ODIs and the T20Is over the last few years have witnessed several close contests, with the results decided in the last over. It is always entertaining for the fans when the game stays in balance throughout and goes right down to the last over in limited-overs cricket. 

This is where the finishers and the death-over bowlers come into play and make the game their own. Knowing the art of yorkers, slower balls and well-directed bouncers becomes crucial for a bowler during these times. For the batters, it is about holding their nerves, being brave and backing themselves to take on the bowlers and go for a big shot.

India have had some top-class finishers such as MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik among many others. There have been some iconic games that the Men in Blue were part of, which were decided with a last-ditch effort in the final moments.

Here are 6 times when an Indian player finished off the game with a six in the final over:

1. Axar Patel vs West Indies (ODI), in Port of Spain, July 2022

It was on July 24 at Queen’s Park Oval when West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. Windies opening batter Shai Hope scored a magnificent 115 runs off 135 balls, and skipper Nicholas Pooran contributed later on with 74 runs off 77 balls. 

The hosts put up a total of 311 for the loss of six wickets in 50 overs. India opener Shubman Gill scored 43, and Shreyas Iyer, at number three, scored 63. Sanju Samson followed it up with a well-made 54 in the middle. Axar Patel walked in when India needed 107 off 68 balls with only five wickets in hand. 

Axar came to India’s rescue, scoring his maiden fifty in ODIs. In the last over, Kyle Mayers had the ball in hand, and the visitors needed eight off six balls with the two wickets in hand. It came down to six off three, and Axar finished it off with a six to snatch India a victory from the jaws of defeat.

2. MS Dhoni vs Sri Lanka (ODI), in Port of Spain, July 2013

MS Dhoni was at his very best during the finals of the 2013 West Indies Tri-Nation Series between India and Sri Lanka. It was a low-scoring affair, and Sri Lanka only managed to put 201 on board while batting first. Kumar Sangakkara scored a  fighting 71 runs off 100 balls on a slow, spin-friendly wicket.

Opener Rohit Sharma laid a good foundation, scoring 58 off 89 balls at the top. But the chase was not straightforward for the Men in Blue as they were reduced to 167 for eight wickets in 41.5 overs and 182 for nine wickets in 46.2 overs.

It came all the way down to the last over, with India needing 15 off six balls. Shaminda Eranga was handed the ball, and it was MS Dhoni at the striker’s end. The first ball was a dot, making it 15 off five. And then came a six, four and six in the next three balls. Dhoni, as always, finished the game for India in a last-over thriller.

3. Dinesh Karthik vs Bangladesh (T20I), in Colombo, March 2018

The 2018 Nidhas T20 Tri-Series final between Bangladesh and India is one of the most memorable T20I games for Indian fans in recent years. Bangladesh scored a competitive total of 168 on a sticky wicket, thanks to Sabbir Rahman, who scored 77 off 50 balls.

In the second innings, India’s stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma scored 56 off 42 balls. The middle order failed to make a substantial contribution, lo and behold, India needed 34 off the last two overs. While Vijay Shankar was struggling at one end, it was Dinesh Karthik, on the other end, who came to India’s rescue. 

Karthik scored 22 off the 19th over and brought down the equation to 12 off six balls. After the strike was rotated a few times, it came down to 5 off the last bowl. Soumya Sarkar bowled a wide half-volley, and Karthik pounced on it and smashed it over covers. It was a flat six as India crossed the line in style.  

4. Hardik Pandya vs Australia (T20I), in Sydney, December 2020

This was yet another thrilling contest between India and Australia, a high-scoring affair, which came right down to the wire. Australia, after being put to bat first, scored 194 for the loss of five wickets. Opener Matthew Wade top-scored with 58 off 32 balls, and Steve Smith, at number three, chipped in with 46 off 38 balls.

Indian top three, all were among runs, and they were well on course to the finishing line. After 16.1 overs, the Asian side were on 149 for four wickets and needed 56 off 23 balls, and it was on Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer.

It came down to 14 needed off the last over, and the ball was given to Daniel Sams. Pandya was on strike, and got a two, six and dot off the first three balls. With India needing six off three balls, Pandya launched one over the mid-wicket boundary and finished with 42 not out off 22 balls.

5. Harbhajan Singh vs Pakistan (ODI), in Dambulla, June 2010

It was an Asia Cup classic between India and Pakistan, which was a do-or-die game for the Men in Green. Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi won the toss and elected to bat first. Opener Salman Butt got Pakistan off to a good start, scoring 74. Kamran Akmal in the backend scored 51, helping his side post 267.

For India, it was opener Gautam Gambhir and skipper MS Dhoni who contributed with 83 and 56, respectively. But the pendulum started to swing the other way as India lost wickets at regular intervals and found themselves on 219 for six wickets in the 46th over.

Mohammad Amir was given the ball to defend seven off the last over, and India had Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh on the crease. Raina was out in the second ball, and it was all on the off-spinner. The equation came down to three off two balls with Harbhajan on strike. Amir bowled a short-of-length ball, and the Indian smashed it over the boundary on the on-side to win it for his team.

6. Irfan Pathan vs Sri Lanka (T20I), in Colombo, February 2007

Sri Lanka took on world champions India four months after the inaugural T20 World Cup. The hosts won the toss and elected to bat first. Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan starred with the bat for the Lankans, scoring 61 off 47 balls. At the end of the innings, the Lankans posted 171 for four wickets.

India’s chase never got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh made some decent contributions but eventually got out in the 30s. After 15.1 overs, it seemed like it was curtains for the visitors as they were seven down for 115. India needed 56 off 29 balls, and on crease were Yusuf Pathan and his younger brother Irfan Pathan.

It was Yusuf, who initially led the counter-attack, and Irfan joined shortly after. The duo well and truly swung the game in India’s favour, and they only needed five off the last over. It was Sri Lanka’s go-to death bowler Lasith Malinga with the ball. Yusuf took a single off the first ball, and Pathan hit a flat six over mid-wicket off the second ball. As a result, India won the game in an emphatic fashion. 

One of the modern-day superstars, Virat Kohli, has been among the most followed on social media and is an inspiration for many sports professionals. His level of dedication and commitment is unmatched at times, and has created a legacy for himself which will be spoken for years. Such passion for the game makes him stand out from the rest, and his aggression has reaped a lot of rewards.

The transition phase from a chubby Kohli to a shredded gym freak has motivated a lot of people already, and it requires high levels of food control. The 33-year-old has set high standards for himself despite currently going through a tough phase in his international career, with no centuries in the last three years. However, popularly called ‘King Kohli’, the run machine is expected to be back in his prime mode sooner than later.

To score 70 international centuries by the age of 30 is something that can be dreamt of in the previous eras, and he has changed the way Test cricket is seen at the moment. Kohli has played for the same franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, since the inaugural edition in 2008 in the Indian Premier League and is the top run scorer in IPL history as well. No wonder fans love him around the country for the brand of cricket he brings in.

Here’s Virat Kohli’s earning per post on Instagram

Despite the slump in form, according to hopperhq.com, Kohli is currently in the 14th spot in the top earning celebrities list on Instagram and is the only Asian to feature in the top 25. With 200,703,169 followers, Kohli earns $1,088,000 per post on Instagram, which is equal to INR 8.69 Crores. The drastic growth of the cricketer around the world in terms of popularity is visible through the stats.

Football Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top of the list of the highest-earning celebrities on the photo-sharing platform. The Portugal superstar has 442,267,575 followers on Instagram, and he earns $2,397,000 per post. Ronaldo is followed by American model Kylie Jenner who earns $1,835,000 per post on Instagram. Another football legend, Lionel Messi, is in the third position as he earns $1,777,000 per post on Instagram.

India played its first international game in 1932. Since then, thousands of players have represented the nation and contributed to the development of the game. In these years, the world of cricket has witnessed several records that have been made and broken by Indian players. From Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over to Virat Kohli’s fastest 10,000 ODI runs, we have seen many records being shattered over the years across all three formats.

There’s a famous saying- “Records are meant to be broken” and is one that inspires that nothing is impossible in the field of sports. But some records held by Indian players seems to remain unbroken till eternity. On that note, let’s take a look at five cricket records held by Indian cricketers that are impossible to break:

1. MS Dhoni – Most stumping in international cricket 

MS Dhoni is India’s most successful captain, the best finisher of all time, and arguably the safest hand behind the wickets the game has ever seen. During his international career, he made many records and one of them is the feat of effecting most stumpings in international cricket across all three formats.

The Ranchi-born cricketer has 195 stumpings at a rate of 1.363 dismissals per innings under his belts in the 15-year-long career. He has 38 in Tests, 123 in ODIs, and 34 in T20Is. No other wicket-keeper is even close to Dhoni. Sri Lanka’s former wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara is in the second spot on the list with 139 stumpings across three formats.

Initially, Dhoni’s wicketkeeping skills were not highly rated due to his unorthodox technique but he developed it as one of the strongest aspects of his game. With lightning-fast wicket-keeping skills, the 41-year-old has turned the game into his side’s favor on numerous occasions.

2. 100 centuries of Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has arguably been the most complete batter of all-time, and arguably the greatest player the game has ever produced. Known as the God of Cricket, Tendulkar has scored tons of runs and breached several records in his 24-year-long illustrative career.

Tendulkar has a total of 100 centuries in international cricket – 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs. No one is even closer to him; former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is in the second spot with 71 centuries and India’s run-machine Virat Kohli is in the third spot, who is often believed to break Tendulkar’s 100 centuries record. However, Kohli has stuck to 70 centuries over the past three years and it appears that the RCB batter will not surpass Tendulkar as he was believed earlier.

Meanwhile, Tendulkar achieved this historic feat at the Sher-e Bangla Stadium in Dhaka against Bangladesh during the 2012 Asia Cup. He played a knock of114 which included 12 boundaries and a maximum. It was his 49th ODI century but interestingly his first against Bangladesh. With fitness issues looming over the careers of players and inconsistent team selection in the modern era, this record looks impossible to break.

3. Rohit Sharma’s highest ODI score

Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian cricket team, is regarded as one of the most destructive openers in world cricket presently and has enjoyed a tremendous run with the bat since he started opening in white-ball cricket. When it comes to limited-overs cricket, there are rarely a few who can match his effortless striking ability.

The 35-year-old opener proved why he is regarded as a special talent when he registered the highest individual score by any player in ODI cricket. His 264 runs from 173 balls against Sri Lanka nearly eight years ago is the most impossible figure to break. The Mumbai batter remains the only batter to score more than one double hundred in the ODIs and he now has three.

Rohit’s historic 264-run innings was pleasing to watch as he smashed 33 boundaries and nine sixes all over the park. However, at the start of the innings, the ‘Hitman’ was dropped on 4, and this dropped catch was very costly for the opponents as he went on to add 260 more runs. He came out to bat as the opener and left the ground on the last ball of the innings as he was dismissed by Nuwan Kulasekara. This is a record that might remain unbreakable in One-Day Internationals.

4. Most balls faced by Rahul Dravid in Test cricket

Rahul Dravid is arguably the most classical and dependable Test  batter India have ever produced. Also revered as The Wall of cricket, Dravid has faced the highest number of balls and spent most time at the crease in his 16-years-long glorious Test career. It would not be wrong to say that bowling to Dravid was a hefty task for most of the bowlers.

The former Indian skipper is the only player who has faced 31,258 deliveries during his Test career. He achieved this milestone in just 164 matches. Behind him is legendary Sachin Tendulkar on 29,437 deliveries. Meanwhile, Dravid has spent 44,152 minutes and almost 736 hours at the crease in Test matches, which is also a world record.

Dravid established himself as a tough batter with the ability to leave balls outside the off-stump, which enabled him to stay on the crease for a longer duration. From 1996 to 2012, the right-hander smashed a whopping 13,288 runs at an impressive average of 52.31 including 36 centuries.

5. Bapu Nadkarni’s 21 consecutive maidens in a Test innings

This generation of cricket fans didn’t know about Bapu Nadkarni. But for those who followed the sport back in the 1960s, he was certainly one of the spinners who was mainly known for being an economical bowler. During his time, the batters faced difficulties of playing Nadkarni’s left-arm spin as their chances of scoring runs against him were either nil or negligible.

One of India’s most economical bowlers in red-ball cricket, he bowled a record 21 consecutive maiden overs in the first Test match against England in Madras on January 12, 1964. He did not get any wickets in this innings but gave away only five runs, finishing with figures of 32-27-5-0 and an all-time best economy of 0.15 (minimum 60 balls). This record is pretty  unbreakable because such a thing is unlikely to happen again.

Overall, Nadkarni featured in 41 Tests from 1955 to 1968 and managed to take 88 wickets in a stunning economy of 1.67. Apart from bowling, he was also effective at batting in the lower order, scoring 1,414 runs at an average of 25.70.

Pacer Richard Gleeson created a good first impression on his England debut as he accounted for India’s famed top-order comprising skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant in the second T20I at Edgbaston on Saturday, July 9. He finished with figures of 3/15 from his four overs with an economy of 3.8, including a maiden.

Notably, Gleeson got his maiden England cap at the age of 34. He could not get a chance all this while in the English squad due to cut-throat competition in pace bowling that included the likes of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, etc. As the pacer finally got a well-deserved opportunity of donning the English jersey, here’s a look at a few facts related to him.

Richard Gleeson’s cricketing career

A late entrant in the international circuit, Gleeson did not play any professional cricket till 27. In fact, it was only at the age of 27 that Gleeson started his first-class career. Having made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire in 2015, he went on to represent the club till 2018. In 2019, he was signed by Lancashire and represents them to date.

Gleeson was considering retirement eight months ago due to a back injury, but decided to change his mind. The senior pacer made tremendous impact in the ongoing T20 Blast 2022, picking 23 wickets at an average of 16.34. His best spell included a fifer against Worcestershire where he finished with figures of 5/33. This also happened to be Gleeson’s first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket.

The pacer has played 34 first-class matches registering 134 scalps to his name. As far as his domestic T20 career is concerned, the Lancashire cricketer has featured in 67 games, picking up 76 wickets at an economy of 7.88 and an average of 22.8.

While he might have received his England cap late, Gleeson has played various domestic leagues across the globe, including Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Big Bash League (BBL) where he represented Rangpur Riders and Melbourne Renegades, respectively.

Almost 15 years after suffering that famous assault from Yuvraj Singh, Stuart Broad bowled the most expensive over in the history of Test cricket. It was an Indian batter once again, who gave a tough time to Broad. However, unlike Yuvraj, he’s not a top-order batter but a tail-ender. Jasprit Bumrah is the one who created history in the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston as the England fielders were left in disbelief.

It was the 84th over of India’s first innings and the visitors were nine down. Broad, who took his 550th Test wicket earlier on Day 2, looked determined to draw the last blood but little did he know India’s stand-in skipper Bumrah was about to create history. While the Indian pace spearhead collected a boundary off the first ball, Broad gifted away five wides in the subsequent delivery.

The following ball wasn’t legal either as Broad delivered a waist-high full-toss which was dispatched for six. Bumrah smashed three more fours and a six in that over before earning a quick single on the last ball. This way Broad gave away 35 runs in that over and history books were written.

Watch Video: 

World record alert: 35 runs in a single over – Bumrah is the hero. pic.twitter.com/B43Ic5T9mD

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 2, 2022

Jasprit Bumrah rejuvenated Stuart Broad’s old wounds

Before Broad, South Africa’s Robin Peterson and his teammates James Anderson and Joe Root jointly held the unwanted feat, conceding 28 runs in an over. As mentioned above, Broad completed 550 wickets in Test cricket earlier in the day, becoming only the third pacer to achieve the feat after Anderson and Australia’s Glenn McGrath.

However, his celebrations didn’t last long as Bumrah did the unthinkable. Meanwhile, Bumrah’s brilliance would also have rejuvenated Broad’s old wounds as he has been at the receiving end of such assault before. Yuvraj Singh smashed the England pacer for 36 runs in an over in the 2007 T20 World Cup. The southpaw smashed Broad for six consecutive sixes to create history in Durban.

Meanwhile, Bumrah scored 31 off 16 balls and walked back unbeaten as India posted 416 while batting first. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja made the major contributions, scoring 146 and 104 respectively.

Jasprit Bumrah will have his work cut for him as he takes the mantle of the leader for the rescheduled fifth Test against England in Birmingham. The odds are stacked against the Indian team heading into the fifth and final Test of the series as they are missing two of their best batters in KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. But the bigger problem lies in the fact that Bumrah is the eighth player to lead Team India in the last 12 months.

Before Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Rishab Pant, and Hardik Pandya have all donned the responsibilities of a captain since July 2021. But unlike all the aforementioned players, the Indian pacer has no prior experience of captaining a side and has only held the deputy’s role a few times.

The captaincy role has been a headache for the team management ever since Virat Kohli stepped down from the position. Inconsistent form and frequent injuries have made the team appoint numerous leaders in the last 12 months. The recently concluded  T20I series against Ireland saw another new face in the leadership role in the form of Hardik Pandya.

Jasprit Bumrah seeks inspiration from MS Dhoni

The 28-year-old, who will be leading the national side for the first time, has sighted the example of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, who like Bumrah, took over the captaincy role without any prior experience and went on to become India’s most celebrated skipper. Meanwhile, the bowling spearhead joins Kapil Dev on the list of fast bowlers to lead India in red-ball cricket.

“I remember speaking to MS (Dhoni), and he told me that he never captained any side before he led India for the first time. Now he is remembered as one of the most successful captains of all time. So, I am focusing on how I can help the team and not focusing on what I have done before or how the cricketing conventions or the rules have been set,” Bumrah said in a press conference on the eve of the fifth Test.

Dinesh Karthik turned 37 on Wednesday (June 1) and wishes are pouring in from different corners. The wicketkeeper-batter, who enjoyed a prolific IPL 2022, has been recalled to the Indian squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa. The RCB man, who is famously remembered for his last over heroics against Bangladesh in the 2018 Nidahas Trophy final, was also the hero for the Indian team in their first-ever T20I match.

Karthik scored an impressive 330 runs in this year’s IPL and his pyrotechnics in the latter stages of the innings saw him donning the role of the finisher. The man from Tamil Nadu has been around for quite some time and was even part of the Indian team which faced South Africa in their first-ever T20I match in 2006.

On his birthday, let’s revisit Karthik’s crucial knock in India’s first-ever T20I match.

South Africa, led by Graeme Smith, opted to bat first after winning the toss. The Indian pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar shared four wickets between them, conceding just 25 runs. South Africa’s innings was in tatters until Albie Morkel (27 off 18 balls) hit some lusty blows to take their total to a fighting 126/9.

A 21-year-old Dinesh Karthik sealed the win for India

India’s chase didn’t start well as they lost Sachin Tendulkar (10) early in the innings. But skipper Virender Sehwag (34 off 29 balls) and Dinesh Mongia (38 off 45 balls) consolidated for the Blues. India looked well on track to chase South Africa’s modest total but a couple of quick wickets of Sehwag and MS Dhoni (0) had the Indian dressing room nervous.

A 21-year-old Karthik then joined Mongia at the crease. The then youngster played some fluent shots and steadied the ship for the Blues. But, after the departure of Mongia, the momentum shifted in favour of the Proteas. With nine runs required from the final over, Smith tossed the ball to Robin Peterson.

Karthik slog swept the left-arm spinner for a magnificent six over deep midwicket and saw the game through from thereon as India chased the score to win a thrilling match. Karthik was awarded the Player-of-the-Match trophy for his impressive batting display in the contest.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has ended and the Gujarat Titans (GT) are the deserving winners of the tournament. The Titans won the final match against Rajasthan Royals and skipper Hardik Pandya was adjudged Player of the Match for his excellent performance with both bat and ball.

Ever since the cash-rich tournament came into existence in 2008, the tournament has seen several changes in rules and regulations to ensure that the game is played in fair spirit. On that note, let us take a look at ten major changes that have been made in the toughest franchise-based league.

10. Run-out (Bat in the air)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) made this rule five years ago back in 2017 and it was welcomed by most of the cricketing boards around the world and the batters as well. It ensured that batters aren’t required to drag their bat to remain standing confidently on the 22 yards.

It may be noted that the willow sometime bounces off the ground after the batter grounds it behind the crease in his attempted dive to save himself and his wicket on a cricket field. However, paving a better route to save the batter’s wicket, the IPL authorities applied the changed rules in the league as well.

The rule has greatly benefitted the batters and has helped them to save their wicket after putting in a desperate dive. As the IPL juggernaut continues, the rule will ensure that the batter’s efforts do not go in vain after giving their 100% on the field.

9. Auto no-ball 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) implemented the auto-no ball option as a solution to end umpiring errors. The rule states that the third umpire will check every ball and take the decision if the bowler has stepped over the line. Minimizing the mounting pressure on umpires, the decision appears to be having a positive impact on the game.

During the 2019 edition, Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga bowled an illegal delivery in the last ball of a match between MI and RCB. The Red Army needed seven runs to defeat the five-time champions off the last ball and ended up losing by 6 runs. Eventually, the umpire overlooked the no-balls costing  RCB two points.

The new rule has ensured that there are no margins of error in this aspect of the game. On the other hand, the on-field umpires have also been relieved and can focus on conducting the game being played on the cricket field.

8.  Concussion substitutes

A ‘concussion replacement’ is used in a match when a player is injured after being hit on the head. The injured batter can be replaced by a player having the same nature of gameplay not included in the playing XI, but the substitution has to be approved by the match referee.

IPL is a tournament that accepts changes to make the tournament better. Hence, the management committee decided to apply this rule in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League. Australian batter Steve Smith was the first player to be concussed in the history of IPL.

In IPL 2022, the fans witnessed a little different rule, but on the lines of concussion replacement termed as ‘retired out’. Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin from the Rajasthan Royals used the rule during a group stage match as he was called back to the pavilion despite not suffering any injury.

7. Decision Review System

With the on-field umpiring decisions being under immense scrutiny, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gave a green signal to the Decision Review System in 2016 after heavy discussions under the roof. The decision to bring in the DRS system has proved to be a boon for the teams across the years.

It must be noted that the BCCI was one of the boards which were against the DRS system being implemented in the international arena. After several discussions between International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI officials, the DRS system was put in place for matches played by India.

Meanwhile, in IPL, each team gets two reviews in one inning. The reviews can be retained even if the decision does not go in their favor, but it has to be ‘umpire’s call’ meaning touch and go. The introduction of a review system in IPL has ensured that the game is played fairly.

6. Runout at non-striker’s end

Considered distasteful in the gentlemen’s sport, running out at the non-striker’s end is the method of striking the bails out from the stump before bowling when the batter is outside the white line at the other end. This method to inflict a dismissal is well within the rule of the game, but it has received criticism from all corners of the cricketing world.

The first bowler to use the mode of dismissal was Indian veteran Vinoo Mankad against Australia in 1947. Hence, it sparked controversy during those days as well. It continues to be part of the same club even today.

The rule was not included during the first four editions of IPL. However, it was included in the competition’s rules and regulations in IPL 2012. In IPL 2019, senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Rajasthan Royals Jos Buttler in an uncanny style and was criticized for his actions.

5. Covid-19 replacements

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, matches in the international and domestic circuit came to a halt for quite a time. However, as soon as things started getting back to normal and the matches resumed, the International Cricket Council (ICC) brought another rule in place.

As per the new Covid-19 replacement rule, teams are allowed to replace players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a series or tournament. In line with concussion replacements, the match referee will approve the nearest like-for-like replacement.

Apart from the international and domestic circuit, the rule was also applied in the toughest franchise-based league in the world after the nod from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Since then, several franchises have used the rule to replace the Covid hit players.

4. No use of Saliva

Just like the Covid-19 replacement, the International Cricket Council (ICC)  banned the use of saliva on the ball due to the coronavirus pandemic. Traditionally, the fielder applies saliva to one side of a ball to make it swing in mid-air. However, that practice came under sharp focus in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision did not go down well with the bowlers, especially the pacers as the practice is used to obtain reverse swing, particularly, with the the red ball. However, the top board did not stop the teams to use their sweat to shine the ball. Despite the ban, cricketers sometimes apply saliva to the ball mistakenly.

As a result, the umpires were forced to change the cricket ball. Apart from the saliva ban, umpires now also sanitize the ball whenever it goes out of the cricket field after being struck for a maximum. The rule is still in place even after the pandemic reaches its ending stages.

3. IPL being conducted in two phases

It was the very first time that an IPL season was conducted in two phases in 2021. The decision was taken after several Covid-19 cases were reported in the franchise camps. The remaining edition of IPL 2021 was played in Dubai and the edition was won by Chennai Super Kings.

The IPL 2021 had to be relocated after several Covid-19 cases were detected in Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab King’s camp. Eventually, the two-time champions reached the final match of the tournament but lost the final match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

After being conducted in two phases in the previous edition, this year’s tournament was fully conducted in India. However, the Indian board decided to conduct all the group stage matches in Maharashtra and playoff stages in Kolkata and Gujarat.

2. IPL becoming 10 team tournament again

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced two teams for the IPL 2022 edition. Hence, IPL became a ten-team tournament again after 12 years. The new entrants that were introduced for IPL 2022 were Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

LSG had an excellent outing in their first edition. Under the leadership of KL Rahul, the new entrants reached the playoffs stage. The Supergiants had one of the most balanced bowling attacks in the tournament and their batting unit was also decent. LSG was knocked out of the tournament after getting defeated by RCB in the Eliminator match.

The second new team GT shocked everyone with their excellent performance throughout the tournament. The new entrants finished right at the top of the points table during the group stage matches and were the first team to reach the finals as well. Under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, GT played some excellent cricket throughout the tournament

1. Introduction of Strategic Timeout

The strategic timeout was introduced when IPL was held in South Africa due to elections in India. Strategic time-outs put the game on halt for 2.5 minutes and give both teams the time to plan their next move in the game and act according to the situation.

In one game, there is a total of four time-outs. The fielding team can take its timeout during six to nine overs. On the other hand, the batting team has the option of taking it between 13 and 16 overs. In those 2.5 minutes, the main motive of the sponsors is to create as much revenue as possible.

It is often seen that right after the strategic timeout, something is bound to whether fall of wickets or boundaries coming. The rule is still intact after its introduction in 2009 and some other leagues around the world have also opted to apply the rule in their respective tournaments.

One of the finest performers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Jos Buttler had a memorable season with the bat this year. Probably the only regret he would have is ending up as the runners up of the season and not winning the IPL title after coming so close to the championship. The Rajasthan Royals opener impressed everyone with his ability to bat in the limited-overs setup and had everyone talking.

Throughout the campaign, Buttler won a total of 37 awards, the most by any player this season. He started the league stage on a high note, went through a rough patch towards the end, but bounced back stronger in the Playoff stage. The Englishman was instrumental in taking RR to the summit clash.

Buttler bagged the ‘Player of the Match’ award thrice in the season. Two for his performances in the league games against Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, and one in the Qualifier 2 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The league stage award accounted for INR 1 lakh each, and the Qualifier 2 award accounted for INR 5 lakh. Thus, the batter earned a total of INR 7 lakh in this set.

He received the ‘Power Player’ award four times in the league stages, and one in the Qualifier 2 taking the tally to five awards. For all the five awards, Buttler received a prize of INR 1 lakh each, and adding to that he was adjudged the Power Player of the Season for which he received INR 1 lakh, summing up to INR 15 lakh under this set.

He was awarded the ‘Game Changer’ title four times in the league stage and twice in the playoff stage, taking the total to six such awards. Buttler received INR 1 lakh each for the six awards and was adjudged the Game Changer of the Season which rewarded him INR 10 lakh. Thus, he summed up to INR 16 lakh for this title.

Buttler won the ‘Super Striker of the Match’ award twice during his IPL 2022 stint, once in the league stage and once in the playoff stage. As the award was of INR 1 lakh rupees each, he earned a total of INR 2 lakh for this segment.

Jos Buttler hit maximum fours and sixes in IPL 2022

The dasher won the award for ‘Most Fours in a Match’ a whopping seven times in the season, thereby winning INR 1 lakh each for every award. Receiving the award the most number of times in the season, he was also given the award for Most Fours in the Season and received a sum of INR 10 lakh for the same, taking his tally to INR 17 Lakhs for this section. Buttler hit 83 fours during the course of IPL 2022.

Buttler bagged the award for ‘Most Sixes in a Match’ five times this season, accounting for INR 1 lakh each, making him the owner of the ‘Most Sixes of the Season’ title for which he received a sum of INR 10 lakh , taking the tally to INR 15 lakh. Buttler finished the season with 45 sixes in total.

He won the award for ‘Most Valuable Player of the Match’ thrice this season, thereby getting INR 1 lakh each for the three awards. As he bagged the award the most number of times in the tournament, he was adjudged as the Most Valuable Player of the Season as he received a sum of INR 10 lakh for the award, taking his tally to INR 13 lakh under this segment.

To end with, Buttler received the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs this season which earned him an additional INR 10 lakh. The Englishman, thus, finished his season with 37 awards under his belt and earned a whopping INR 95 lakh in total for the achievements.

Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik impressed one and all with his ability to consistently deliver balls at a speed above 150 kmph. While some of his performances did not work out for SRH, a few of them grabbed everyone’s attention. Throughout the 15th edition of the IPL, Malik earned a whopping INR 29 lakh through just the awards that he earned in the 14 games that he played.

The pacer bagged the ‘Fastest delivery award’ in all the 14 games that he played for his franchise, and earned a total of 14 lakh through this segment. Notably, every delivery of the 14 awards was clocked at or above 150 kmph. The youngster kept breaking his own record and went on to register his personal best at 157 kmph while playing against the Delhi Capitals.

He held the record for the fastest delivery of the season almost till the end, but couldn’t take the award home as Gujarat Titans’ Lockie Ferguson placed his ball at 157.3 kmph during the IPL 2022 finals against the Rajasthan Royals and clocked the fastest ball of the season.

Malik earned at least one award in every game that he played

Malik was also awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ twice for his thrilling performances against the Punjab Kings and the Gujarat Titans. Playing against PBKS, Malik bagged the award for registering the figures of 4/28 in his four-over spell. He broke his own record to register his personal best figures of 5/25 against the GT. He won a prize of INR 1 lakh each for the two awards, taking the total to INR 2 lakh.

He was also adjudged as the ‘Game Changer of the Match’ in the above two games against GT and PBKS, thereby winning one lakh each for the awards, and tallying it to INR 2 lakh. In the game against PBKS, when he registered 4/28, he was adjudged as the ‘Most Valuable Player of the Match’ and was awarded a cash prize of INR 1 lakh.

Malik was one of the standout performers this season, which earned him his maiden national call-up for the South Africa T20I series which begins on June 9. To end the IPL 2022 season on a high note, the speedster was recognized as the ‘Emerging Player of the Season’ and was rewarded a cash prize of INR 10 lakh on the final day of the season. Thus, Umran Malik ended his season with a total of INR 29 lakh in the 14 games.