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Rinku Singh and Ajinkya Rahane
The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has already seen its fair share of excellent performances so far, despite it still being in its dawn. The excitement only increased from the previous week as the second week bore witness to some magnificent cricketing action. From fabulous spells to thrilling run-chases, the eventful second week saw it all.
Rinku Singh’s brilliance against Gujarat Titans and Nicholas Pooran’s knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore caught the eye of many fans, and with week two of the IPL 2023 coming to a close, let us have a look at the top five batting performances from the week.
Here are the top 5 knocks from the second week of the IPL 2023:
5. Ajinkya Rahane 61 runs off 27 balls vs Mumbai Indians
Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
The 12th match of the IPL 2023 was one of the most anticipated matches of the season as Chennai Super Kings took on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, April 8. Skipper MS Dhoni won the toss, and Chennai decided to field first.
The hosts posted 157 runs on the board after 20 overs, thanks to decent knocks by Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Tim David. As Chennai came in to chase the target, veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane’s towering knock helped Chennai slide the momentum in their favour. The 34-year-old came in to bat after Devon Conway was dismissed on a duck.
Rahane played a brilliant knock of 61 runs in just 27 deliveries, and his performance was integral for Chennai as they registered a thrilling win against their arch-rivals. Riding on his explosive innings, Chennai ultimately won the game by seven wickets.
4. Shikhar Dhawan 99* runs off 66 balls vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
One of the most resilient innings of the IPL 2023 so far, this special knock came when Punjab Kings took on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, April 9. The Aiden Markram-led side won the toss and elected to field first.
The 2016 champions put in an excellent performance with the ball, as much of the Punjab batting line-up came tumbling down when subjected to the wrath of the SRH bowling unit. Veteran Indian batter Shikhar Dhawan was the only batter who managed to get over the 25-run mark. When wickets kept falling at one end on a perpetual basis, the 37-year-old truly played a captain’s knock.
Dhawan amassed 99* runs in 66 deliveries and was crucial in Punjab Kings posting 143 runs on the board after 20 overs. The skipper barely missed out on scoring the first century of the IPL 2023. However, the heroic knock was in vain, as Sunrisers Hyderabad eventually won the game by eight wickets.
3. Glenn Maxwell 59 runs off 29 balls vs Lucknow Super Giants
Glenn Maxwell (photo Source: Twitter)
In one of the best clashes of the IPL 2023 so far, Royal Challengers Bangalore took on the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants in the 15th match of the tournament. As Lucknow won the toss and elected to bowl first, Bangalore put in a fabulous performance with the bat.
After Virat Kohli and skipper Faf du Plessis’s blitzkrieg, ace Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell lit up the stage with his acrobatics. Both the openers got off to brilliant starts as Kohli scored 61 runs off 44 balls, whereas Du Plessis played an unbeaten knock of 79 runs in 46 balls.
Glenn Maxwell further built upon their knocks, amassing 59 runs in just 29 balls. Despite the innings being in vain, Maxwell’s knock was one of the best of the tournament thus far and was integral to Bangalore notching up 212 runs on the board.
2. Nicholas Pooran 62 runs in 19 deliveries vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Nicholas Pooran. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
In the same game where Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell lit up the stage for Bangalore in the first innings against Lucknow Super Giants, the run-chase proved to be even more thrilling and turned the match into one of the all-time classics.
The top-order of Lucknow failed to score big as man-in-form Kyle Mayers was dismissed on a duck. Furthermore, skipper KL Rahul also managed to score just 18 runs. As the match seemed to be crumbling out of Lucknow’s grasp, Marcus Stoinis amassed 65 runs to his name to give the side some hope.
However, it was the knock of 27-year-old Nicholas Pooran that ultimately led the side to a win. Pooran accumulated a brilliant 62 runs in just 19 deliveries, which was integral to Lucknow ultimately winning the game.
1. Rinku Singh 48* runs in 21 balls vs Gujarat Titans
Rinku Singh. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Undoubtedly, one of the best games in the rich history of the tournament was played between Kolkata Knight Riders and defending champions Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 9.
Batting first, Gujarat posted 204 runs on the board, thanks to magnificent knocks by Vijay Shankar, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill. However, riding high on confidence after their high total, little did the defending champions know what was in store for them in the second innings.
After impact player Venkatesh Iyer amassed 83 runs on the board, it was the brilliance of Rinku Singh that led the two-time champions to an enthralling victory. The 25-year-old scored an unbeaten 48 runs in just 21 deliveries, as he hit a brilliant streak of five sixes in tandem to seal the win for Kolkata in the final over of the game.
