All Right folks! IPL mega Auction is concluded successfully and every team had wrapped up their teams with First11, Back-up Players, and much more. Some teams may have executed their plans as planned whereas some teams may fail to capitalize on the auctions.
Welcome to yet another IPL blog to explore the unexplored territory of IPL history. In this post let us discuss the top 10 batsmen with the most runs in knockout matches in IPL. No doubt that IPL has raised the bar of Cricket standards in India. It opened the door for talented and hardworking youngsters all over India. Furthermore, IPL gave a tough situation for BCCI and its selection committee to pick up a worthy player for the appropriate spot because there are plenty of options available. Apart from Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as the Opener, there are plenty of opening options like Prithvi Shaw, Rutraj Gaikwad, Shikar Dhawan, Devdutt Padikkal, Shabnam Gill, and Venkatesh Iyer. Similarly for the bowling options as well, that the level of impact IPL has created.
Likewise scoring at the big games and knock-out games is a worthy skill as well. So, let us peep into the list of top 05 batsmen who have scored the most runs in knockout matches in IPL.
1)Suresh Raina (686 runs)
Many might have guessed it, yes it’s namma chinna thala Suresh Raina who tops the list with 686 runs for most runs in knockout matches in IPL. Ever since the IPL started Suresh Raina has been a big part of CSK and the team’s leading run-scorer for most of the seasons. Raina proved that he is Mr.IPL in his very first knockout game of the IPL by scoring a half-century(55*) against King X1 Punjab in the second semi-final of IPL 2008. Though Chennai lost the final against Rajasthan Royals Raina was the top scorer of the CSK with 43 runs. In the very first IPL season, Raina had shown his perseverance by once again being the top scorer of the team.
The 2009 IPL season Knock Game was not good enough for Raina and the team CSK. Chennai was beaten by the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 6 wickets, where Raina scored only 20 runs off 19 balls.
2010 IPL was the best of Raina’s IPL Career, he averaged 47.27 in just 16 matches. But Raina was caught behind the stumps by Adam Gilchrist on the 2nd semi-final against Deccan Chargers for just 2 runs, this was the first time Raina went pavilion with single a single digit in the Knockout games. Nevertheless, Raina came back stronger in the Final against Mumbai Indians with a superb Knock of 35 balls 57 runs and went on to win the Man of the Match Award. The very next Knockout game was also a memorable knock for Raina as he scored 73 runs off 50 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore and took the team to the finals and went on to become a Champions of IPL 2011 continuously.
The other best knocks of Raina in knockout matches include a game against Mumbai Indians in 2013 Qualifier 1 where Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina built a 140 runs stand taking Chennai Super Kings to the mammoth total of 192 runs. Raina scored 82* runs in the match.
In the next Year IPL (2014), the greatest innings ever in the history of cricket was played by Mr.IPL. Yes, Raina smacked 87 runs off just 25 balls with the unbelievable strike rate of 348.00. Raina banged 6 sixes and 12 boundaries in that innings. Though CSK lost the game against Kings IX Punjab in that match, Raina’s dominant innings were still remembered.
2) MS Dhoni (514 Runs)
Mr. Cool secured the second position on the list. Batting at the middle Order Position and Still, MSD was one of the leading run-scorer in the Knock-out games of IPL with 514 runs. Most of the MSD’s innings were overshadowed by top Chennai Super King’s top order. The role of MSD in CSK batting order is to finish the game and Dhoni has done with multIPLe times without any hesitation.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s first knock-out game in the IPL was the grand final against Rajasthan Royals where MSD scored 29 runs of 17 balls with the strike rate of 170.59.
In the next few knock-out games, Dhoni scored in the Twenties and Thirties and went out without troubling the scorecards. One the Dhoni the first memorable innings in the knock-out games of IPL was in the IPL 2012th edition against Mumbai Indians at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Dhoni scored a brilliant half-century in just 20 balls with an awesome strike rate of 255.00.
MS Dhoni’s highest score in the Knock-out games was against Mumbai Indians in the 2013 IPL final at Eden Gardens, Kolkatta. Dhoni came into the crease when Chennai Super Kings were under big trouble with 35-5 while chasing the complex target of 149 runs. Dhoni went on to score 63* in that innings with 5 sixes and three boundaries which went in vain as Mumbai beat Chennai by 23 runs to the first-ever IPL Trophy.
3) Shane Watson (389 Runs)
Shane Watson the Master of Big games clinches the third spot in the most runs of Knock-out games of IPL list with 389 runs. Do you know? Shane Watson was the first-ever batsman to get the Match of the Match award in the first-ever IPL’s Knock-out game.
In the first semi-final against Delhi, Shane Watson scored 52 runs off 29 balls and helped Rajasthan to put up a mammoth total of 192 on the board. Watson smacked four boundaries and three sixes in that innings. The 2008 year edition of IPL was Shane Watson’s finest IPL with an average of 47.20.
The all-time best of Shane Watson’s IPL career was in the year 2018 while playing for Chennai Super Kings. In the final against Sun Risers Hyderabad, Watson’s score for the first 10 balls was 0 but at the end of the match Watson’s score was 117* off 57 balls, he played his finest Knock in IPL history and helped Chennai Super Kings to clinch their third IPL trophy.
Shane Watson once again proved that he is the master of Big Games in the next year’s (2019) IPL final against Mumbai Indians. Chasing a tricky target of 150, Watson and Faf du Plessis came into the crease and gave CSK a good start, wickets at regular intervals gave delivered Mumbai bowlers confidence and bowled well, in the end, to clinch a nail-biting 1 run victory over Chennai to clinch their 4th IPL trophy. Still, Watson was the leading run-scorer of the match with 80 runs of 59 balls with 8 fours and 4 sixes.
4) Mike Hussey (384 Runs)
Mr.Cricket and current batting coach of Chennai Super Kings is fourth on the list of most runs in the IPL Knockout games. In the 2011th edition of IPL on the first qualifier game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings at Mumbai, Hussey went for a duck against Zaheer Khan in the very first over without troubling the scorecard. Raina’s brilliant knock of 50 balls 73 runs saved CSK and Chennai went on to win the match by 6 wickets.
Mike Hussey came back stronger in the very next game (i.e) final against the same opponent by scoring 63 runs off 45 balls giving good support to Murali Vijay who was playing well in the other end as well. They both controlled the match nicely and went to score 159 runs partnership for 1 wicket which helped CSK to seal their second IPL trophy.
Another memorable inning of Mike Hussey in the knockout game was against Mumbai in the first Qualifier match at Delhi 2013. Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina built a 140 runs stand taking Chennai Super Kings to the mammoth total of 192 runs. Hussey scored 86* runs in 58 balls which includes 10 fours and 2 sixes.
In 2015 Qualifier 2 against Royal Challengers Bangalore Mike Hussey scored a good knock of 56 runs of 46 balls chasing 140 runs as the target and took Chennai to the final against Mumbai Indians. Later in the year 2018 Hussey joined as the Batting coach for Chennai Super Kings and helped Chennai to win their 3rd IPL trophy.
5) Faf du Plessis (Avg 347 runs)
The fifth spot in the list goes to former South African captain Francois du Plessis. As AB de Villiers for Bangalore, Faf du Plessis is the most loved player among Chennai dug-out. Du Plessis’ first knock-out game in IPL was against Mumbai Indians in the 2014 eliminator, chasing the target of 174 against Mumbai bowling attack was not an easy task. But Faf and Dwayne Smith gave CSK a fine start.CSK beat Mumbai comfortably with a 7 wickets win.Faf scored 35 runs off 20 balls with 5 fours and one sixes.
Faf du Plessis’ best IPL knock was against Sun Risers Hyderabad in the 2018 qualifier at Mumbai. While chasing the target of 140, Chennai’s super king batting order collapsed with a 39-4 scorecard. Faf who was the opening batsman in that match held his nerves and batted brilliantly until the end of the inning with 67 runs of 42 balls and marched CSK to the final.
The Special Innings of Faf du Plessis’s career in the IPL was in his 100th game for Chennai Super Kings that too in the grand finals against Kolkata Knight Riders. Faf once again proved that he is one of the best in knockout games by scoring 86 runs in the big game, Faf batted throughout the innings and was caught by Venkatesh Iyer in the last ball of the Innings. His Superb knock of 86 runs in just 59 balls helped CSK to grab his 4th IPL trophy and Faf bagged Man of the Match in his 100th IPL game(Finale Match).
