The Dubai International Cricket Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Established in 2009, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is UAE’s biggest cricket stadium and has a seating capacity of 25,000.

Built by Canadian architect Awsam Matloob, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium staged its first One-Day International (ODI) between Australia and Pakistan in April 2009. Pakistan won the match by four wickets.

Formerly known as the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, the venue later hosted its first T20 international played between Australia and Pakistan. Led by Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan secured a seven-wicket victory.

In 2010, the stadium staged its first Test match as Pakistan and South Africa clashed. The match later ended in a draw.

Apart from T20 internationals, the Indian T20 League, Pakistan Super League, International League T20 League and various other T20 leagues have been held at this venue.

Let’s have a look at Dubai International Cricket Stadium T20 records and stats:

Dubai International Cricket Stadium T20 records and stats

Highest team total

Team Hyderabad holds the record for the highest team total at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. During an Indian T20 League match in 2020, the David Warner-led Hyderabad posted 219/2 in their 20 overs. Warner’s 66 off 34 balls and Wriddhiman Saha’s 45-ball 87 powered Hyderabad to a record T20 total at the venue. Hyderabad later bowled out Team Delhi for 131 in 19 overs to register a comprehensive 88-run victory in Dubai.

Lowest team total

The West Indies cricket team registered the lowest team total at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in T20s. West Indies were skittled out for 55 in 14.2 overs by England during an ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash in 2021. Star leg-spinner Adil Rashid scalped four wickets while Moeen Ali and Tymal Mills picked two wickets each to help England bowl out West Indies for an embarrassing total. England later chased down the target in just 8.2 overs to win the game by six wickets.

Most runs

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam has scored the most runs at the venue in T20 cricket. While representing the likes of Islamabad United, Pakistan, Pakistan A, and Karachi Kings between 2015 and 2022, the swashbuckling right-handed batter has accumulated 1,102 runs in 35 matches at an average of 33.39 and a strike rate of 113.60. Azam has slammed 10 fifties in the T20 format at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India’s KL Rahul features second on the list with 863 runs in 21 matches.

Most wickets

Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi scalped the most wickets at this cricket ground in cricket’s shortest format while representing teams like Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Pakistan and Peshawar Zalmi. The leg-spinner bagged 39 wickets in 39 matches at an average of 22.94 and an economy of 6.53 between 2009 and 2019. Afridi’s best T20 bowling figures at this venue is 3/14. His former teammate Sohali Tanvir is second on the list with 39 wickets in 34 matches.  

Highest individual score

KL Rahul holds the record for the highest individual score at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. Playing for his former franchise Team Punjab, captain KL Rahul led from the front as he slammed an unbeaten 132 off just 69 balls to help his side post a huge total of 206/3 against Team Bangalore in an Indian T20 League encounter in 2020. Rahul’s magnificent knock included 14 fours and seven maximums. In reply, Bangalore were bundled out for 109 in 17 overs as Punjab won the game by 97 runs.

Best bowling figures

Former Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul registered the best bowling figures at this venue in the cricket’s shortest format. During a Pakistan Super League clash in 2018, Umar Gul recorded figures of 6/24 in his quota of four overs for Multan Sultans. Defending 152, Gul dismissed Quetta Gladiators�?Asad Shafiq, Shane Watson, Rilee Rossouw, captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali and Mohammad Nawaz to bring the Sultans back in the game. Despite Gul’s incredible spell, the Gladiators won the match by two wickets.

Highest partnership

Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis hold the record for the highest partnership at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in T20 cricket. Representing Team Chennai, Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis forged a match-winning unbeaten 181-run stand for the opening wicket against Team Punjab during an Indian T20 League match in 2020. Chasing 179, Watson scored an unbeaten 83 off 53 balls while du Plessis smashed a 53-ball 87 not out to help Chennai chase down the target in 17.4 overs. Chennai thrashed Punjab by 10 wickets.

Photo credit: Alamy

Rajasthan will cross swords with Bangalore in an enthralling Indian T20 League 2022 encounter at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, April 5.

Led by wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson, Rajasthan have made an impressive start to their Indian T20 League campaign, winning both their matches against Hyderabad and Mumbai. The champions of the inaugural edition are currently leading the Indian T20 League 2022 standings with four points from two matches.

On the other hand, Bangalore defeated Kolkata in their previous match after losing to Punjab in their opening encounter. With two points from as many matches, Faf du Plessis�?Bangalore are currently placed seventh in the standings.

Rajasthan and Bangalore have met 24 times in the Indian T20 League, with the latter winning 12 matches while the former has secured 10 victories.

Rajasthan vs Bangalore key player battles

Trent Boult vs Faf du Plessis

While Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis has amassed over 3000 runs in the Indian T20 League, he has somewhat struggled against former Mumbai pacer Trent Bout. The New Zealand left-arm pacer has dismissed du Plessis three times in the Indian T20 League. 

The former South Africa captain has scored just 37 runs in eight innings against the Kiwi pacer in the Indian T20 League.  

Faf du Plessis record vs Trent Boult
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	SR
8	37	43	3	86.04

Yuzvendra Chahal vs Dinesh Karthik

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has largely troubled wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik in the Indian T20 League, having dismissed the Indian veteran on three occasions. In the eight innings that he has faced against Chahal, Karthik has scored just 31 runs at a below-par strike rate of 86.11.

Dinesh Karthik record vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	SR
8	31	36	3	86.11

Sanju Samson vs Mohammed Siraj

Bangalore fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has had an upper hand against Sanju Samson in the Indian T20 League. Siraj has dismissed the Rajasthan captain twice in the high-profile T20 league, conceding just 20 runs in three innings. While Sanju has impressive overall numbers against pacers, Siraj has troubled the hard-hitting batter so far.

Sanju Samson record vs Mohammed Siraj
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	SR
3	20	15	2	133.33

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Featured photo: Indian T20 League

South Africa cricketer Faf du Plessis has been appointed as the new captain of Team Bangalore for the upcoming edition of the Indian T20 League.

The 37-year-old replaced Virat Kohli, who stepped down as the skipper at the end of Indian T20 League 2021 in UAE citing workload management.

Kohli captained Team Bangalore in 140 matches in the Indian T20 League between 2011 and 2021, registering 64 wins, 69 losses and three draws. Four games ended with no result.

Faf du Plessis has become the seventh captain to lead the franchise after Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen, Anil Kumble, Daniel Vettori, Virat Kohli and Shane Watson.

Having previously represented Team Chennai and the now-defunct Team Pune in the Indian T20 League, du Plessis was roped in by Team Bangalore for INR 7 crore at the mega auction held in February.

The Pretoria-born cricketer has played 100 Indian T20 League matches, amassing 2,935 runs at a strike rate of 131.08 while also maintaining an average of 34.94. He has also registered 22 fifties to his name.

 

Faf was in staggering form for Team Chennai last season, accumulating 633 runs in 16 matches at an average of 45.21 and a strike rate of 138.20. His opening partnership alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad was one of the prime reasons which helped Chennai clinch their fourth Indian T20 League title last season.

Faf du Plessis�?captaincy record in Indian T20 League

So far, Faf du Plessis has never captained a team in an Indian T20 League match. The new Bangalore captain will make his Indian T20 League captaincy debut this season.

However, du Plessis has immense experience in leading a high-profile cricket team as he has captained South Africa in 36 Tests, 39 ODIs and 40 T20Is. As South Africa captain, du Plessis has registered 70 wins in 115 matches with a win percentage of 60.86.

He also led the Proteas in three ICC tournaments, including T20 World Cups in 2014 and 2016 and the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.

Featured photo: NOAH SEELAM / Phill Magakoe / AFP

Team Bangalore will look to make a fresh start under new captain Faf du Plessis in the Indian T20 League 2022 starting March 26.

Bangalore had an impressive campaign in the previous edition of the tournament, finishing third in the league phase with 18 points from 14 matches before being knocked out by Kolkata in the Eliminator.

Soon after the conclusion of Indian T20 League 2021 in UAE, Virat Kohli decided to step down as the captain of the Bangalore-based franchise, citing managing his heavy workload.

Kohli’s reign as captain of Team Bangalore will be judged as a mixed one, having failed to lift the coveted Indian T20 League title in 14 editions. However, the franchise reached the Indian T20 League final on three occasions in 2009, 2011 and 2016. 

Ahead of the new season, the Bangalore team management roped in quality domestic and international stars to build a strong squad for the next three years. 

With new captain Faf du Plessis at the helm, Team Bangalore will look to rewrite history and here we analyze what they have in the offering for the 2022 season.

Team Bangalore squad

Ahead of the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction, Team Bangalore retained former skipper Virat Kohli (INR 15 crore), Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell (INR 11 crore) and pacer Mohammed Siraj for the next three seasons of the tournament. 

In the two-day mega auction held in Bengaluru last month, the Bangalore team management spent a whopping INR 10.75 crore to buy back Harshal Patel. The franchise also brought back in-form Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga for INR 10.75 crore.

Team Bangalore also roped in former Chennai duo Faf du Plessis (INR 7 crore) and Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood (7.75 crore) as well as ex-Kolkata captain Dinesh Karthik (INR 5.5 crore). West Indies�?Sherfane Rutherford (1 crore), New Zealand batter Finn Allen (80 lakh) and Aussie pacer Jason Behrendorff (75 lakh) are a few other noteworthy additions that they made to their squad ahead of the new season. 

Among domestic stars, the franchise spent INR 3.4 crore for wicket-keeper batter Anuj Rawat and INR 2.4 crore for all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed.

Team Bangalore squad for Indian T20 League 2022: Faf du Plessis (captain), Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Josh Hazlewood, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anuj Rawat (wicket-keeper), Akash Deep, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Behrendorff, Suyash Prabhudessai, Chama Milind, Aneeshwar Gautam, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Luvnith Sisodia, Siddharth Kaul

Team Bangalore strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

With Virat Kohli deciding to relinquish his captaincy, Kohli can play his natural game with the bat. An in-form Kohli can destroy any bowling attack on his day and he holds the record for most runs in Indian T20 League’s history. Apart from Kohli, an explosive Glenn Maxwell, a consistent Faf du Plessis and the experienced Dinesh Karthik will look to set daunting targets or chase any total on the board.

 

Team Bangalore also possess a quality fast-bowling attack with the likes of  Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood and David Willey in their ranks.

Weaknesses

With former Bangalore star batter AB de Villiers retiring from all forms of cricket, the franchise will miss a player who can score at a quick rate and play the role of a finisher. The Bangalore middle-order also seems to be a little inexperienced and could choke when there will be more pressure in close match situations.

Who can be the highest run-scorer for Team Bangalore?

Having relinquished captaincy of Team Bangalore, former skipper Virat Kohli can just concentrate on his batting in the upcoming edition of the Indian T20 League. Kohli had a decent campaign in Indian T20 League 2021, scoring 405 runs in 15 matches including hitting three fifties in the tournament. 

Kohli is currently the all-time leading run-scorer in Indian T20 League history, amassing 6,283 runs in 207 matches at an average of 37.39 and a strike rate of 129.94. He has hit five hundreds and 42 fifties in his Indian T20 League career so far. Considering there will be less burden on Kohli’s shoulder this season, the former India captain can express himself with the bat and play a pivotal role for Bangalore in the upcoming campaign.

Who can be the highest wicket-taker for Team Bangalore?

Bangalore fast bowler Harshal Patel was the highest wicket-taker in the previous edition of Indian T20 League held in India and UAE. Having won the coveted Purple Cap, Patel picked 32 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 8.14. By doing so, he equalled Team Chennai pacer Dwayne Bravo’s record of most wickets in an Indian T20 League season. Bravo had also claimed 32 wickets in 18 matches in the 2013 edition of the Indian T20 League. Having already made his T20I debut for India against New Zealand in November last year, an experienced Harshal will be the go-to-bowler for the Faf du Plessis-led side.

Where will Team Bangalore finish in Indian T20 League 2022?

With Bangalore missing the services of their star batter AB de Villiers this season, the franchise will depend heavily on Kohli, du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell to do the bulk of the scoring. If the trio can find good form, Team Bangalore could make it to the play-offs in the upcoming edition of Indian T20 League.

Bangalore Indian T20 League 2022 schedule, fixtures and match times

All times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Day and Date	Fixtures	Venue	Time
Sunday, March 27	Punjab vs Bangalore	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM
Wednesday, March 30	Bangalore vs Kolkata	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM
Tuesday, April 5	Rajasthan vs Bangalore	Wankhede Stadium	7:30 PM
Saturday, April 9	Bangalore vs Mumbai	MCA Stadium	7:30 PM
Tuesday, April 12	Chennai vs Bangalore	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM
Saturday, April 16	Delhi vs Bangalore	Wankhede Stadium	7:30 PM
Tuesday, April 19	Lucknow vs Bangalore	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM
Saturday, April 23	Bangalore vs Hyderabad	Brabourne Stadium	7:30 PM
Tuesday, April 26	Bangalore vs Rajasthan	MCA Stadium	7:30 PM
Saturday, April 30	Gujarat vs Bangalore	Brabourne Stadium	3:30 PM
Wednesday, May 4	Bangalore vs Chennai	MCA Stadium	7:30 PM
Sunday, May 8	Hyderabad vs Bangalore	Wankhede Stadium	3:30 PM
Friday, May 13	Bangalore vs Punjab	Brabourne Stadium	7:30 PM
Thursday, May 19	Bangalore vs Gujarat	Wankhede Stadium	7:30 PM

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Featured photo: AFP/ Manjunath KIRAN / DIBYANGSHU SARKAR

South Africa’s Faf du Plessis was taken to hospital after suffering a concussion following a horrific collision with his Quetta Gladiators teammate Mohammad Hasnain during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) match against Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday,

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head. This could happen with or without the loss of consciousness.

The incident happened when Faf du Plessis dived for the ball at the long-on boundary and while he did get his hand on the ball, the South African’s head collided with the knee of Hasnain, who was charging in from the opposite direction.

Get well soon @faf1307#FafduPlessis pic.twitter.com/WRfX8N6xQ7

�?ABHIJEET MONDAL (@abhijeet_234) June 13, 2021

Faf du Plessis was unable to get up and he laid on the ground for a few minutes as the Gladiators�?medical team assessed him. The batsman eventually got on his feet and was taken back to the dressing room. The team management later confirmed that the 36-year-old was taken to the hospital for further scans.

The former South Africa captain gave an update about his health on Twitter as he wrote, " Thank you everyone for all the messages of support. I'm back at the hotel recovering. Have concussion with some memory loss but I will be fine. Hopefully, be back on the field soon. Much love."

Thank you everyone for all the messages of support. I'm back at the hotel recovering. Have concussion with some memory loss but I will be fine. Hopefully be back on the field soon. Much love. ❤️

�?Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) June 13, 2021

Saim Ayub came on as a concussion substitute. 

Chasing a target of 198, Quetta Gladiators fell 61 runs short as they could only score 136 in 20 overs.

Faf du Plessis�?wife reacts to the incident

Following the incident, Faf du Plessis�?wife, Imari Visser du Plessis took to social media to show concern for her husband. She wrote on an Instagram Story post, “This is killing me right now. Surely he should be checked in hospital?�?/span>

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Imari Du Plessis (@imagesbyimari)

This was the second consecutive PSL 2021 match for Quetta Gladiators where they were forced to use a concussion substitute. During their 10-wicket loss to Islamabad United on Friday, all-rounder Andre Russell took a blow to his helmet from a Mohammad Musa delivery. 

Russell was checked by the team physio and while he was allowed to continue, he got out in the very next ball. Russell was later stretched out from the dressing room to an ambulance. Naseem Shah came on as a concussion substitute for the Windies all-rounder.

What is a concussion substitute in cricket?

According to the rules books of ICC, “Teams will have the option of replacing a player who has sustained a head or neck injury during an international match and has subsequently been diagnosed with a concussion or suspected concussion,�?the ICC rule states.

Furthermore, the decision of match officials plays a big role in making the substitution as they approve who the concussion substitute should be. As per the rules, the substitute should be a like-to-like replacement.

But in case if a team brings in an all-rounder to replace a batsman, the match-referee will have the power to restrict the substitute from bowling.

Featured photo: Twitter / Team Quetta

South African cricketer Faf du Plessis feels that the growing power of T20 Leagues around the world could become a threat to international cricket in the future.

Speaking during a virtual media interaction ahead of the resumption of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 6, the 36-year-old - who will represent Peshawar Zalmi - has called for balance between franchise cricket and international cricket.

"T20 leagues are a threat for international cricket. The power of the leagues are growing year by year and obviously, in the beginning, there might be just two leagues around the world and now it's becoming 4,5, 6,7 leagues in a year. The leagues are just getting stronger," said du Plessis.

"I think it's important that in future you try and see how it's possible both can co-exist because [if] it becomes a choice moving forward into the future then it can be a real threat for the international game,�?he added.

Furthermore, Faf du Plessis foresees cricket on a similar level to football in 10 years, where domestic leagues are played between international events.

Du Plessis reckons many current players could become freelance cricketers, giving precedence to T20 cricket over international cricket. He also cited West Indies players like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo as examples.

"If I take someone like myself you go and play 2 or 3 or 4 leagues around the world but I can't predict the future. There are more and more players…[who want to play in T20 Leagues].�?/span>

"West Indies probably is the first team that started doing it. All of their guys moved away from the international team to the T20 domestic circuit. So the West Indian team lost a lot of their key players. It's starting to happen with South Africa also," du Plessis said.

Featured photo: AFP / Asif Hassan

A 129-run opening stand between openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis powered Chennai to a convincing seven-wicket win over Hyderabad in an Indian T20 League encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.

Gaikwad smashed 75 runs off just 44 balls - his highest score in the Indian T20 League, while du Plessis scored 38-ball 56 as Chennai chased down 171/3 put up by Hyderabad with nine balls to spare. 

The understanding between Gaikwad and du Plessis has been one of the strengths of this Chennai side. The duo perfectly complements each other in their opening partnership.

While Faf du Plessis has scored 182 runs against pacers at a strike rate of 155.56 in the ongoing edition of the high-profile league, Ruturaj has made 77 runs against spinners at a strike rate of 157.14.

Vs Pacers	Runs	Balls	Outs	Avg	SR	4s	6s
Faf du Plessis	182	117	1	182	155.56	19	7
Ruturaj Gaikwad	115	99	3	38.33	116.16	12	4

Vs Spinners	Runs	Balls	Outs	Avg	SR	4s	6s
Faf du Plessis	88	75	3	29.33	117.33	9	2
Ruturaj Gaikwad	77	49	3	25.67	157.14	12	1

“We have got such a long batting line-up but all you need is a start in any format you play. So, myself and Ruturaj enjoyed the partnership, we complement each other really well. He’s a fantastic player, he has got a bright future ahead of him. Times the ball so beautifully,�?du Plessis had said in the virtual post-match press conference after Chennai defeated Bangalore in their previous encounter.

Time and again, Gaikwad and du Plessis have just focused purely on timing and finding the gaps. They have shown that one can easily score at 10 per over even if they don’t intend to take the aerial route to score their runs.

The opening pair of Gaikwad and du Plessis has already put on two 100-run stands in the league this season.

Top 5 stands in Indian T20 League 2021

Partners	Runs	Team	Opposition	Ground	Match Date
V Kohli, D Padikkal	181*	Bangalore	Rajasthan	Mumbai	22 April 2021
P Shaw, S Dhawan	138	Delhi	Chennai	Mumbai	10 April 2021
R Gaikwad, F du Plessis	129	Chennai	Hyderabad	Delhi	28 April 2021
KL Rahul, M Agarwal	122	Punjab	Delhi	Mumbai	18 April 2021
R Gaikwad, F du Plessis	115	Chennai	Kolkata	Mumbai	21 April 2021

With the help of their openers, Chennai registered their fifth straight victory and are now on 10 points along with Virat Kohli-led Bangalore.

Chennai will only hope their opening pair can continue their incredible run in the upcoming matches as well.

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

MS Dhoni’s Team Chennai picked their 15th win over Team Punjab in the Indian T20 League on Friday, April 16, this time defeating them by six wickets in what was a rather low-scoring affair. 

Wankhede’s wicket is known for being a batting paradise, but a Deepak Chahar masterclass had restricted Punjab to just 106/8 after they were put in to bat first. Such was Chennai’s dominance in the game that Punjab could only muster 26/4 in the powerplay overs, which is in fact their fourth-lowest powerplay score in the Indian T20 League.

The only player for Punjab who shone was Shahrukh Khan. The middle-order batsman scored 47 off 36 balls and is potentially the reason why Punjab could even cross the 100-run mark. A total of 106/8 is now Punjab sixth-lowest total in the league and the third-lowest team total in the first innings in the Indian T20 League.

There were several such records on the night and here we look at a few of them.

Deepak Chahar’s masterclass 

A bowling figure of 4/13 is now is the best return for Chennai pacer Deepak Chahar in the Indian T20 League. This is, in fact, the first time that the 28-year-old has picked four wickets in his Indian T20 League career. Meanwhile, this figure helped him become the sixth-highest wicket-taker for Chennai in the league. This is now the third-best bowling spell by a Chennai bowler vs Punjab in the league.

Deepak Chahar's best bowling figures in Indian T20 League
Wickets	Runs	Opponent	Venue	Date
4	13	Punjab	Wankhede Stadium	16 April 2021
3	15	Hyderabad	Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium	22 May 2018
3	20	Kolkata	MA Chidambaram Stadium	9 April 2019
3	26	Mumbai	Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium	12 May 2019

Chahar has a knack for picking early wickets in the Indian T20 League and thus it does not come as a surprise that a whopping 73,47% of his total wickets (36/48) have come in the first six overs. Furthermore, while he has picked just two wickets between 7-15 overs, he has scalped 11 wickets between 16-20 overs.

Shahrukh Khan the only survivor 

While Punjab kept on losing wickets, a certain Shahrukh Khan went on to play his best-ever Indian T20 League knock, scoring 47 off 36 balls. He scored 44.34% runs of his team’s total. The 25-year-old scored a majority of his runs (20) at mid-wicket and covers. Furthermore, a detailed bifurcation of his knock explains how he took the Chennai bowlers to the cleaners. While he couldn’t muster runs against the likes of Deepak Chahar and Sam Curran, he made Shardul Thakur his prey, smashing the pacer for 19 runs in 11 runs, hitting him at a strike rate of 172.72.

Moeen and Faf's impressive partnership

While Chennai opener Faf du Plessis remained unbeaten at 36, it was Moeen Ali’s performance that grabbed the attention. The England all-rounder, who came out to bat at No. 3, scored 46 off just 31 balls and missed out on his fourth Indian T20 League half-century by whiskers. Ali played a 66-run stand with du Plessis and scored 69.70% of runs (46) in the partnership.

Moeen Ali vs Punjab bowlers
Bowlers	Runs	Balls	Strike Rate	Run %
Arshdeep Singh	4	3	133.33	8.69
Jhye Richardson	1	1	100.00	2.17
Mohammed Shami	10	6	166.66	21.73
Murugan Ashwin	18	11	163.63	39.13
Riley Meredith	13	10	130.00	28.26

Murugan Ashwin finally got the Englishman off the crease but the spinner was, in fact, the most expensive bowler against Ali, conceding 18 runs off 11 balls. Ali’s effort guided Chennai to a win with 26 balls still remaining. This is their fourth-largest win in terms of balls remaining in the Indian T20 League. Three of their top five wins in terms of balls remaining have come in Mumbai.

Featured photo: Twitter / IPL

South Africa stalwart Faf du Plessis announced his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday, February 17. The former Proteas captain will, however, continue to be available for national selection in limited-overs cricket with T20 being his priority now.

The 36-year-old thus ended a nine-year Test career that started in November 2012. Du Plessis had made his Test debut on November 22, 2012, against Australia in Adelaide. 

The right-handed batsman amassed 4,163 runs in 69 Tests at an average of 40.02 with 21 fifties and 10 tons. He also captained South Africa in 36 Tests after taking over from his childhood best friend AB de Villiers in 2016. Under his captaincy, the Proteas recorded 18 wins, 15 losses and three draws. 

Faf du Plessis has announced his retirement from Test cricket.

He played 69 Tests for South Africa scoring 4163 runs at 40.02, including 10 centuries. pic.twitter.com/QfhRjsWqxr

�?ICC (@ICC) February 17, 2021

"It has been an honour to play for my country in all the formats of the game, but the time has come for me to retire from Test cricket. If someone had told me 15 years ago, that I would play 69 Test matches for South Africa and captained the side, I wouldn't have believed them. I stand in a place of utmost gratitude for a Test career full of blessings bestowed on me," the 36-year-old wrote in a statement that he posted on his Instagram handle. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Faf du plessis (@fafdup)

Du Plessis further stated that his focus now shifts to T20 cricket but ODIs will also remain a part of his plans.

"The next two years are the ICC T20 World Cup years. Because of this, my focus is shifting to this format and I want to play as much of it as possible around the world so I can be the best player I can possibly be. I strongly believe that I have a lot to offer to the Proteas in this format," he added. 

"This does not mean that ODI cricket is longer in the plans. I'm just making T20 cricket the priority in the short term," he said. 

"I will be in conversation with CSA over the next couple of months on what the future might look like for me over the next year to find a solution that works for both of us," he further said in his statement. 

"For now, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who had an influence on my Test career. I would like to single out my wife and family in particular -- I would not have been able to do without their support during the unforgettable journey that Test cricket has taken me on. 

"To my coaches, teammates and support staff over the years, I would also like to give a note of thanks of course, to Cricket South Africa for the opportunity to be able to represent and leady my country in the pinnacle of the game we all love. It has been an incredible journey, with many stories that I look forward to one day sharing," he concluded. 

Meanwhile, several former cricketers, experts and fans congratulated du Plessis on his stellar Test career.

Well played @faf1307. Another top player says goodbye to the South African test team. Opens up an opportunity, yes, but will be difficult to fill.

�?Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 17, 2021

Well done @faf1307 , you will be missed by those who played with and against you.

�?Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) February 17, 2021

Congrats on a lovely Test career and more power to you in the future.
Go well @faf1307

�?DK (@DineshKarthik) February 17, 2021

Faf has timed his Test retirement on @ABdeVilliers17's birthday. They have been great friends since childhood. The greatest friendship bond ever in cricket. #HappyBirthdayABD #HappyBirthDayAbDeVilliers pic.twitter.com/hN6IkFUTN4

�?George (@VijayIsMyLife) February 17, 2021

Test career of Faf Du Plessis will be always remembered for his famous Adelaide miracle - unbeaten 110 runs from 376 balls including 14 fours in the 4th innings to save the Test for South Africa on his debut.

�?Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 17, 2021

Think we saw it coming, with Faf, hope you get what you want from the other two formats. Good luck!

Thanks for the marathons in Adelaide and others.

�?Nikhil (@CricCrazyNIKS) February 17, 2021

Today Faf du Plessis announces his Test retirement on AB de Villiers birthday. Faf earlier said in 'DRS with Ash' that he respects ABD's retirement decision.
Both are great friends since high school days, as they were hostel roommates from 1998 to 2002. #FafRetires #ThankYouFaf

�?Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) February 17, 2021

Feature image courtesy: Christiaan Kotze / AFP

This is the fifth in a series of features where we will be taking a detailed dive into the various factors that stood out during the course of the Indian T20 League 2020 season.

Now that we are past the 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League, it is high time to look back at some of the top performers who duly entertained one and all despite the anomalous circumstances. While there were some unforeseen surprises that Rahul Tewatia and Devdutt Padikkal, there were others who lived up to the hype heading into the tournament.

"The Indian T20 League once again showcased the cream of the cricket crop with the usual suspects rising to the occasion and backing up their stout salaries with some stout knocks! observed Brett Lee. "From KL Rahul leading from the front and AB de Villiers winning matches single-handedly. Rashid Khan continued to bowl economically deadly spells while the inclusion of Chris Gayle provided an instant boost to his side, the stars were certainly shining bright in Dubai!"

That said, here we look at six players who delivered the promise in the recently concluded T20 extravaganza.

KL Rahul - Punjab

Key contributions: 

• 132* off 69 vs Bangalore
• 69 off 54 vs Rajasthan
• 63 off 52 vs Chennai
• 74 off 58 vs Kolkata
• 61* off 49 vs Bangalore
• 77 off 51 vs Mumbai

Leading from the front, KL Rahul became the fastest ever Indian to reach the 2000-run landmark in the Indian T20 League (60 innings) in only his second match of the tournament. On the day when his team posted 206 against Bangalore, Rahul scored a whopping 64.08% runs (132) of his team's total, marking the carnage that was to follow. It was for the third consecutive year that Rahul scored more than 500 runs in a single season and that certainly speaks volume.

• KL Rahul and a tale of innumerable records

The Punjab captain averaged an impressive 152 in the powerplay overs this season, scoring 304 runs, including 33 fours and nine sixes. His strike rate, however, was superior between overs 16-20 overs where he batted for six innings while scoring 82 at a rate of 182.2. The fact that Punjab failed to make it to the playoff despite Rahul outscoring all the other batsmen explains how heavily reliant the team was on their captain; something that he himself admitted after scoring 77 against Mumbai. 

Rahul’s explosive approach, his gradual acceleration and his formative partnerships with Mayank Agarwal were truly a treat, and one just cannot argue the fact that he indeed was the most reliable batsman of the tournament.

AB de Villiers - Bangalore

Key contributions:

• 51 off 30 vs Hyderabad
• 55* of 24 vs Mumbai
• 73* off 33 vs Kolkata
• 55* off 22 vs Rajasthan
• 56 off 43 vs Hyderabad

Let’s just admit it once and for all; Bangalore wouldn’t have made it to the playoffs without AB de Villiers. Period!

Hitting at a strike rate of 222.4 during the final four overs (16-20) this season, the South African mastermind scored an astonishing 258 runs off 116 balls, including 20 sixes, during the phase. That return translates to a whopping 56.83% of his total runs (454) this season. Watching de Villiers changing the course is certainly not a new sight to witness, but watching him doing that 36 was surely a divine visual, to say the least.

Bangalore without de Villiers are like a fish without water; helpless, or even better, in an unfamiliar situation. Like his old self, the 36-year-old was Bangalore’s lone survivor at times. On just cannot forget his unbeaten 55 against Mumbai in late September. If not for him, Bangalore would have collapsed like a mere house of cards. Arriving at the crease when his team were scoring at just over seven runs an over, de Villiers took the rate to over 10 by the final over of the innings. His onslaught against Kolkata (73*) and Rajasthan (55*) was even more destructive.

Quick stat: Bangalore won four of the five games where de Villiers scored a half-century.

Chris Gayle - Punjab

Key contributions:

• 53 off 45 vs Bangalore
• 29 off 13 vs Delhi
• 51 off 29 vs Kolkata 
• 99 off 63 vs Rajasthan

Chris Gayle’s inclusion in Punjab’s setup inflicted a whole new life altogether. A team that had won just one of their last five games before Gayle, went on a five-game unbeaten run and a large part of its credit goes to the veteran West Indian. Not even once in his seven games for Punjab this Indian T20 League season that he scored less than 20 runs. And the fact that he finished his season as the fourth-highest run-scorer for Punjab despite playing subsequently fewer games than his teammates is simply astonishing.

Gayle’s impact was instant, to say the least. He capped off his arrival with a quickfire half-century against Bangalore, which was, in fact, an eight-wicket victory for Punjab. The 41-year-old was not only a consistent presence for Punjab, but also managed to adjust to an unfamiliar No. 3 role. A powerplay average and strike rate of 72 and 160 respectively underlines how potent he was this season. He did strike at a lowly rate of 118.9 in the middle overs, but an average of 48.3 underlines how dependable his innings were. In a mere seven games this season, Gayle hit a whopping 23 sixes, which is just six short of the leader Ishan Kishan, who played 15 games this season.

Ben Stokes - Rajasthan

Key contributions:

• 41 off 35 vs Delhi
• 107* off 60 vs Mumbai
• 50 off 26 vs Punjab
• 2/32 vs Punjab

England all-rounder Ben Stokes arrived quite late into the Rajasthan setup, and although it took time for him to settle his nerves, his late blitzes showed Rajasthan how their season could have been if only they had him since the beginning. With their batsmen failing to gather runs, Stokes services early in the campaign might very well have altered some of their results. The all-rounder played a mere eight games this season but managed to score 285 at an average of 40.71. He, however, was far from his best in bowling, conceding over 10 runs per over. Nonetheless, his match-winning knocks in two of Rajasthan’s final three games remain his highlight from the season.

The 29-year-old was particularly effective in the powerplay overs, scoring 177 at an average and strike rate of 35.4 and 142.7 respectively. During the period, he smashed a whopping 26 fours, a figure which is second-best amongst the players in this list. During the only inning he played in the final four overs, he notched 36 off a mere 16 deliveries. Stokes was particularly at his best against Mumbai; a game where Rajasthan were chasing a target of 196 against the bowling contingent of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and James Pattinson. The pacers, however, were hit all across the park as he Stokes played a match-winning knock of 107 off just 60 balls.

Rashid Khan - Hyderabad

Key contributions:

• 3/14 vs Delhi
• 3/12 vs Punjab
• 2/25 vs Rajasthan
• 2/14 vs Punjab
• 3/7 vs Delhi

Maintaining an economy of under six runs in 16 Indian T20 League games can be an arduous task, but Hyderabad’s Rashid Khane made it look so easy. The Afghan leggie picked 20 wickets this season, bowling at an impressive average of 17.20, to become the first bowler since Indian T20 League 2013 to manage an economy rate of under six runs/over and pick 15 or more wickets. He was at his lethal best this season, picking three wickets on three occasions. In none of those three outings did he give away more than 15 runs his quota of four overs; a figure that underlines his supremacy in a rather bleak tenure for Hyderbad this season.

The 22-year-old didn’t bowl a single over in the powerplay overs this season, and understandably so, as his captain, David Warner, kept him to avoid the hard-hitting prowess of his opponents in the middle overs. During overs 7-15, Rashid conceded 299 runs off 342 balls, while bowling 151 dots and picking 19 wickets at an economy of 5.24. Contrary to that, he gave away 45 off 42 balls in seven innings in the final four overs. Was he the best player for Hyderabad this season? Absolutely!

Faf du Plessis - Chennai

Key contributions:

58* off 44 vs Mumbai

72 off 37 vs Rajasthan

87* off 53 vs Punjab

58 off 47 vs Delhi

48 off 34 vs Punjab

In a rather troubling season for Chennai, a certain Faf du Plessis was the shining light throughout the campaign. The 36-year-old notched 449 runs this season, scoring at an average of just over 40 to finish as the top run-scorer for his team. The South African started off in a blistering fashion, scoring 282 in only his first five outings, which included three half-centuries. He did slow down a bit in the middle of the season, but he played his bit part as Chennai ended their season with three back-to-back victories.

Faf was arguably Chennai’s best player this season, and the fact that the next best scorer, Ambati Rayudu, was almost 100 runs off further ratifies this fact. Despite being 36, the South African played some of his best cricket this season against some of the best bowlers of the format. His unbeaten 58 against Mumbai,72 against Rajasthan and another unbeaten 87 against Punjab stood out in particular, and it’s sad that no other batsmen managed to match his potential this season.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Saeed Khan