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TOP 10 IPL KNOCKS IN LOSSES

Honorable Mention:. Kieron Pollard 78(48) vs SRH (2014)

Calculative innings by Warner and KL who struck below 130 would not have been enough but the extras by MI helped them set up a more than a decent target of 173 on the competitive track of Dubai.

MI lost 3 wickets in the powerplay while losing Rohit in the 2nd over. Rayudu & Pollard steadied the ship with a run-a-ball partnership of 30-odd runs before Pollard launched an attack on the leggie-duo of Mishra and Karn from 13th over onwards. Wickets kept falling on the other end while Pollard stayed almost till the end. With 20 needing off the last over, the mighty Caribbean played-on the in-swinging delivery of Irfan Pathan on the very first ball.

10. MS Dhoni 51(26) vs MI (2013)

Walking in at 58/4 in the 11th over chasing 149 against the potent attack of Johnson-Munaf-Bhajji-Ojha at home, the chase only got harder as the game progressed. With no option to rotate strike towards the end in the face of the climbing required rate, Dhoni took his risks impeccably. Taking on almost all the bowlers he raced to a 24-ball fifty with a SIX over deep midwicket off Johnson and matched the blistering knock played by his power-hitting counterpart to resurrect the MI innings. If not for the acrobatics of Pollard-the catcher and Ponting's exceptional field placement, Dhoni would have gotten those 11 runs off the last over instead of getting plucked at the deep midwicket where he had launched one just 2 balls before.

9. Rishabh Pant 128(63) vs SRH (2018)

Supposedly a sluggish track where both the captains reckoned 160 would be a match-winning total, Pant walked in after DC lost 2 early wickets. Scored a steady 36-ball fifty before changing gears against a quality attack comprising Shakib-Rashid-Bhuvi. After reaching his 100, demolished Bhuvi-the premier bowler of the league, for 26 high-octane runs. Dew in the 2nd innings made the batting look easier but all in all, it was one of the most complete innings ever.

Fun Fact: Combined SR of his teammates was below 100 while he struck above 200.

8. MS Dhoni 84(48) vs RCB (2019)

The opening spell of Steyn-Yadav (and that yorker to Raina) fetched 4 wickets in the Powerplay and ensured CSK played with a lot more caution and a lot less acceleration. When others found it tough to have a go, MSD latched on to the bad balls fairly regularly. With so little support, it came down to 26 needed off the last over. Dhoni smashed Umesh for 4,6,6,2,6 in the first 5 balls. Had he just kept smashing instead of steering the last ball for a double, CSK might not have missed the mark by a run.

7. Virat Kohli 71(51) vs Deccan (2011)

You can guess the quality of the Deccan attack by the fact that de Villiers registered a 7-ball duck. Kohli kept knocking the ball around amid the fallout with RCB eventually needing 80+from the last 5 overs. Took on Mishra and Gony in pursuit of an improbable target before scoring 53% of the team runs and eventually falling to the latter. Thanks to him RCB landed a respectable finishing score despite 6 batsmen getting dismissed for a single-digit score. It was a reminder of his 32-ball 50 against the same opponent in 2009 which also came in a losing cause.

6. AB de Villiers 89(46) vs PBKS (2017)

In RCB's dot-galore of Indore, none of the Challengers struck above 90 except for ABD who wrought havoc at SR of 193. A Kohli-less lineup lost Watson in the first over leaving too much for Superman to do. ABD did deliver but it was negated by the struggling innings of Mandeep 28(34) and Binny 18(20) who never got it going as RCB wound up on a meager 148. Dew and poor execution with the ball helped Punjab get the paltry target inside 15 overs.

5. Manan Vohra 95(50) vs SRH (2017)

A batsman whose range of shots always showed promise was at his glorious best in this encounter with SRH in their backyard where he made his highest T20 score. Took on Rashid's googlies from deep within the crease on a tricky pitch and made a spectacle out of it. His contribution got the team to a position where they just needed 15 off 10 while chasing 160 despite absolutely no contribution from the rest of the Kings-the 2nd highest score was 13. His 66% contribution is the 4th highest in an IPL loss and it came at a soaring SR of 190.

4. Virat Kohli 55(48) vs RPS (2017)

A quick start by Virat reaching 25 off 13 was interrupted by the flurry of wickets which came at regular intervals in the chase of 158 at Pune. This is the ONLY INSTANCE in IPL history where a batsman scored 30+ while no other batsman reached a double-digit score in a completed inning.

3. Rahul Dravid 75(36) vs RR (2008)

Chasing 198 on the big ground of Jaipur, RCB found itself 5-3 courtesy Sohail Tanvir. In an inning where no other batsman could strike above 100, Rahul Dravid was playing a different game. The match was already lost by the time Dravid had gotten his eye in, but he was unfazed by the bowling quality of the Royals. Targeted the right bowlers and brought up his 50 in just 25 balls with 3 sixes in an over to Yusuf Pathan. Except for Dravid's heroics in the middle over, everything had gone wrong for the Challengers that day including the bowling, fielding and majority of the batting.

2. Yusuf Pathan 100(37) vs MI (2010)

Came in 40/3 in the 7th over while team was scoring at 6 RPO in a chase of 213 against Mumbai in their den. Didn't hurry in and got the feel of the pitch scoring just 15 off his first 14 balls. Went on to score 85 more off the next 22 deliveries clobbering Sathish, Murtaza, and McLaren like a Champion he was, literally. If not for the run-out mishap, RR would have pulled off the greatest heist of their time.

1. Suresh Raina 87(25) vs PBKS (2014)

This inning needs no introduction. Walked in at 1-1 in a pressure chase of 227 with as much intent as one can cultivate in a Qualifier. The utter disrespect shown to the pace of Johnson and Awana had the CSK dugout on their feet for most of the 2nd half of his innings. He went after every ball and looked like no bowler would be able to get his wicket. And nobody did.

Next Story :

IPL 2021: RCB Will Sport Blue Jersey On September 20 In Support Of Frontline Workers

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be sporting the blue jersey in their IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on September 20, Monday. It is a symbol of support to the frontline workers who are fighting against the covid-19 pandemic.

RCB had announced in May that they would be sporting blue jerseys to honour the frontline workers fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic in India. However, before their next fixture, the IPL was suspended due to positive Covid-19 cases in the bio-bubbles of franchises in Delhi and Ahmedabad.

RCB is known for such gestures and has previously indulged in spreading awareness about the environment by wearing green jerseys. This time around, the franchise has embarked on a new cause and Virat Kohli’s men will be donning the blue jersey to pay tribute to the frontline workers.

“RCB to wear Blue Jersey v KKR on 20th. We at RCB are honoured to sport the Blue kit, that resembles the colour of the PPE kits of the frontline warriors, to pay tribute to their invaluable service while leading the fight against the Covid pandemic,” the tweet on RCB’s official page.

Just a few months ago, the franchise had revealed that it would be making a contribution to the healthcare industry by providing funds for Oxygen support tanks in Bangalore and few other cities. RCB was also in contact with the Give India Foundation which aims to provide Oxygen concentrators to different sections of the country.

The 14th season of the IPL resumes on September 19 with defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) going head-to-head against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The remaining 31 matches are set to be played across three venues in the UAE viz. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli expressed excitement ahead of the tournament. He hopes the team can continue where they left off in the previous season. The franchise from Bangalore acquired five wins out of seven games and sits in third place.

“It’s going to be an exciting phase and a very important one for us at RCB and then for the Indian team at the T20 World Cup. I am very excited to see them with the whole group at practice & very excited to resume a very good season that we started last time around,” the 32-year-old said.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fixtures for IPL 2021 :

RCB vs Kolkata Knight Riders – September 20, 2021, 7:30 PM Abu Dhabi

RCB vs Chennai Super Kings – September 24, 2021, 7:30 PM Sharjah

RCB vs Mumbai Indians – September 26, 2021, 7:30 PM Dubai

RCB vs Rajasthan Royals – September 29, 2021, 7:30 PM Dubai

RCB vs Punjab Kings – October 3, 2021, 3:30 PM Sharjah

RCB vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – October 6, 2021, 7:30 PM Abu Dhabi

RCB vs Delhi Capitals – October 8, 2021, 7:30 PM Dubai

Notably, the likes of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj arrived in the UAE in a chartered plane from Manchester where India were playing a Test series against England. The 5th and final Test of the said series was cancelled after Covid-19 scare in the Indian camp. The likes of AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell also arrived in the UAE earlier this month to gear up for the remainder of the season.

Mike Hesson, who has doubled as coach after Simon Katich's withdrawal, has been overseeing the training with the available RCB players in the UAE RCB will look to reach the play-offs for the second successive IPL season. Virat Kohli's men are currently at the 3rd spot with 5 wins from 7 matches, tied on 10 points with 2nd-placed Chennai Super Kings. Delhi Capitals are on top of the points table with 12 points from 8 matches.