11 surprising moments in cricket which you didn't expect at all in 2013

11. Nepal qualifying for the ICC World Twenty20 next year

Nepal’s Sharad Veswakar celebrating after hitting the winning runs

Nepal has come a long way to qualify for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in Bangladesh. On 16th November 2013 they created history when they beat Kenya by 6 wickets in an exciting and emotional match. Chasing 183 against Kenya, they needed 17 runs off the final over. Sharad Veswakar hit three sixes in the last over to take Nepal over the victory line.

10. Jonathan Trott’s stress related illness

Jonathan Trott was coping with stress related illness for several years now

It came out to be a shock when Jonathan Trott left the Ashes tour of Australia midway after the first Test at Gabba citing stress related illness which he was coping for several years now.

“I don’t feel it is right that I’m playing knowing I’m not 100% and I cannot currently operate at the level I have reached in the past,” Trott said in a statement. “My priority now is to take a break from cricket to focus on my recovery.”

Jonathan Trott is the third English cricketer to depart a tour with a stress-related illness in recent years. Earlier openor Marcus Trescothick left the 2005-06 Indian tour and the 2006-07 Ashes tour of Australia, while left-arm spinner Michael Yardy departed during the 2011 World Cup. Neither cricketer has played for England again.

9. Revival of Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson has been fast, aggressive and accurate against England

Fast, aggressive and accurate. That’s how one would describe Mitchell Johnson’s bowling form lately against England. Two Ashes Test down, Australia leading 2-0 and two Man of the Match awards for the pacer speak volumes of his influence in the series so far.

It should be noted that before this series, Johnson had played only 3 Tests in the past year for Australia. However, he did well in this year’s IPL, picked up 24 wickets and finished joint third with Harbhajan Singh. He wasn’t selected for the Ashes tour of England but did well in the Champions Trophy. We all are impressed with his recent form but all in all he had a decent year all round.

8. India winning the ICC Champions Trophy

India winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

India had a terrific year. They won 5 ODI series this year. So, winning the ICC Champions Trophy might not just sound as exciting it should be. But it was. After suffering an embrassing whitewash of 4-0 in the Test series in 2011, India lost the only T20I and the ODI series as well on that tour. They didn’t manage to win a single match against England in the entire tour.

With the rise of unprecendented rise of Shikhar Dhawan and Ravindra Jadeja in the tournament ensured India winning the elusive ICC Champions Trophy making MS Dhoni the only captain to win all the major ICC tournaments.

7. The rise of Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan was in a superb form in 2013

What a year it was for Indian openor Shikhar Dhawan. His 187 on debut against Australia in the 3rd Test at Mohali was just a treat to watch. Scoring freely on both sides of the wicket, racing to his ton in just 85 balls which incidentally is the fastest hundred in Tests on debut. He also holds the Indian record of scoring highest individual runs on the debut.

His form was carried on to the ODIs as he went on to hit as many as 5 hundreds in the ODIs and 4 fifties. After making a comeback, this certainly was one of the pleasant moments in 2013.

6. Rohit Sharma’s 209 off 158 balls against Australia

Rohit Sharma after hitting his double hundred against Australia

Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma this year. Three Indians have now hit a double hundred in limited overs cricket. One might blame the short boundaries, flat tracks and new ODI rules in the recent years for this feat. But it should not take away anything from the right-hander from Mumbai who hit as many as 16 sixes(the most ever) in his innings of 209.

A superb year for Rohit Sharma after failing so many times in the past. Other than the double hundred, winning the IPL 2013, scoring a hundred on his debut Test and forming a formidable pair with Shikhar Dhawan as an openor were other notable performances from this year.

5. South Africa losing ODI series at home against Pakistan

Pakistan became the first sub-continental team to beat South Africa at home in ODIs

How often do you see a sub continent team doing well in South African conditions? Misbah-ul-Haq became the first captain from the sub-continent to win a bilateral ODI series in South Africa when Pakistan defeated the Proteas in a thrilling match by just 1 run at Port Elizabeth.

4. Zimbabwe winning a Test against Pakistan and squaring the series

Zimbabwe cricket players celebrating their win against Pakistan

The last time Zimbabwe won a Test match before gaining the Test status again was way back in 2001 against India. The last time they won a Test was in 2011 against Bangladesh after regaining the Test status. They won the match by 130 runs at the Harare Sports Club.

After trailing the Test series 0-1, Zimbabwe remarkably won the 2nd Test against Pakistan by 24 runs at the same ground which was one of the biggest upset of the year.

3. 19-year-old Ashton Agar’s 98 at number 11 on his debut

Ashton Agar scored 98 runs against England batting at number 11

Australia were 117-9, when the 19-year-old debutant Ashton Agar came in to bat at number 11. The left-arm bowler forged a partnership of 163 runs for the last wicket with Phil Hughes(81*) went on to score a majestic 98 off just 101 balls. It was disappointing that he got out just 2 runs short of a fine debut hundred and what could have been the first one to be scored by a number 11.

However, he did break several records:

- Highest Test 10th wicket partenership with Phil Hughes.

- Highest Test score by a number 11 batsmen

- Highest Test score by a number 11 on debut

- Highest Test score by an Australian at number 11

2. The year of Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja contributed with both bat and ball in 2013

After finding himself in trolls, memes and jokes on social media for most part of his career so far, Ravindra Jadeja silenced all his critics with some astounding performances especially with the ball in 2013. He took 52 ODI wickets this year, just 1 less than highest wicket taker of the year Saeed Ajmal. He became only the third Indian bowler after Anil Kumble and Ajit Agarkar to take 50 wickets in a calendar year. Kumble took 61 wickets in 1996 and Agarkar took 58 wickets in 1998.

Jadeja also contibuted with the bat for India on few occasions down the order when needed. He might just be the all-rounder India were looking for a long time now.

1. IPL spot-fixing by Rajasthan Royal players, illegal betting and withdrawal of Pune Warriors

People calling for IPL ban after spot-fixing and illegal betting controversy

In May 2012, Indian news channel India TV aired a sting operation which accused as many as five players involved in spot-fixing. The five players were, TP Sudhindra (Deccan Chargers), Mohnish Mishra (Pune Warriors), Amit Yadav, Shalabh Srivastava (Kings XI Punjab) and Abhinav Bali, Delhi cricketer. Back then, IPL board immediately suspended the 5 uncapped players.

Just after a year, 3 IPL players were arrested by Delhi Police on the charges of spot-fixing. All the players were from the Rajasthan Royals franchise. The three players were Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan & Ajit Chandila and were suspended by BCCI until the inquiry in case is completed by the police.

Two promising players like Chavan and Chandila and World Cup winning Indian pacer Sreesanth’s names were bit of a shock for the whole country.

In a different case, a top official of the Chennai Super Kings franchise and son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan, Gurunath Meiyappan, was arrested in by Mumbai Crime Branch in connection with illegal betting. More prominent names like Vindu Dara Singh and Raj Kundra popped out as well.

Pune Warriors, the IPL franchise owned by the Sahara Group withdrew from the IPL after failing to pay the full franchise fee for the year 2013.