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Since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL), there has not been a single edition in which a century has not been scored. As many as six tons were registered in the inaugural season in 2008.
The 2009 edition saw the least number of three-figure scores - two. However, IPL 2022 saw a new record for most hundreds in a season - eight.
New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum was the first batter to notch up a century in the IPL. He did so in the very first match of the T20 league, hammering 158* off 73 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Bengaluru. West Indian great Chris Gayle holds the record for most IPL tons - six.
Among Indians, Manish Pandey was the first to smash a hundred in the IPL. RCB batter Virat Kohli has scored the highest number of tons by an Indian in the tournament - five. Apart from Pandey and Kohli, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rohit Sharma have also crossed the three-figure mark in the IPL.
As the franchises build up to IPL 2023, we predict five Indian batters who could notch up their maiden century in the T20 league during the upcoming edition.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav has been in sensational form in T20I cricket for India. Since making his debut in the format in March 2021, he has smacked 1578 runs in 45 matches at an average of 46.41 and an exceptional strike rate of 180.34.
The right-handed batter clobbered two T20I hundreds in 2022 and recently hit his third in the series against Sri Lanka, hammering 112* off 51 balls in Rajkot.
Surprisingly, the 32-year-old is yet to notch up a hundred in the IPL, the tournament that pitchforked him into the limelight. In 123 matches in the T20 league, Suryakumar has scored 2644 runs at an average of 30.39 and a strike rate of 136.78. He has 16 half-centuries with a best of 82.
Given the kind of prolific form he is in, there is a great chance of Suryakumar crossing the 100-run barrier in the T20 league this season.
#2 Prithvi Shaw
Dynamic Mumbai batter Prithvi Shaw might be finding it difficult to make a comeback into the Indian team. However, he is certain to open the batting (fitness permitting) for Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2023 with David Warner.
The 23-year-old slammed the second-highest individual score in the Ranji Trophy on Wednesday, January 11. After opening the batting for Mumbai against Assam, he whacked 379 off only 383 balls, striking 49 fours and four sixes.
Only Bhausaheb Nimbalkar (443*) has scored more runs than Shaw in a Ranji Trophy innings.
In 63 IPL games, the aggressive right-hander has scored 1588 at a strike rate of 147.45. Shaw has 12 half-centuries in the T20 league. He was dismissed for 99 off 55 balls, opening the innings for DC against KKR in the 2019 edition.
#3 Ishan Kishan
Like Shaw, Ishan Kishan also has a highest score of 99 in the IPL. He registered the same for Mumbai Indians (MI) against RCB in Dubai in the 2020 edition.
The southpaw smashed 99 off 58 balls, a knock featuring nine sixes, as Mumbai tied the match against Bangalore. Kishan’s knock went in vain, though, as RCB won the Super Over.
The Team India batter was recently in the news when he slammed the fastest men’s ODI double hundred against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Kishan hammered 210 off only 131 balls, with 24 fours and 10 sixes as India avoided a whitewash in Bangladesh.
The 24-year-old was dismissed in the 36th over. Following the match, Kishan stated that he could have even scored a 300 had he batted on. The southpaw seems hungry for runs and will definitely be keen to cross the three-figure mark in IPL 2023.
#4 Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer was terrific for India in white-ball cricket in 2022. He smacked 463 runs in 17 T20Is at a strike rate of 141.15, with four half-centuries to his name. Shreyas was the leading run-getter for the Men in Blue in ODIs last year.
In 17 games, he scored 724 runs at an average of 55.69 and a strike rate of 91.52, with one hundred and six half-centuries.
The 28-year-old had a mixed IPL 2022 season as captain of KKR. He notched up 401 runs in 14 games at an average of 30.85 and a strike rate of 134.56, with three fifties.
Shreyas has reached the 90s on a couple of occasions in the T20 league but has failed to convert it into three figures. His highest of 96 came off 57 balls for Delhi against Gujarat Lions in the 2017 edition.
#5 Rahul Tripathi
Maharashtra batter Rahul Tripathi recently made his T20I debut for India during the series against Sri Lanka. After being dismissed for five in his first match, he stroked a scintillating 35 off 16 in his second game for India.
The 31-year-old has been in terrific batting form lately. He was among the top performers for Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 524 runs in eight matches at an average of 87.33 and a strike rate of 94.24, with three hundreds and two fifties.
Batting at No. 3, Tripathi also dazzled for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2022. In 14 matches, he smashed 413 runs at a strike rate of 158.24, with three fifties.
His best of 93 in the T20 league came off 52 balls during the 2017 edition, batting for the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) against KKR. Tripathi is eminently capable of scoring a hundred in the Indian Premier League.
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