IPL 2018: 5 great centuries that went in vain

Scoring a century in a T20 game isn’t a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination. It’s paramount for batsmen to consistently find the middle of the bat and also hope for luck to favour them. Nevertheless, it’s a stupendous achievement which earns appreciations and mostly guides a team to victory. It’s undoubtedly a moment to rejoice for the player and the entire team,  but what if the end result doesn’t go in favour of the team?

There have been many instances when a marvelous ton couldn’t fetch a win for the side, which is disheartening both from the player and the team’s perspective. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a celebrated cricket tournament in India and has been a witness to a number of centuries in losing causes. We take a closer look at five players who have impressed with centuries in the IPL thus far.

1. Yusuf Pathan vs Mumbai Indians, 2010

Yusuf Pathan is renowned for his swashbuckling brand of cricket and prefers to dictate terms to the bowlers. He started his IPL campaign playing for the Rajasthan Royals and played some awe-inspiring knocks for the franchise. However, his most substantial knock came against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium when the Baroda batsman recorded the then fastest century in the tournament.

Mumbai racked up 212 runs after which Yusuf fired on all cylinders and singlehandedly attempted to guide the Royals over the finishing line. He notched 100 runs off 37 balls, which included nine boundaries and eight colossal sixes. However, he succumbed to a direct-hit from Rajagopal Satish with the Royals still requiring 40 runs. Rajasthan stumbled thereafter and eventually fell short by four runs.

2. Andrew Symonds vs Rajasthan Royals, 2008

Andrew Symonds was regarded as a fierce stroke-maker and someone who could decimate quality bowling-attacks. The Birmingham-born cricketer played for the Deccan Chargers in the inaugural season of the tournament. During his four games in the opening season, he scored 161 runs, however, his knock of 117 runs off 53 balls is currently recorded as one of the most explosive knocks in the event’s history.

Symonds took charged after the fall of Shahid Afridi’s wicket and carved the Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers across the stadium. During his masterclass, the former Aussie batsman smacked 11 boundaries and seven sixes and helped the Chargers set a target of 215. However, the Royals chased down the target in the penultimate delivery courtesy a couple of breezy knocks by Graeme Smith and Yusuf Pathan.

3. Wriddhiman Saha vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2014

Wriddhiman Saha is recognized as a batsman who prefers to play copybook cricket. However, the Bengal wicket-keeper batsman has also been innovative in his stroke-play during his career. He has represented the Kings XI Punjab during their road to the Final in 2014. He came into his own during the Final against Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

The pocket-size dynamite notched a scintillating knock of 115 runs off 55 balls, which included ten boundaries and eight monstrous sixes. He enthralled the viewers and helped Punjab rack a daunting target of 200 for KKR to win the title. However, the likes of Manish Pandey stomped in and found the boundaries without much fuss. Punjab struggled to restrict the batsman as the target was chased with three balls to spare.   

4. Shane Watson vs Chennai Super Kings, 2013

Shane Watson is deemed as one of the most dynamic all-rounders to have played the game. The Queenslander has played for the Rajasthan Royals and has been a vital cog in their lineup. He has also scored a couple of tons for them in the event. One of them came against the Chennai Super Kings at the M Chidambaram Stadium, opening the batting for the Royals.

Rajasthan Royals batted first and piled up 185 runs for CSK to chase down. Their highest contributor came in the form of Watson who scored 101 runs off 61 balls, which included six boundaries and six sixes. However, Michael Hussey, his Aussie teammate, played a stupendous hand of 88 runs off 51 balls and helped CSK thump the Royals with one ball to spare.

5. Virat Kohli vs Gujarat Lions, 2016

Virat Kohli became the first batsman to score four centuries in a single season of the Indian Premier League. He scored his first ton against the Gujarat Lions at Rajkot. He compiled a knock of 100 runs off 63 balls, which included 11 boundaries and a solitary six. However, the knock went in vain and Royal Challengers Bangalore slumped to a defeat by six wickets.

Kohli opened the batting for the Challengers and played till the very end. He started cautiously, but his knock gained momentum as the match progressed. He accelerated appropriately and shepherded the Red Army to a total of 180 runs. However, Gujarat Lions blazed away during their run-chase and traced down the target with three balls to spare.

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