Stats: Captain and keeper scoring fifties in the same inning in the IPL

There have been only six occasions before in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when the skipper and the wicketkeeper both have scored fifties in the same match. And the latest addition to the tally is Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa’s wonderful show against the Rising Pune Supergiant in Pune in the tenth season of the IPL.

Both Kolkata Knight Riders and the RPS were in good form before the two teams locked horns in Pune. Steve Smith’s men got the opportunity to bat first and put up a good score of 182 on the board. The Knight Riders made the run chase look extremely easy, courtesy to some brilliant batting by skipper Gambhir and wicketkeeper-batsman Uthappa.

Sunil Narine who also has surprised everyone this time in the IPL scoring quick runs at the top of the order, got out early this time in the run chase. But then Uthappa walked out to the middle and showed no signs of mercy on the Pune bowlers as he hammered all of them all around the park.

He did not even spare South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir who has been in scintillating form this year and has been the pick of the Pune bowlers in the tenth season. Uthappa, however, gave an opportunity when he was batting at 12 but Jaydev Unadkat could not hold on to the chance.

Gambhir, on the other hand, played a much calm and composed innings picking the right deliveries to hit. Uthappa finally got out after scoring 87 whereas Gambhir fell for 62. But Kolkata completed the run chase in style as all the hard work had already done by the skipper and the wicketkeeper.

The two have also earlier struck fifties in the same match for the Kolkata franchise in the last season against the Kings XI Punjab. They also became only the second pair to strike fifties twice in the same match after Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.

Here are the list of captain and wicketkeeper scoring fifties in the same match:

Virat Kohli-KL Rahul and Gautam Gambhir-Robin Uthappa are the only two pairs to score fifties in the same match twice.