second consecutive Indian T20 League finals. While their batting was top-notch that year, their bowling contingent oozed similar confidence and a certain Dwayne Bravo was at the pinnacle of it. The West Indies all-rounder picked a whopping 32 wickets to win his first Purple Cap of the Indian T20 League. His figures in 2013 remain the best for any bowler in a single season.

2014: Mohit Sharma (Chennai)

Mohit Sharma arguably remains one of the finest finds of the Indian T20 League. In 2014, the medium-pacer topped the bowling charts after picking 23 wickets in 16 games for Chennai

2015: Dwayne Bravo (Chennai)

For the third time running, a Chennai bowler emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the Indian T20 League. In 2015, Dwayne Bravo became the first player to win the Purple Cap twice after he scalped 26 wickets in 17 games to take his team all the way to the final. He even took the joint-most catches - 13 - in that edition.

2016: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Hyderabad)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a headache for the opposition batsmen in 2016. Playing for Hyderabad, his perfect line and length culminated in him picking 23 wickets in 17 games at an economy of 7.42 to win the Purple Cap that year.

2017: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Hyderabad)

Hyderabad failed to defend their title in 2017, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar once again topped the wicket-taking chart, becoming only the second player to win two Purple Caps. That year, he picked 26 wickets in just 14 games.

2018: Andrew Tye (Punjab)

Australian pacer Andrew Tye impressed one and all with his breathtaking performance in the 2018 edition of the tournament. That year, his three four-wicket hauls took his total tally to 24 wickets in just 14 games, which was enough to have a Purple Cap on his head. 

2019: Imran Tahir (Chennai)

Known for his extravagant celebrations, South African spinner Imran Tahir defeated his fellow countryman Kagiso Rabada to win the Purple Cap in 2019 after picking 26 wickets in 17 games at an economy rate of 6.69.

2020: Kagiso Rabada (Delhi) 

After missing out on the Purple Cap in 2020, Kagiso Rabada won the Purple Cap as he scalped 30 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 8.34. The South African fought off competition from Mumbai's Jasprit Bumrah to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the 13th edition of the T20 extravaganza.

2021: Harshal Patel (Bangalore)

Harshal Patel had a season to remember in Indian T20 League 2021, as he matched Dwayne Bravo's record for most wickets in a single campaign (32). Patel also scripted history as the bowler with most wickets during the league phase of an Indian T20 League season, surpassing Lasith Malinga's 27 scalps in 2011.

Purple Cap winners in Indian T20 League

Player	Year	Wickets
Sohail Tanvir	2008	22
RP Singh	2009	23
Pragyan Ojha	2010	21
Lasith Malinga	2011	28
Morne Morkel	2012	25
Dwayne Bravo	2013	32
Mohi Sharma	2014	23
Dwayne Bravo	2015	26
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	2016	23
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	2017	26
Andrew Tye	2018	24
Imran Tahir	2019	26
Kagiso Rabada	2020	30
Harshal Patel	2021	32

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

An eventful day 1 of the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction saw all ten teams going big for their targets. Opening batter Shikhar Dhawan opened the proceedings, joining Team Punjab for INR 8.25 crore before Shreyas Iyer became the first player to breach the INR 10-crore mark.

Among the bowlers, a certain Deepak Chahar attracted the highest bid with a price of INR 14 crore while Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga was among the top all-rounder with an INR 10.75 crore bid.

The highlight of the day, however, was the intense bidding war for Ishan Kishan, who ended up as the most expensive buy of day 1. 

On that note, let’s look at five players who attracted the highest bids on Day 1 of the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction.

Ishan Kishan to Team Mumbai - INR 15.25 crore

Starting off with a base price of INR 2 crore, it took little to no time for suitors to breach the INR 8 crore mark for Ishan Kishan. By that time, it was evident that Mumbai wasn't going to go down that easily. Until 8 crore, Mumbai managed to ward off interest from Punjab before Gujarat entered the fray to take the bid above INR 10 crore.

By the 12 crore mark, Hyderabad decided to trouble the five-time Indian T20 League winners before Mumbai won the bid at INR 15.25 crore. This made Ishan Kishan the most expensive buy of Day 1 and also made him the second most expensive Indian player at the Indian T20 League auction after Yuvraj Singh's 16 crore.

Deepak Chahar to Team Chennai - INR 14 crore

What started off as rather unhurried bidding ended up with Deepak Chahar pocketing a whopping INR 14 crore from Team Chennai. Team Delhi and Team Hyderabad started the war from his base price of INR 2 crore. The two teams were matching every bid until INR 12 crore before Chennai made a late entry.

Rajasthan joined the defending champions at INR 13.75 crore but Chennai were always a step ahead. By the end, Chennai had their man, albeit at a price of INR 14 crore.

Shreyas Iyer to Team Kolkata - INR 12.25 crore

Former Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer was one of the winners from the marquee set of players, attracting a bid of INR 12.25 crore from Team Kolkata. Iyer was always tipped to attract big bids in the auction hence it does not really come as any surprise that a team went over the 12 crore mark for the batter.

The two-time Indian T20 League winners entered the bidding war after Team Delhi and Team Gujarat had stretched the bid to over INR 6 crore. Kolkata’s idea behind Iyer’s acquisition is a part of their ‘long term thinking�?and the fact that they might as well make him the captain isn't really touched.

“That's a decision the coach and the think tank will take," Venky Mysore, Team Kolkata CEO, said on the official broadcast during a break in proceedings. "I think we need to just digest the activity of today and tomorrow and take stock. Between Cummins and Shreyas, we have got solid options. But the think tank will take the decision."

Shardul Thakur to Team Delhi - INR 10.75 crore

Another top pick among bowlers was Shardul Thakur. The pacer bowler won the bid of INR 10.75 crore as Delhi managed to ward off interest from Team Punjab and Team Gujarat.

The three teams were on the neck of each other from the very beginning. After Punjab and Gujarat had started off the proceedings, Chennai joined the foray at INR 6 crore. The Yellow Army, however, dropped off after the 10 crore mark, leaving Delhi and Punjab the only competitors.

Delhi eventually got his signature for INR 10.75 crore.

Harshal Patel to Team Bangalore - INR 10.75 crore

Last season’s highest wicket-taker, Harshal Patel was rightly expected to attract heavy interest and the suitor did not disappoint. Team Hyderabad seemed adamant about acquiring his services but Bangalore were always a step ahead.

The pace bowler, who went for a mere INR 20 lakh last season, got a 5375 per cent hike this year as Bangalore managed to retain his services at INR 10.75 crore. By that time, he was the first bowler to cross the 10 crore mark on day 1 of the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction.

Quite interestingly, as many as four players went for exactly INR 10.75 crore. Apart from Shardul Thakur and Harshal Patel, the likes of Nicholas Pooran and Wanindu Hasaranga were snapped up at the same price by Hyderabad and Bangalore respectively.

Featured photo: AFP / Prakash Singh

SportsAdda ambassador Brett Lee has expressed his discontent with the way David Warner has been treated by Team Hyderabad after a poor run of form in the 2021 Indian T20 League. 

Warner hasn’t played for Hyderabad in the last two matches and has been replaced by Jason Roy in the starting XI, leading to the suggestion that it might be the end of his Hyderabad career. 

“Well, potentially [he can leave Hyderabad],�?Brett Lee told SportsAdda in a chat with Manish Batavia on T20 Crazy, powered by sportsbet.io. 

“But the thing with David Warner which I’m baffled about is that he is a quality player. He has always been among runs and would be in my team every single time. Now, Kane Williamson can potentially offer more in terms of captaincy, fair enough. But Warner should never be dropped. He should be playing every single game. 

“He is a very confident person, a very confident player, but dropping him after one or two poor results is not the way to treat a world-class batsman.�?/span>

Ravindra Jadeja a godsend

Chennai’s Ravindra Jadeja recently played a match-winning knock against Team Kolkata and Lee was left impressed with his performance. 

Jadeja rescued victory from the jaws against Kolkata after coming into bat with his team reeling at 6/146 in 18 overs. He unleashed a much-needed onslaught as Chennai needed 26 runs in the final couple of overs, hitting Prasidh Krishna for 20 runs in four deliveries during the penultimate over. Jadeja was eventually dismissed but his job was done.

“He is a tremendous player, isn’t he?�?said Lee. 

What a magnificent victory for Chennai. Ravindra Jadeja top class with bat and ball and Chennai are top of the table. After the situation last year, what a comeback. Just stand up and applaud #WhistlePodu #CSKvsKKR pic.twitter.com/IVK3KtHjVE

�?Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 26, 2021

“He is a wonderful bowler but even a greater finisher when it comes to batting. He has been a huge find for India and anytime he gets the chance to put the pads on either for Chennai or for India, he’d be a godsend.�?/span>

Harshal Patel a good find for India

Bangalore pacer Harshal Patel has been phenomenal this season. The leading wicket-taker of the ongoing edition, he was once again the key in his side’s 54-run over Mumbai. As for Lee, he thinks that Patel’s form bodes well not only for Bangalore but also for Team India.

“He’s great, but what I love the most is the excitement on his face. He has obviously had great matches, but it’s the smile on his captain’s face that has made the difference. He is in a good space, his captain is proud of the way he is playing and it’s all happening for him.

HAT-TRICK! You bloody beauty! Wah! Wah! BRILLIANT! Harshal Patel, brilliant. #RCBvMI

�?Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) September 26, 2021

“He is the guy I think who can keep improving and it’s not only good for Bangalore but also good news for India.�?/span>

Have we seen the last of Gayle in Indian T20 League?

Punjab batsman Chris Gayle recently decided to pull out of the Indian T20 League, citing bubble fatigue. It’s a big loss for his franchise and it remains to be seen if Gayle returns for another season.

While it’s entirely up to him to decide whether he will play the next edition of the Indian T20 League or not, there are also questions surrounding how many suitors he can entice at the age of 42.

“Look, it’s a tough question because when you think about Gayle, you’d pick him on your side just because of his character,�?said Brett Lee. 

“He is still a good batsman, but is he going to be as good as he used to be? Maybe not. Maybe we have seen the last of Chris Gayle in the Indian T20 League.

“But in the end, it’s his choice. This guy has been world-class, one of the best T20 players the world has ever seen so he can definitely know when to put a stop,�?Lee added.

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore registered their third consecutive win in the Indian T20 League 2021 as they defeated Kolkata by 38 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

This is the first time ever that Bangalore have won their first three matches of an Indian T20 League season.

After electing to bat first, Bangalore rode on Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers's blitzkrieg half-centuries to post 204/4 in their 20 overs.

In reply, the vaunted Kolkata batting line-up failed to stand up to the count as they were restricted to just 166/8 and Bangalore collected two more points in Chennai. That said, let’s take a look at some key stats from the game.

The Maxwell and de Villers show

Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers helped Bangalore come back from a shaky start in an emphatic fashion. Reeling at 9/2. Maxwell scored 78 off 49 balls, putting up a partnership of 86 runs with opener Devdutt Padikkal. After Padikkal was dismissed, Maxwell was joined by de Villiers at the crease. Maxwell went on to score 78 runs in the innings which is his fifth-highest score in Indian T20 League and his highest score in a Bangalore shirt.

Highest scores for Maxwell

Team	Opposition	Date	Runs	Balls	SR
Punjab	Hyderabad	22 April 2014	95	43	220.93
Punjab	Chennai	18 April 2014	95	43	220.93
Punjab	Chennai	07 May 2014	90	38	236.84
Punjab	Rajasthan	20 April 2014	89	45	197.78
Bangalore	Kolkata	18 April 2021	78	49	159.18

The duo put on a whirlwind partnership of  53 off just 37 balls for the fourth wicket. de Villiers led the way as Bangalore took 56 runs off the last three overs with the last over bowled by Andre Russell going for 21, all of which was scored by de Villiers. He ended the innings unbeaten on 76 off 34 balls, which is his best score against Kolkata while playing for Bangalore in the Indian T20 League.

AB de Villiers' highest scores vs Kolkata for Bangalore

Runs	SR	Ground	Match Date
76*	223.52	Chennai	18 April 2021
73*	221.21	Sharjah	12 October 2020
63*	196.87	Bengaluru	05 April 2019
59	190.32	Kolkata	16 May 2016
44	191.30	Kolkata	08 April 2018

Brilliant death bowling by Harshal

Harshal Patel was the wrecker-in-chief for Bangalore as he gave away just 17 runs in his four overs and picked two important wickets of Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell. Patel had an economy of 4.25 run per over in the innings which is his best spell in terms of economy in the Indian T20 League:

Most economical spells by Harshal Patel

Team	Opposition	Date	Balls	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Bangalore	Kolkata	18 April 2021	24	17	2	4.25
Bangalore	Chennai	04 May 2015	24	19	2	4.75
Bangalore	Rajasthan	24 April 2015	24	23	2	5.75
Delhi	Chennai	18 May 2018	24	23	1	5.75
Bangalore	Mumbai	09 May 2012	24	24	2	6.00

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

Rohit Sharma’s Team Mumbai and Virat Kohli-led Team Bangalore played a blinder of a final-ball thriller in the opening match of the 2021 edition of the Indian T20 League as the latter continued their opening game dominance over the record champions, this time beating them by two wickets. 

Bangalore had an unlikely hero in Harshal Patel, who became the first bowler in the league’s history to pick a five-fer against Mumbai. His bowling figures of 5/27 was enough to restrict Mumbai to 159/9 in 20 overs. 

Bangalore needed a strong start with the bat, but soon after Washington Sundar and Rajat Patidar were dismissed, they found their paladin in form of Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers. After Maxwell had scored a 28-ball 39, AB de Villiers accumulated 48 runs to put Bangalore right on the course to victory. The game looked destined for a Super Over at one point in time, but Harshal Patel got the winning run off the final ball to give his team a desirable start to their new season.

A game as thrilling as this was bound to produce several records and here we look at a few of them:

The supremacy of Harshal Patel

While the 30-year-old pacer is now the only bowler to pick a five-fer against Mumbai, he is also only the third bowler to pick five wickets in Indian T20 League for Team Bangalore, with Anil Kumble and Jaydev Unadkat being the others.

Furthermore, he is now the third uncapped Indian player to pick five wickets in the league after Ankit Rajpoot (5/14 vs Hyderabad in 2018) and Varun Chakravarthy (5/20 vs Delhi in 2020). Patel had a slow start in the match, conceding 22 runs in his first two overs. By the end of his spell though, he completed 50 wickets in the Indian T20 League and it is safe to say he loves playing against Mumbai as 27.45% of his wickets (14) have come against the record champions.

Top three bowling spells against Mumbai in Indian T20 League
Player	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy	Team	Venue	Date
Harshal Patel	4	27	5	7.09	Bangalore	Chennai	9 April 2021
Rohit Sharma	2	6	4	3	Deccan	Centurion	6 May 2009
Samuel Badree	4	9	4	2.25	Bangalore	Bangalore	14 April 2017

Meanwhile, his return of 5/27 is the second-best bowling figure at Chennai in the Indian T20 League. The list now reads:

• 5/24 by Lakshmipathy Balaji in 2008 vs Punjab
• 5/27 by Harshal Patel in 2021 vs Mumbai
• 4/11 by Ravindra Jadeja in 2015 vs Rajasthan

Bangalore finally win the season opener

While Team Mumbai’s record in the opening games of the Indian T20 League continued to worsen, Banglore finally broke the jinx as this victory was the first occasion that they won a season opener. The team has played a total of four season openers, losing thrice and winning once. This was their third meeting against Mumbai in their season opener, and the team has won all three of them.

Bangalore in Indian T20 League season opener
Team 1	Team 2	Winner	Margin	Venue	Date
Bangalore	Kolkata	Kolkata	140 runs	Bangalore	18 April 2008
Hyderabad	Bangalore	Hyderabad	35 runs	Hyderabad	5 April 2017
Chennai	Bangalore	Chennai	7 wickets	Chennai	23 March 2019
Mumbai	Bangalore	Bangalore	2 wickets	Chennai	9 April 2021

Mumbai, on the other hand, extended their poor track record as this defeat was their ninth consecutive opening game loss in the Indian T20 League. It is safe to say that Chepauk has never been kind to Bangalore. Yesterday’s victory by two runs was Bangalore’s third win in 10 matches at the venue; two of those have come against Mumbai. Meanwhile, upon a closer look at all of their first matches of the previous seasons, Bangalore have carried a win percentage of 64.29%, winning nine of their 14 opening games.

AB de Villiers - ageing like a wine

AB de Villiers was one of the catalysts on the back of which Bangalore managed to beat Mumbai. The South African legend scored 48 runs at a strike rate of 177.77, and his innings included four boundaries and two sixes. His two sixes on the night took him on level with Chennai’s Suresh Raina in the list of players with most sixes against Mumbai. Chris Gayle still tops the list with 42 sixes against Mumbai while both Raina and de Villiers have 35 sixes against the champions.

Most 6s vs Mumbai in Indian T20 League
Player	Matches	Runs	6s
Chris Gayle	18	664	42
AB de Villiers	24	774	35
Suresh Raina	32	818	35

The 37-year-old has now scored 774 runs against Mumbai; a figure which is only better by Raina (818) in the Indian T20 League. De Villiers had no difficulties in taking on bowlers and scored 33.33% of his runs against Rahul Chahar. The only player he found difficult to play was Marco Jansen; a bowler who conceded just three runs off five balls against the hard-hitting batsman.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IPL

Team Bangalore bowler, Harshal Patel, on Friday, April 9, became the first-ever player to pick five wickets against Team Mumbai in the Indian T20 League history.

The pacer achieved the feat in the fourth ball of the final over when he got the better of Marco Jansen with a sumptuous delivery. The 30-year-old, who was one of the players alongside Daniel Sams to have arrived in Bangalore in a trade from Team Delhi, had a horrific start to his 2021 Indian T20 League season, conceding 15 runs in the first over.

By the end of his second over, he had conceded 22 runs while dismissing Hardik Pandya. A wicket of Ishan Kishan in the 18th over was eventually followed by what could be the best bowling effort of Patel’s career. 

Ball by ball account of Harshal Patel’s death over vs Mumbai

19.1: Patel gets the better of Krunal Pandya at deep midwicket.

19.2: Patel dismisses Kieron Pollard at deep square.

19.3: Dot ball

19.4: A slower yorker sends Jansen back to the pavilion.

19.5: Dot Ball

19.6: Mumbai attempts two but Rahul Chahar is run out.

"You can't look at the opposition all the time. You must focus on your planning and execution," Patel said during the innings break. "It was very clear from the beginning that I would bowl two at the death, but luckily I got three. This is my first five-wicket haul in T20s. Feels good that it's come against Mumbai."

Patel, in the final over of the innings, gave away a solitary run and became only the third bowler after Praveen Kumar and Dale Steyn to do so. Meanwhile, it is the 11th instance where a bowler has picked three wickets in the 20th over in the Indian T20 League.

After conceding 22 runs in two overs, Patel finished with figures of 5/27 in four overs. His brilliant bowling effort also made him the first bowler to take a five-fer in the opening game of the Indian T20 League. Furthermore, he is now the first uncapped player to pick a five-fer and the first Bangalore bowler in eight years to do so. 

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IPL