IPL 2021: Week 1 Full Review
The first week of the Indian Premier League saw everything from nail-biting finishes to tremendous batting collapses; from 5-wicket hauls to centuries and from giant upsets to comfortable wins. Now that the first week of the IPL is in the record books, let's have a look behind at the pulsating matches.
Match 1 - RCB vs MI - Mumbai's batting collapses as ABD
proves why he's the Boss
The Delhi quicks namely Chris Woakes and Avesh Khan gave their side a decent start by dismissing CSK's opening pair cheaply. The returning Suresh Raina (54) and Moeen Ali (36) helped CSK weather the early storm and added some valuable runs to the total at a quick rate. Rayudu (23) and Jadeja (26) played some important cameos for the men in yellow before Sam Curran's heroics with the bat (34 off 15) boosted CSK's tally to a whopping 188-7. However, this was certainly not enough for them to stop the Capitals as Shikhar Dhawan (85) and Prithvi Shaw (72) helped Delhi overcome the odds with ease. The duo batted with great bravado and absolutely dominated CSK's bowling department, putting up a 138-run partnership in the process and as a result of which DC won the match by 7 wickets and with 8 balls to spare.
Man of the Match - Shikhar Dhawan (85 off 54)
Match 3 - KKR vs SRH - Rana and Tripathi Steal the Show
Nitish Rana (80) and Rahul Tripathi (53) took perfect advantage of being asked to bat first by the SRH captain as the duo kick-started the run machine at Chepauk. Runs began to shower as the Hyderabad bowlers were being smothered around the park left, right, and centre. The collapse of the middle order couldn't distort KKR's momentum as former captain Dinesh Karthik's 22 off 9 helped KKR post a solid total of 187-6 after their 20 overs. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi each picked a brace as the duo was economical in the middle overs. After a rough start to their innings, Manish Pandey (61) and Jonny Bairstow (55) put in the grind in an attempt to put the SRH innings back on track. Despite their efforts, the run rate kept increasing as the pitch grew slower and it became difficult to bat. It felt like SRH was always chasing the game right from the time Rana and Tripathi set the stage. The quick-fire cameos from Samad and Shankar couldn't help SRH chase down the mammoth total and they fell short by 10 runs.
Man of the Match - Nitish Rana (80 off 56)
Match 4 - RR vs PBKS - Run Fest at Wankhede
KL Rahul proved just how good a T20 player he is, in his
sheer perfect innings off 91 from 50. He was firstly supported by Chris Gayle
(40) and then Deepak Hooda (64); the latter of which was quintessential in the
Punjab's boosted run-rate in the later stages of the game as he slaughtered
bowlers all over the ground. All these factors helped the Kings from Punjab
post a gigantic total of 221-6. At the other end, Chetan Sakariya was nothing
but fantastic with the ball as he grabbed three important wickets in his debut
match for the Royals. Looking to repeat history, RR didn't have the greatest of
starts as they lost their openers early. However, skipper Sanju stood in the
crease like an immovable object and made sure RR was in the game till the very
end. He put up three crucial partnerships with Dube (23), Buttler (25) and
Riyan (25) and went on to make his 3rd IPL hundred in a showcase of an innings.
However, despite all the effort, RR felt short of 4 runs as Samson (119) was
dismissed on the last ball by Arshdeep Singh (4-0-35-3) as he made sure Punjab
secured the W.
Match 5 – MI vs KKR – Mumbai Pull off a Heist
Upon being asked to bat first and suffering an early dismissal, Suryakumar (56) and Rohit Sharma (43) set the stage for their side by building up a solid partnership and laying the foundation for their side. The Mumbai Indians’ middle order was victim to yet another batting collapse which witnessed Andre “the Giant” grabbing a fifer in just 2 overs. MI; who looked strong and eyed the 180-run margin was bowled out for a meager total of 152. Shubman Gill (33) and Nitish Rana (57) gave the Knights a flying start as the Knights were at 72-0 after 8.4 overs. KKR had the game easily won but they had no idea that was to become the subject of one of the biggest chokes in IPL history. Rahul Chahar (4-0-27-4) with Krunal Pandya (4-0-13-1) turned the game upside down and wreaked havoc on the opposition. They halted the runs and built immense pressure upon the Knights. KKR ultimately succumbed to the excellent bowling and fell short of 10 runs when all was said and done.
Man of the Match – Rahul Chahar (4-0-27-4)
Match 6 – SRH vs RCB – The Choking Saga continues at Chepauk
Virat Kohli’s men marched to bat upon being asked by SRH skipper David Warner and after losing two quick wickets, Virat (33) and Maxwell tried to steady the innings, playing the occasional risky shot. After Kohli’s dismissal, the lower middle order failed to contribute much to the total but Maxwell stuck by till the end. The Big Show’s innings of 59 helped RCB post a respectable total of 149 at the Chepauk surface that offered very little to the batsmen. After Saha’s early dismissal, Manish Pandey (38) and Big Dave (54) built a rock-solid partnership. With 42 needed off 5 overs with 8 wickets in hand, SRH had the game in the palm of their hands and yet somehow, they managed to screw it up. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals and no one stepped up to hit the much-needed boundaries and as a result of which RCB sealed the deal and beat the Sunrisers by 6 runs. Shahbaz Ahmed picked three wickets in just the one over he bowled as RCB claimed the top spot in the points table.
Man of the Match – Glenn Maxwell (59 runs)
Match 7 – RR v DC – The “Million Dollar Man” proves his
worth
The slow turner pitch of Chepauk wasn’t missed a lot, as the Wankhede pitch proved to be just as difficult to bat on. Being asked to bat first, the Delhi Capitals had a nightmare of a start, losing 4 wickets for just 37 runs as the top order completely failed in front of the freakishly good bowling from Rajasthan’s prodigal son, Jaydev Unadkat. Skipper Pant batted ferociously and added much-needed runs to the Delhi total. He was ran-out by Riyan Parag, not before scoring a well-deserved 50. The lower order couldn’t add anything of notice to the tally as the Capitals were halted for just 147-8. RR had an even dreadful start as compared to DC as they stood at 42-5 after 9 overs as DC was high on confidence. Up next: The Killer Miller Show. David Miller (62) single-handedly brought the Royals back in the game and along with some fine hitting in the death from their most prized possession, Chris Morris (36 off 18); RR was able to pull off a miraculous win out of the hat. At the other end, Avesh Khan picked 3 wickets while there was a brace each for Chris Woakes and Rabada.
Batsman of the Week - Nitish Rana (KKR): 80 vs SRH, 56 vs MI
Bowler of the Week - Harshal Patel (RCB): 4-0-37-5 vs MI and 4-0-25-2 vs SRH
Player of the Week: Harshal Patel (RCB): 4-0-37-5 vs MI and 4-0-25-2 vs SRH
Team of the Week:
Honorable Mentions: Avesh Khan (DC), Jaydev Unadkat (RR), Deepak Hooda (PBKS), Prithvi Shaw (DC)
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