IPL Review VIII - 'Boss Baby' sensational ton lit up IPL, RCB top of table

Could this finally be the year for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru? It’s looking more and more likely, sitting pretty at the top of the log with eight wins and 16 points from 11 matches requiring just one more victory from their remaining three league matches to confirm a place in the Play-Offs.

Punjab Kings (15), Mumbai Indians (14) and Gujarat Titans (14 from 10 matches) are also well-placed but they’ll be pushed hard in the closing stages by the Delhi Capitals (12) and Kolkata Knight Riders (11) – even the Lucknow Super Giants (10) will have a chance with three convincing victories and a slew of other results working in their favour.

Neil Manthorp looks back at Week Eight of the IPL...

South African: Not a great week for SA’s contingent although Gerald Coetzee (4-0-36-1) and Lungi Ngidi (4-0-30-3) did provide comforting evidence that they are still in India and part of the GT and RCB squads. Ryan Rickelton is having quite the debut season. His third 50 (61 off 38 balls, 7x4, 3x6) dominated an opening stand of 116 with Rohit Sharma and laid the platform for a total of 217-2 and victory by 100-runs thereby eliminating RR from play-off contention. Marco Jansen, however, is now established ‘class’. The blow-out days are fewer and further between and his 4-0-31-1 in Punjab’s win against LSG.

Match of the Week: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals by a single run in a match which had a bit of everything. Riyan Parag (95 from 45 balls including six successive sixes, five in one over against former England spinner Moeen Ali) and Andre Russell (57* from 25) provided most of the fireworks but there was still time for the bowlers to shine and the match changed direction – seemingly decisively – at least four times. That’s what we buy tickets for…or subscriptions.

Batter: The long innings and big scores always catch the eye and make headlines but the top-order batsmen who make them always have the ‘luxury’ of knowing they can catch up – that a few dot balls don’t matter. But when a designated ‘finisher’ comes to the crease with six balls left and knowing his team are behind, and delivers, it can change a match. Step forward Rinku Singh – 19* from six balls to push KKR to 206-4 in a must-win game v Rajasthan Royals. Which they did, by one run.

Bowler: Yuzvendra Chahal had figures of 2-0-23-0 with two overs to go against CSK and finished with 3-0-32-4 proving that it never matters what you’ve done, only what you might still do. It included his second IPL hat-trick and gave him his ninth four-wicket haul, one ahead of Sunil Narine. CSK were stopped dead in their tracks and Punjab chased down their target of 190 with four wickets and two balls to spare.

Performance: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old sensation, scoring 100 off 35 balls for the Rajasthan Royals against the Gujarat Titans. Mind-blowing. Surely an automatic entry into “most impactful innings of all time.” In any format. Ever. Extraordinary… (Spare a thought for ‘old man’ Yashasvi Jaiswal, 23, who was made to look pedestrian with 70* from 40 balls in an opening stand of 166.) Suryavanshi could play for the Royals for the next 25 years and still be four years younger than MS Dhoni is now…

Clanger: GT captain Shubman Gill carrying on like a chop at the umpires - twice – during his team’s ultimately comfortable 38-run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad. First, he was unhappy about being given run out when there was a question of whether ‘keeper Heinrich Klaasen had broken the wicket with his gloves or the ball. And then again when SRH opener Abhishek Sharma was given not out lbw on review. “Little bit of a discussion between me and the umpires. Sometimes when you are giving your 110 per cent for the team, you are bound to show some emotions,” said FIC Gill afterwards. (Future Indian Captain).

Overseas Player: Gujarat Titans No 3, Jos Buttler, with innings of 50* (26 balls) against Rajasthan Royals and 64 from 37 v SRH provided yet more welcome evidence that he has more than ‘settled’ into his new role at No 3. But far more eye-catching was the extraordinary, match-winning hitting of Guyanese right-hander, Romario Shepherd, whose unbeaten 53 came from just 14 balls (4x4, 6x6) including 33 from a Khaleel Ahmed over and turned RCB’s modest 157-5 with 14 balls remaining into a daunting 213-5.

Indian Player: Confession time: It’s been at least two weeks since Virat Kohli featured here. Forgive me. Just when you think he doesn’t have as many gears as other elite sports cars, he delivers five fours and five sixes in 62 from 33 balls to lay the platform for RCB’s 213-5 and two-run victory v Chennai Super Kings. Mind you, it wouldn’t have happened without Romario Shepherd who really does have an extra gear! (See above). The award, however, should probably go to Punjab’s swing-king Arshdeep Singh for his 3-16 in their 37-run-run victory against the Lucknow Super Giants.

Talking Point: When does it finish? Or do you want more? The Qualifiers and Eliminators start in 15 days time and the final is on May 25, 20 days hence. But virtual confirmation that the tournament will expand from 74 to 94 games in two years’ time means it will last a full three months, up from 10 weeks. No extra teams but a full round of home-and-away fixtures between the 10 existing teams. And you thought this year’s tournament was long.

Look out for: Kolkata Knight Riders will be the next team to stumble out of the play-offs should they fail to beat bottom-of-the-log Chennai Super Kings at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. They have three matches remaining and must win them all to have a chance. They are too good a team not to go down without a fight.