Results from another huge weekend of sport. Video / NZ Herald
Ravindra Jadeja's batting rampage secured a record-equaling 37 runs off the last over before taking 3-13 with the ball as Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 69 runs in the Indian Premier League on Monday.
Delhi Capitals later joined Chennai and Bangalore at the top of the leaderboardon eight points after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first Super Over of the season.
At Mumbai, Bangalore finally lost a game after winning four in a row as Jadeja equaled Chris Gayle's IPL record, set against Kochi Tuskers' Prasanth Parameswaran during the 2011 edition of the IPL. But it was easily the most expensive 20th over, beating the previous record of 30.
Chennai chose to bat and Jadeja, who was dropped on zero, rocketed his team's total from 154-4 at the end of the 19th over to 191-4 at the end of the 20th.
While cricket fans will know that scoring 37 runs is impossible from six legal deliveries - unless he ran a seven - Jadeja hit a no-ball for six as part of the final over that included five sixes, a four and a two in an incredible display of hitting.
Ravindra Jadeja has been a mainstay in the Indian cricket team since 2009. Photo / Photosport
With the huge over, Jadeja took his side from 4/154 to 4/191 and finished with an individual score of 62 not out from 28 balls.
In reply, Bangalore scored 122-9, mainly due to the pressure caused by Jadeja's brilliance.
"There aren't too many players in the world that can play a cameo like this, not that his team's in trouble but the need runs desperately," one of the local TV commentators said.
RCB were gobsmacked by Jadeja’s maniacal assault with the bat. Left them not just with a massive score to chase, but demoralised and desperate, which Jadeja the bowler this time exploited to precipitate the batting collapse
Jadeja, a seasoned all-rounder with left-arm spin, then took the heart out of Bangalore's run chase by clean bowling Glenn Maxwell (22) and A.B. de Villiers (4). Between those two vital blows, Jadeja ran out Dan Christian off a direct throw which reduced Bangalore to 81-5 in the 10th over with the chase falling apart for Virat Kohli's team.
Opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal (34 off 15 balls) briefly looked to threaten Chennai's imposing target before he was caught at backward square leg off Shardul Thakur (1-11) in an otherwise under-par batting effort by Bangalore.
"It's good to get a performance like this out of the way early in the season," said Kohli, who scored only eight runs. "You can probably say one guy beat us."
SUPER OVER DOWNS WILLIAMSON
At Chennai, Kane Williamson nearly pulled off victory for Hyderabad but his unbeaten 66 off 51 balls took his team to 159-7 after Delhi chose to bat first and scored 159-4.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, playing his first IPL game after recovering from Covid-19, gave away only seven runs in his Super Over against Hyderabad skipper David Warner and Williamson.
Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant hit a boundary against leg-spinner Rashid Khan and then ran a leg bye off the last ball to hand Hyderabad their fourth loss this season in five games.
"A thrilling game (but) it shouldn't have gone to the Super Over," Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan said. "Kane Williamson played a very good knock, he's a champion player, but good to win it in the end."
Patel picked up 2-26 off his tidy bowling in the regular game, but the batters didn't give up. Needing 16 off Kagiso Rabada's last over, Williamson hit a boundary and No. 9 Jagadeesha Suchith (14 not out) smashed the fast bowler for a six. The target came down to two to win off the last ball but Rabada conceded only one run to force the Super Over.
