Over the years, Indian Premier League (IPL) has given a platform for top-drawer players from around the globe to show their might. From the likes of Shane Warne, Chris Gayle to AB de Villiers, many superstars of the game have entered the IPL arena and left the cricket fraternity in awe of their performances.
Among them, there have been certain batters who have taken bowling attacks to the cleaners and stamped their authority on the cricket field. They have decimated bowling attacks for fun and racked up runs at a staggering strike rate.
Here are the five highest strike rates in an IPL innings (50+ runs)
5. 318.75 – KL Rahul (PBKS vs DC)
KL Rahul PBKS KIT (Photo Source: Twitter)
Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) clashed against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the second match of the 2018 season of the lucrative T20 tournament. After being put into bat, Delhi posted 166 runs on the board with skipper Gautam Gambhir (55 runs off 42 balls) top scoring.
During Punjab’s chase, KL Rahul put up an exhibition of his flamboyant stroke play and provided a crackling start to his side. Courtesy of his onslaught, Ravichandran Ashwin & Co. raced away to 50 runs inside three overs. The Indian batter went on to smash 51 runs off 16 balls at a stunning strike rate of 318.75.
In the process, Rahul scored the fastest fifty in IPL history (14 balls). His sensational knock consisted of six fours and four sixes. Eventually, Punjab won the match by six wickets with seven balls to spare. The Bangalore-born was adjudged the Player of the Match for his majestic innings.
4. 326.31 – Nicholas Pooran (RCB vs LSG)
Nicholas Pooran. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Royal Challengers Bangalore took the stage alongside Lucknow Super Giants in the 15th match of the 16th IPL edition at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. LSG won the toss and opted to bowl. Bangalore piled on a daunting total of 212 runs in 20 overs riding on half-centuries from Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell.
LSG, in response, were in a precarious situation, having lost three wickets in 23 runs. But KL Rahul and Marcus Stonis stitched a 76-run stand to put the innings back on track. However, both batters were dismissed in the span of four balls, and Lucknow was again in a spot of bother.
Just when things looked grim for Lucknow, Nicholas Pooran took the attack on the opposition and inflicted carnage on the bowlers. He plundered 62 runs off 19 deliveries at a superb strike rate of 326.31 to put his team on the verge of victory. Eventually, LSG clinched the game by a wicket in a last-ball thriller.
3. 327.27 – Yusuf Pathan (KKR v SRH)
Yusuf Pathan KKR Kit (Photo Source ; Twitter)
Kolkata Knight Riders locked horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 54th match of IPL 2014 at the Eden Gardens. SRH batted first and piled on 160 runs in 20 overs. Kolkata needed to win the game in 15.2 overs to book the spot in the first qualifier, which will give them two shots at the summit clash.
KKR, in response, were in choppy waters, having lost four wickets for 78 runs in 9.4 overs, and it did not seem that Gautam Gambhir & Co. would be able to hunt down the total in the cut-off period. However, Yusuf Pathan had some other plans.
Yusuf knocked the wind out of SRH’s bowling attack with his power-hitting might, and no bowler could escape his wrath. The Baroda-born plundered 72 runs off 22 deliveries at a strike rate of 327.27. Courtesy of his breathtaking innings, Kolkata chased down the target of 14.2 overs.
2. 348.00 – Suresh Raina (CSK v PBKS)
Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Chennai Super Kings squared off against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the second qualifier of the 2014 season of the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede. CSK won the toss, and skipper MS Dhoni decided to field first. Punjab posted a mammoth total of 226 runs on the board thanks to a blistering century from Virender Sehwag.
Chennai, in reply, did not have a great start as Faf du Plessis was dismissed in the first over itself. At the loss of the first wicket, Suresh Raina arrived at the crease. The southpaw was in his element and obliterated the opposition bowlers with his marauding bat. He plundered 87 runs off mere 25 balls at an astonishing strike rate of 348.00.
Raina’s jaw-dropping innings comprised 12 fours and six maximums. Courtesy of his splendid knock, CSK scored 100 runs in the powerplay. However, Suresh’s valiant effort went in vain as Dhoni & Co. could only manage 202 runs in 20 overs.
1. 373.33 – Pat Cummins (KKR v MI)
Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)
Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians took center stage in the 14th match of IPL 2022. Kolkata won the toss, and skipper Shreyas Iyer decided to put MI into bat. After 20 overs of tussle, Mumbai finished their innings with 161 on the board. Suryakumar Yadav (52 runs off 36 balls) was the top-scorer for the five-time IPL champions in the game.
Chasing the target of 162 runs, Knight Riders were in a tricky situation, having lost five wickets for 101 runs in 13.1. KKR’s gun finisher, Andre Russell, was also back in the hut, and Mumbai bowlers had their tails up. But Pat Cummins was up for the challenge.
The Sydney-born took the attack to the opposition right from the get-go and decimated the Mumbai bowlers with his stroke play. He blasted 56* runs off 15 deliveries at a remarkable strike rate of 373.33. Moreover, Cummins etched his name in history books by recording the joint-fastest fifty in IPL (14 balls). Riding on his jaw-dropping innings, Kolkata won the game in 16 overs itself.
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