Key points:
- Shikhar Dhawan became the first to score consecutive centuries in the 13-season history of the Indian Premier League ( IPL).
- In the sixth over, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) lost two wickets.
- He danced down the wicket to just let the fast bowlers realize who was in charge.
- And the sweep was there. He got a six the first time Dhawan played it.
- When Bishnoi foxed him through flight, the first incorrect shot Dhawan played was on the 80.
- In 2019, Dhawan managed to score five half-centuries, four in 2018.
Shikhar Dhawan became the first to score consecutive centuries in the 13-season history of the Indian Premier League ( IPL), his undefeated effort of 106 (61b; 4×12; 6×3) coming mainly from shots square of both the wicket with the garnishing offered by those struck down the track.
In yesterday’s Match:
If that wasn’t a winning cause, that was because Nicholas Pooran compensated with a 28-ball blitz that trapped 53 (4×6; 6×3) for running out Mayank Agarwal.
Pooran’s clean strike came since Chris Gayle (29; 13b; 4×3; 6×2) swung his huge arms through Tushar Deshpande’s first five deliveries to string a series of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6.
In the sixth over, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) lost two wickets and KL Rahul before that, but they were taken close by Glenn Maxwell (32; 24b; 4×3) before Deepak Hooda and Jimmy Neesham secured a five-wicket victory.
This was their third straight win, and now KXIP has defeated the top three teams in IPL13, the most secure being the one against Delhi Capitals champions.
Dhawan’s top three IPL ratings now are 106, 101, and 97, and in both of them, he wasn’t out. He started Tuesday with a boundary at backward point gifted by a Pooran misfield and delivered the first of a collection of sweeps in the first over through the innings, bowled by Glenn Maxwell.
He danced down the wicket to just let the fast bowlers realize who was in charge, Dhawan did it to Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Shami encapsulated his innings with the three boundaries throughout the fifth over bowled.
A pull was there, one that blew past the wicket-keeper and a push.Such was the control of Dhawan that he might step out and loft Murugan Ashwin, but the ball fell way short of Neesham manning the fence, even as the bowler shouted ‘catch it.’
Soon after, after flicking Neesham, Dhawan called ‘two’ but the shot was played so well that it fetched the boundary.
Dhavan’s sweep shot in the last Match:
And the sweep was there. He got a six the first time Dhawan played it. He got a similar result from Ravi Bishnoi, hitting it across square-leg, Dhawan’s go-to place for the ball, but he swept to the midwicket fence with one-off Ashwin.
However, the best of the night will be the paddle sweep off Maxwell, almost caressing the pads of wicket-keeper Rahul on the way to the boundary.
When Bishnoi foxed him through flight, the first incorrect shot Dhawan played was on the 80, but the grab fell between fielders. Wickets dropped around him, the score of Delhi Capitals of 164/5 just 58 more than their opener, but Dhawan got to his century with a brace of two in cruise control.
In 2019, Dhawan managed to score five half-centuries, four in 2018 and has two along with two hundred this year. This year, a lot of stuff has improved, mostly for the worse. Dhawan didn’t.
