Fastest Centuries in IPL

Centuries Galore: Fastest Centuries in IPL History

The Indian Premier League turns 13 this year, and it is a festival for people in India. In India, cricket has never been the same since the inception of IPL. It is a breathtaking display of cricket by players who come from all over the world. For two months the fans get enough entertainment and matches keep them on the edge of their seats.  

Over the twelve years, IPL has seen 58 centuries scored by 35 different batsmen. 13 of those centuries have been scored by Royal Challengers Bangalore, the highest by any team. Chris Gayle is at the top of the list with 6 centuries to his name. The first century in IPL was scored in its inaugural match on 18th April 2008 by Brendon McCullum. 

With the thirteenth season of Indian Premier League just days away, it promises to be bigger and better than the last time. As we gear up for two months of great & exciting cricketing extravaganza, let’s take a look at the fastest centuries ever scored in IPL history.

AB de Villiers (42 balls), Royal Challengers v Gujrat Lions, 2016

When in full flow AB de Villiers is perhaps the best and most exciting batsmen in world cricket. His breathtaking display of stroke play can take apart any bowling line up. At that time AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, the two best-limited overs batsmen were in a record partnership of 229 runs. The competition was between the two, and de Villiers won the race by making a century. His knock studded with 12 sixes and 10 fours with a total of 129 runs off 52 balls. He ended up reaching a century in just 42 deliveries. Royal Challengers inflicted a heavy defeat on Gujrat Lions by a massive 144 runs.

Adam Gilchrist (42 balls), Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians, 2008

Adam Gilchrist was one the costliest players sold for the inaugural edition of the game at $765,000 to Deccan Chargers. His scintillating performance came against Mumbai Indians when he smashed 109 off 47 balls, reaching his century in only 38 deliveries. It took him just twelve overs to chase a target of 154 runs. En route to his hundred, he hit 10 sixes and 9 fours and most of his runs were scored through the leg side. 

David Miller (38 balls), Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2013

Kings XI Punjab was in a dire situation when they needed 140 to win off 12.2 overs with only seven wickets in hand. David Miller came to the crease but soon another wicket fell, and Punjab was looking at another defeat that season. It was then that Miller pulled off a remarkable heist, for which he had threatened to do in previous games as well. In the 14th over, after being dropped at a point in the game he reached 101 runs off 38 deliveries. His destructive single included 8 boundaries and 7 huge sixes and did the unattainable for his team by winning the game with 12 balls to spare.

Yusuf Pathan (37 balls), Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians, 2010

In his 21-year career, Shane Warne described this innings as the best he had ever seen. 100 of 37 balls was a remarkable achievement by Yusuf Pathan considering his team was chasing a target of 213 runs. He hit 8 sixes and 9 fours and nearly pulled off what could have been a stunning victory. His innings contained an incredible period of 11 balls from which he scored 54 runs! He reached this record in a ball less than Miller to achieve the fastest centuries of IPL History which was intact for a good three years.

Chris Gayle (30 balls), Royal Challengers Bangalore v Pune Warriors India, 2013

A list of records would be incomplete without the mention of ‘The Gayle-storm’. T20s are usually criticized that remarkable performances are quickly forgotten because of the frantic rate at which they come. But Chris Gayle’s momentous 175 of 66 balls is hard to forget. It is the fastest ever centuries in Ipl t20 history and remains the highest ever score by an individual. Studded with 17 sixes which is a record in itself, most by any individual and 13 fours his knock was truly extraordinary.

IPL Auction 2020

The IPL Auction 2020 Highlight – IPL Teams Players Squad

On 19th December 2019, 332 players went under the hammer as the 8 teams scrambled to tweak their playing combinations at the IPL 2020 auction. 69 players were sold during the auction which included 29 overseas players. This was a mini-auction before the big reboot following IPL 2020 when teams will be disbanded and fresh players will be picked by the franchises.

Australian players attracted the most number of bids at 12, while England was a close second at 7 players being sold. Pat Cummins from Australia was sold to KKR for a record Rs. 15.50 crore, the most expensive foreign player ever bought. Piyush Chawla became the most expensive Indian player who was bought at a huge price of Rs. 6.75 crores by CSK. Glen Maxwell and Dale Steyn were bought back by their respective teams Kings XI Punjab and RCB.  

Delhi Capitals was involved in intense bidding with Royal Challengers Bangalore to acquire Pat Cummins, eventually; Kolkata Knight Riders ambushed both the franchises and bought Cummins. It will be interesting to see his performance this season. He was last featured in the 2017 edition for the Delhi franchise.

Glen Maxwell was the second most expensive buy for Rs. 10.75 crore by Kings XI Punjab. Earlier last year Glen Maxwell had taken a short break due to mental health issues. KXIP needed an overseas allrounder, it will be interesting to see what Maxwell brings to the team after his short break.

Let’s see how all the teams fared at the end of the IPL auction 2020. Starting with Chennai Super Kings.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (CSK)

After last season’s routine run to the final everything looks hunky-dory with this franchise. But there could be a storm brewing for the team as MS Dhoni moves slightly towards the retirement arch. One other problem with the squad is that it’s mostly old players except for Deepak Chahar, who is a viable player for retention next season. With Rs. 14.6 crore in its kitty and 5 slots empty, which includes 2 slots for overseas player bought only 4 players.

Piyush Chawla was their most expensive buy at Rs. 6.75 crores, he was also the costliest Indian player bought at the auction. Australian pacer Josh Hazelwood was bought for his base price of Rs 2 crore. These purchases have strengthened Chennai’s bowling attack. Englishman Sam Curran was picked for Rs 5.5 crore and R Sai Kishore for Rs 20 lakh. Curran is a good all-rounder and can fit in well with the team for overseas games. Whereas Kishore stands uncapped and will make his debut in this season of IPL. 

DELHI CAPITALS (DC)

Delhi Capitals had an impressive season last year which came to an end at the playoffs. Easily one of their finer seasons in recent times. With 11 slots empty, including 5 slots for overseas player and Rs 27. 85 crores in their kitty they had decisions to make. Delhi needed a reliable finisher for their death over woes.  Shimron Hetmeyer the West Indies batsmen and a finisher was their most expensive buy at Rs 7.75 crore.

They also bought Australians Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey. Marcus an all-rounder and Alex a wicketkeeper are good choices to add to their already strong team. Two England members were also purchased, Chris Woakes and Jason Roy for Rs 1.5 crore. 3 Indians were also bought namely Lalit Yadav, Tushar Deshpande, and Mohit Sharma. Delhi needed a little improvement in the seam bowling department, Woakes and Stoinis will hopefully complete that requirement. 

KINGS XI PUNJAB (KXIP)

An amount of Rs 42.7 crore is reflective of both profound changes as well as an empty trophy cabinet. Last season KXIP finished 6th on the points table with an underwhelming performance. With R. Ashwin gone they needed a new captain and gaps in their bowling department needed to be filled.

They also needed a finisher after they released David Miller. Before the auction, they released seven of their players and the highest amount in their purses among the 8 franchises. With 9 slots to fill including 4 overseas players, they managed to fill each spot and bring their team to a 25-member squad. Glen Maxwell was their costliest buy at Rs 10.75 crores to strengthen their batting woes. Sheldon Cottrell, the West Indies pacer was bought for a whopping Rs 8.5 crores, his pace bowling will bring extra oomph to the team. James Neesham was another popular buy, a much-needed all-rounder for the team.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (KKR)

The two-time champions had an underwhelming last outing unable to reach the playoffs. With 11 slots empty and Rs 35.65 crore in its kitty KKR bought 9 players. Pat Cummins was the most expensive buy at a record Rs 15.50 crore. The team needed a leader for the pace attack and Cummins is the perfect fit. The world cup winning captain of England, Eoin Morgan sold out for Rs 5.25 crore. Morgan will bring stability to the middle order batsmen. Australian all-rounder Chris Green was also picked up for Rs 20 lakhs, his allrounder abilities will be a good backup for Russel. Other players bought were Varun Chakaravarthy, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Nikhil Naik, Pravin Tambe, and M Siddharth. Three players are uncapped, so it’s a fairly young squad and it will be interesting to see what they can bring to the team.

MUMBAI INDIANS (MI)

The defending champions have a strengthened team and there is no such glaring problem with the lineup. The only thing they needed to concentrate on was a backup for their veteran player Lasith Malinga. With 7 slots to fill and Rs 13.05 crores, they bought 6 players. Nathan Coulter-Nile was their most expensive buy at Rs 8 crores, followed by Chris Lynn at his base price of Rs 2 crores. To strengthen their bowling attack, they bought in Mohsin Khan, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, and Digvijay Deshmukh. Their batting is already strong being led by captain Rohit Sharma. Newest additions are Saurabh Tiwary and Lynn. Lynn being a big hitter and Coulter-Nile a bowling allrounder makes the team stronger and will make for a good defense against the opposition.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS (RR)

Rajasthan Royals finished seventh last season, not a very good position to finish off a season. With Rs 28.9 crores in its kitty and 11 slots empty the franchise had some decisions to make. The main issue with their team is finishing, with both ball and bat. They need a good finisher as well as a good death bowler. For their batting woes, they picked up Robin Uthappa for Rs 3 crores, their most expensive purchase. David Miller was purchased at his base price of Rs 75 lakh.

Considering his talent, he was a budget buy for the team. Jaydeep Undakat was bought for Rs 3 crores for their bowling problems. Andrew Tye, Tom Curran and Oshane Thomas were the overseas players bought. RR invested in young talent and picked up Yashasvi Jaiswal, 17 yr old batting sensation. Allrounder Anirudha Joshi and wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat were picked up for Rs 80 lakh which was their base price.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (RCB)

After another disappointing season RCB needed to take decisions to improve their team for a chance at winning the coveted IPL trophy. They had a purse of Rs 27.9 crores and 12 slots to fill which included 6 overseas slots as well.

What they needed were top class bowlers as last season they took the second-fewest wickets (14) in the tournament. Australia’s Kane Richardson and Sri Lanka’s Isuru Adana were bought for Rs 4 crores and Rs 50 lakhs respectively for their bowling woes. Dale Steyn was a surprise buy for them at the end of the auction at Rs 2 crores. Chris Morris at Rs 10 crores was their most expensive buy and their most expensive player in the IPL 2020 auction. Money was also invested in young talent when Pavan Deshpande and Shahbaz Ahamad were bought for their base prices. In form Australian Joseph Philippe who is a wicketkeeper-batsman was a surprise buy at Rs 20 lakhs.

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD (SRH)

SRH has been a consistent performer since its debut in 2013. With Rs 17 crores in their kitty and 7 slots to fill this included 2 overseas members. Their star player Shakib Al Hasan who is an allrounder will be missed as he is serving a ban for not reporting a fixing approach. They needed to concentrate on a finisher as their death over scoring has remained a problem since the last four seasons. They acquired the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Fabien Allen who are good all-rounders. Money was also invested in young talent when Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, and Sanjay Yadav were bought. SRH happens to be the strongest team on paper; it will be interesting to see how they perform at the 13th season of the IPL. 

IPL Auction 2020

Vivo IPL 2020 Player Contract Extensions Announced

Ahead of the IPL player auction every year, IPL franchises release, trade or retain some players to achieve a team that can help win them the IPL trophy. Each squad has 18-25 members with 8 overseas members allowed per squad. 

Last December before the big player auction finalists Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as well as the ever-consistent Sunrisers Hyderabad chose to retain most of their players. They had very few slots to fill as the main players were already present in their squad. Teams who have struggled (Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, and Royal Challengers Bangalore) to make it to the finals were looking to completely revamp their squad. Delhi Capitals who had a good run last season also opted to revamp their squad instead of retaining old players.  Players that have had a good season with the franchise are usually up for IPL retention.

Let’s take a look at the big names retained by the eight IPL franchises

VIRAT KOHLI (ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE)

Bangalore did not have a great run at the IPL last year, but the same cannot be said about their captain Virat Kohli. On the contrary, he has had a splendid year across all formats of the game both at home and away, all the while leading the side. He is also one of the most expensive retained IPL player 2020 by the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Rs 17 Crores. His never say die attitude and phenomenal batting powers made it easier for the franchise to retain him and also the money was well spent. He is also the costliest IPL player to be retained.

ROHIT SHARMA (MUMBAI INDIANS)

He is famously dubbed the “Hitman” and very rightly so as he is a very dangerous batsman when it comes to the limited over games. A testament to this is the three double hundreds he has to his name. Retained by the Mumbai franchise he is one of the most expensive players at Rs 15 Crores. Last year he had a wonderful international outing with an average of 24 in T20’s and above 50 in tests and ODI’s. He has also led the Mumbai Indians team to a record 3 trophies.  His teammate and pacer Jasprit Bumrah also made it to the IPL retention list.

MS DHONI (CHENNAI SUPERKINGS)

Dhoni is rightly the prodigal son of Chennai. After a two-year ban on Chennai when they came back in the 2018 season their first order of business was to secure Dhoni. They bought him for a whopping Rs 15 Crores and have retained him up till now and will do so in the future. In the next season hopefully, they are looking forward to a third win at the tournament. 

DAVID WARNER (SUNRISIERS HYDERABAD)

David Warner is one of the most expensive players to be retained by Hyderabad. Warner has pressure to perform well for the team as the team has paid a hefty amount to retain him back. The franchise had even retained him back when he was facing a ban due to the ball-tampering case. 

BEN STOKES (RAJASTHAN ROYALS)

Ben Stokes was roped in by Rajasthan Royals for the 2018 IPL season and has been retained ever since. He is a destructive batsman when it comes to the limited over game. He also played a crucial role in helping England win their maiden ICC World Cup. At Rs 12 Crores he was one of the most expensive players to be bought in the 2018 season. 

DINESH KARTHIK (KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS)

Dinesh Karthik was one of the big names to be retained for the upcoming season of IPL. The franchise announced that he would also be leading the team with newly acquired Eoin Morgan as the vice-captain. 

SHIKHAR DHAWAN (DELHI CAPITALS)

The Delhi franchise chose to retain its top opener, Shikhar Dhawan. Fondly known as ‘Gabbar’ he is the star opener for the franchise and has had a very consistent performance since the inception of IPL in 2008. He plays well both against pace and spin.

K. L. RAHUL (KINGS XI PUNJAB)

Punjab chose to retain K L Rahul who has been on a roll in the current cricketing season. He could also be made captain after R Ashwin was traded to Delhi Capitals. Rahul can be a potent player when in form and a nightmare for the opposition players. 

Vivo IPL 2020 Player

971 Players Register for Vivo IPL 2020 Players Auction

Ahead of the IPL 2020 players auction every year, IPL franchises release, trade or retain some players to achieve a team that can help win them the IPL trophy. Each squad has 18-25 members with 8 overseas members allowed per squad. 

Last December before the big player auction finalists Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as well as the ever-consistent Sunrisers Hyderabad chose to retain most of their players. They had very few slots to fill as the main players were already present in their squad. Teams who have struggled (Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, and Royal Challengers Bangalore) to make it to the finals were looking to completely revamp their squad. Delhi Capitals who had a good run last season also opted to revamp their squad instead of retaining old players.  Players that have had a good season with the franchise are usually up for IPL retention.

Let’s take a look at the big names retained by the eight IPL franchises

VIRAT KOHLI (ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE)

Bangalore did not have a great run at the IPL last year, but the same cannot be said about their captain Virat Kohli. On the contrary, he has had a splendid year across all formats of the game both at home and away, all the while leading the side. He is also one of the most expensive retained IPL player by the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Rs 17 Crores. His never say die attitude and phenomenal batting powers made it easier for the franchise to retain him and also the money was well spent. He is also the costliest IPL player to be retained.

ROHIT SHARMA (MUMBAI INDIANS)

He is famously dubbed the “Hitman” and very rightly so as he is a very dangerous batsman when it comes to the limited over games. A testament to this is the three double hundreds he has to his name.  Retained by the Mumbai franchise he is one of the most expensive players at Rs 15 Crores. Last year he had a wonderful international outing with an average of 24 in T20’s and above 50 in tests and ODI’s. He has also led the Mumbai Indians team to a record 3 trophies.  His teammate and pacer Jasprit Bumrah also made it to the IPL retention list.

MS DHONI (CHENNAI SUPER KINGS)

Dhoni is rightly the prodigal son of Chennai. After a two-year ban on Chennai when they came back in the 2018 season their first order of business was to secure Dhoni. They bought him for a whopping Rs 15 Crores and have retained him up till now and will do so in the future. In the next season hopefully, they are looking forward to a third win at the tournament. 

DAVID WARNER (SUNRISIERS HYDERABAD)

David Warner is one of the most expensive players to be retained by Hyderabad. Warner has pressure to perform well for the team as the team has paid a hefty amount to retain him back. The franchise had even retained him back when he was facing a ban due to the ball-tampering case. 

BEN STOKES (RAJASTHAN ROYALS)

Ben Stokes was roped in by Rajasthan Royals for the 2018 IPL season and has been retained ever since. He is a destructive batsman when it comes to the limited over game. He also played a crucial role in helping England win their maiden ICC World Cup. At Rs 12 Crores he was one of the most expensive players to be bought in the 2018 season. 

DINESH KARTHIK (KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS)

Dinesh Karthik was one of the big names to be retained for the upcoming season of IPL. The franchise announced that he would also be leading the team with newly acquired Eoin Morgan as the vice-captain. 

SHIKHAR DHAWAN (DELHI CAPITALS)

The Delhi franchise chose to retain its top opener, Shikhar Dhawan. Fondly known as ‘Gabbar’ he is the star opener for the franchise and has had a very consistent performance since the inception of IPL in 2008. He plays well both against pace and spin.

K. L. RAHUL (KINGS XI PUNJAB)

Punjab chose to retain K L Rahul who has been on a roll in the current cricketing season. He could also be made captain after R Ashwin was traded to Delhi Capitals. Rahul can be a potent player when in form and a nightmare for the opposition players. 

Expensive Players in the IPL Auctions

IPL 2020: Five Most Expensive Players in the IPL Auctions

IPL auctions are touted as one of the most worthwhile avenues to make the most money for cricketers around the globe. The richest cricket league annually holds player auctions for eight franchises to assemble a team worthy of lifting the coveted IPL trophy. A huge amount of money is amassed by international cricketers as well as uncapped players. 

At the very first IPL auction in 2008, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the most expensive buy at USD 15 Lakhs. He was sold to the Chennai franchise and has been their skipper up till now.

Today IPL players are sold for as high as 15-17 crores.  Let’s take a look at the five most expensive IPL players in the history of IPL.

Yuvraj Singh – 16 Crores, Delhi Daredevils (2015) Most Expensive Player to be Auctioned Ever

Yuvraj is famous for hitting 6 sixes off Stuart Broad at the inaugural T20 world cup. Ever since he has been a hot commodity for every IPL team out there. It doesn’t come as a surprise that he is the most expensive player ever sold in IPL history. In his 12-yearlong IPL career he has played for 6 teams although he was never able to set the stage ablaze with his fiery shots. Even after giving mediocre performances nothing kept him away from getting elusive contracts. 

In 2015 Delhi nabbed him after winning a four-way bidding war with other teams. Bought at 16 crores his was the highest bid ever and remains so till today.  Unfortunately, even spending this much money didn’t do any good for them as Yuvraj managed to score on 248 runs in the entire season.

Pat Cummins – 15.5 Crores, Kolkata Knight Riders (2019)

The most recent player to make this list in Australian pacer, Pat Cummins. At the 2019 IPL auction, he was the most expensive player to go under the hammer. He is the number one ranked Test bowler and has played a big role in getting the Australian team back to safe waters. Cummins plays extremely well across all formats of cricket which makes him the most sought-after cricketer out there.

Although a big name in the cricketing world no one expected him to be the most expensive but at 15.5 crores. In a three-way bidding war with Delhi and Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders successfully bought him spending approximately 20% of their purse money.

His performance will be in the spotlight in the upcoming season of IPL.

Ben Stokes – 14.50 Crores, Rising Pune Supergiants (2017)

Currently, he is the biggest name in English cricket especially after leading his team to victory at the ICC world cup, a maiden win for England. Earlier in 2019 he also played a memorable inning in the Ashes test series which they went on to win. In his short career spanning a decade, it was undoubtedly a remarkable year for him. His biggest highlight of 2017 came when he bagged his maiden IPL contract for a whopping 14.50 Crores.

Initially shelling out such a big amount seemed like a hasty move by the Pune franchise as Stokes had never played in the IPL. He rightly proved his worth by scoring 300 runs at a strike rate of 145. He could not play the entire season but his efforts lead the team to the finals eventually justifying his price tag.

Yuvraj Singh – 14 Crores, Royal Challengers Bangalore (2014)

Yuvraj Singh was undoubtedly the most sought-after player at the IPL auctions. It is no surprise that he features twice on this list. Fondly remembered for his performances in the 2007 and 2011 ICC world cup games is the reason why teams wanted him on their side. 

In 2014 he was on the wish list of many teams but eventually, Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to acquire him for a price of 14 Crores. His inclusion in the team led to an elite batting line up for the Bangalore team. Unfortunately, his addition to the team did not help the Bangalore ta win the IPL trophy.

Ben Stokes – 12.5 Crores, Rajasthan Royals (2018)

An allrounder with a multi-dimensional skillset Ben Stokes is the perfect candidate for the T20 format. As an extremely famous cricketer, it is difficult to not shine the spotlight on him. After his debut in 2017 teams wanted to make him a part of their side and were ready to break their bank for it. Rajasthan Royals known for their bargain purchases shelled out 12.5 Crores to acquire the talents of Stokes.  Unfortunately, though this season of IPL was not as eventful for him as the previous one, as he ended up making just 196 runs from 13 games.