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The UAE leg of IPL 2021 is less than a month away. The first half, which was held in India, saw 29 matches being played before the tournament had to be halted due to COVID-19.
A few interesting records were created during the first half of IPL 2021 in India. In the very first match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), pacer Harshal Patel became the first bowler to claim a five-wicket haul against the defending champions. Patel dismissed Krunal Pandya, Marco Jansen and Kieron Pollard in the final over, having sent back Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya earlier.
That apart, MS Dhoni played his 200th game for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as skipper, thus becoming the first player to captain a franchise 200 times in T20 cricket. RCB skipper Virat Kohli became the first batter to score 6000 runs in the Indian T20 league as well.
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IPL 2021: Significant landmarks in the offing
Ahead of the second half of IPL 2021, let’s take a look at some milestones that can be achieved during the UAE leg.
#1 Chris Gayle 50 short of 5000 IPL runs
Legendary West Indian batter Chris Gayle needs only 50 runs to reach 5000 IPL runs. The 41-year-old southpaw, who is presently representing Punjab Kings, has 4950 runs to his name from 140 IPL games at a strike rate of 149.45 and an average of 40.24.
If Gayle scores 50 more runs in the UAE leg of IPL 2021, he will become the seventh batter with 5000+ runs in the IPL. Virat Kohli (6076), Shikhar Dhawan (5577), Suresh Raina (5491), Rohit Sharma (5480), David Warner (5447) and AB de Villiers (5056) are the only players to have scored more runs than Gayle in the IPL.
The West Indies dasher holds the IPL record for the highest individual score (175 not out), most sixes (357), most sixes in an innings (17) and most centuries (6). Gayle played eight matches in the first half of IPL 2021 and scored 178 runs at a strike rate of 133.83 with a best of 46.
#2 Amit Mishra needs five scalps to become IPL's leading wicket-taker
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) leggie Amit Mishra needs five wickets to go past Lasith Malinga and become IPL’s all-time leading wicket-taker. The 38-year-old has featured in 154 IPL matches so far and has 166 scalps to his name at a strike rate of 19.54, with one five-wicket haul and four four-wicket hauls.
Mishra already holds the record for the most hat-tricks in the IPL. He has taken three hat-tricks in a highly distinguished career in the world’s leading T20 tournament. The spinner claimed six wickets in four matches in the first half of IPL 2021, which included a match-winning spell of 4/24 against MI.
Malinga ended his IPL career with 170 wickets in 122 matches at a strike rate of 16.62. He claimed one five-for and six four-wicket hauls during a memorable career in the T20 league. Only five bowlers have taken 150 or more wickets in the IPL. The other three names on the list are - Dwayne Bravo (156), Piyush Chawla (156) and Harbhajan Singh (150).
#3 AB de Villiers five short of 250 IPL sixes
RCB batter AB de Villiers needs to hit only five maximums to complete 250 sixes in the IPL. The South African legend has smashed 245 sixes in 176 IPL games so far. He is second on the list of leading six-hitters in the T20 tournament after Chris Gayle (357).
De Villiers was in smashing form in the first half of IPL 2021. In seven matches, he scored 207 runs at a strike rate of 164.28 with two fifties and a best of 76 not out. He hit a total of 10 sixes during the India leg of IPL 2021.
Check out the updated table for most wickets in IPL 2021.
De Villiers will have fond memories of the event held in the UAE last season in which he smashed 454 runs in 15 games. The right-hander clobbered 23 sixes during IPL 2020, one of which famously landed outside the Sharjah stadium and hit a moving car.
Apart from Gayle and ABD, six other players have whacked over 200 sixes in the IPL. They are Rohit Sharma (224), MS Dhoni (217), Kieron Pollard (211), Virat Kohli (205), Suresh Raina (202) and David Warner (201).
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