Indian Premier League 2021
IPL 2021: Quirky and bizarre IPL facts that test the hard-core fan in you
From Adam Gilchrist the bowler to de Villiers’ longevity, here’s a compilation of select mind-numbing yet true IPL facts.
Despite all his batting prowess, Gilchrist holds an unusual IPL bowling record (Source: Cricbuzz)
IPL 2019 begins on April 9 as holders Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bangalore.
As the excitement and anticipation reaches a crescendo, we bring you certain facts that tickle your grey cells and test the fan-boy in you.
Some unusual and some outrageous, but all true nonetheless, here are ten lesser-known IPL facts that will hand you bragging rights in your next IPL watch party.
#10 A remarkable coincidence at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
On May 6, 2011, in the KXIP Vs RCB fixture at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Chris Gayle scored a century for KXIP and RCB's Sreenath Aravind took four wickets.
Four years later, on May 6, 2015, when the two teams met again at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a bizarre recurrence transpired - Chris Gayle scored a century and Sreenath Aravind picked up four wickets, yet again.
#9 An IPL winner as a player and Head Coach
The Aussie Darren Lehmann won the IPL as a player with the Rajasthan Royals in 2008.
Thereafter, he hung up his boots and took up coaching duties.
And in the very next year in 2009, as the Head Coach of Deccan Chargers, Lehmann pocketed the IPL title yet again.
Similarly, Ricky Ponting won the title as a Mumbai Indians player in 2013 and then returned as a Head Coach in 2015 to win IPL.
#8 Four players and 12 championships
Four Indian stars have hogged the IPL limelight better than most others.
The unit of Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan have collectively won 12 of the 13 IPL championships.
#7 One player, three different teams, three consecutive titles
Karn Sharma, the leg-spinner, holds a rather unique distinction.
Between 2016 and 2018, he turned out for three different IPL teams and yet in each of those three seasons, he won the IPL – 2016 with SRH, 2017 with MI and 2018 with CSK.
#6 The curious case of Shane Watson, 2008 and 2013
The Aussie all-rounder has turned out both for Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings and incidentally played in fixtures against each other as well.
In IPL 2013, Watson scored a century for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings.
Five years later, in IPL 2018, playing for Chennai Super Kings, Watson scored a century against Rajasthan Royals.
Incidentally, Watson was also the first player to win the MVP title twice, remarkably in the two very seasons – 2008 and 2013.
#5 Players that have stood the test of time
Longevity in cricket is celebrated.
That said, in the lucrative IPL where the stakes are high, teams constantly chop and change their units.
Therefore, very few players stand a chance to feature year after year.
That said, there is a small crop of players who have played at least one game in each of the IPL editions and will also be a part of the IPL in 2021 – these include MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Shaha, Dhawal Kulkarni, AB de Villiers.
Incidentally, and as is evident, de Villiers is the only overseas player to feature in this list.
#4 For the love of hundreds and hat-tricks
Not very many wield the bat and roll their arm over with aplomb, let alone take wickets and score tons.
The only players to have scored a hundred with the bat and picked up a hat-trick with the ball are Rohit Sharma and Shane Watson.
#3 The lone wicket-taking ball
Not very many bowlers own the dubious distinction of having bowled just one ball in competitive cricket.
But Australia's Adam Gilchrist has gone a step further.
The wicket-keeper batsman is the only player to have bowled just one ball in the IPL and picked up a wicket as well. He dismissed Harbhajan Singh at Dharamsala in 2013.
#2 Only one KKR batsman has ever scored an IPL hundred
For all the flamboyance that accompanies the KKR outfit, their batsmen aren't very good at scoring tons.
Brendon McCullum scored 158* in the every first IPL game way back in 2008 against RCB.
To this day, this remains the only hundred from a KKR batsman.
#1 The longest-serving overseas player
Overseas players are all the rage in the IPL. That said, players come and go.
And in the midst of all the churn, one player has stood the test of time - AB de Villers
The South African batting wizard is the only overseas player to have played at least one match in each IPL season since the tournament's inception.
With inputs from @bhaleraosarang (Twitter)
