OSCAR RATCLIFFE assesses the stand-out performances from the opening round of matches in the Indian Premier League
Shikhar Dhawan (Delhi Capitals)
With 85 from 54 in Delhi’s opener against CSK and a savage 92 from 49 in a successful chase of 196 against Punjab Kings, Dhawan has married his usual “anchor” qualities with newfound aggression. Two Player of the Match awards and the Orange Cap is a perfect way to pick up from last season.
Prithvi Shaw (Delhi Capitals)
In tandem with Dhawan, Shaw has provided brutal impetus at the start of the Capitals’ innings. Delhi’s first wicket partnership has yielded 202 runs at a strike rate of 160.3 to leave last season's runners-up in second place at the end of the opening week.
Nitish Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders)
With a brace of half-centuries and 155 runs at 51.66, Rana has been a mainstay at the top of the KKR order. Eighty from 56 balls in his first knock during the win over Sunrisers earned the 27-year-old the player of the match award; a rare positive amid an uneven start for Eoin Morgan's side.
Jaydev Unadkat has been key for a much-improved Royals
Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)
Chasing 222 to win against Punjab Kings, the Royals’ skipper’s stunning 118 from 62 balls was a lone hand in the face of a required run rate that at times touched 13 an over. With five required from the final ball, Samson holed out and was left to rue an untaken single from the match’s penultimate delivery.
AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The South African has got off to a flyer in IPL 2021 with a match-winning 48 in the tournament opener, where RCB upset favourites Mumbai Indians to chase 160 in a last-ball thriller. He followed that with 76 from 34 in a decisive win against KKR, leaving his team top of the table.
Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
RCB secured Maxwell’s services for a whopping 14.25 crore and in the tournament’s opening week the 'Big Show' has lived up to both his price tag and moniker, striking 176 runs to leave himself second in the IPL’s run-scoring table. Switch-hits and head-scratching dismissals – Maxwellball has well and truly arrived.
Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The leg-spinner continues to be the centrepiece of a frugal SRH bowling attack. Picking up the key-wicket of Andre Russell against KKR, Khan was the standout going at six-an0over in an innings where no other bowler could muster an economy below eight.
Chris Morris (Rajasthan Royals)
Many punters baulked at the £1.6 million Royals spent on Morris but the allrounder began to justify the price tag in the Royals’ win against the Delhi Capitals. With Rajasthan wobbling at 105 for 7 in a chase of 148, Morris smashed an 18-ball 36 off Kagiso Rabada and co. to secure victory with two balls to spare.
Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals)
Absent for Royals’ first game, Unadkat made up for lost time with a player of the match showing against Capitals. Bowling three powerplay overs, the left-armer’s subtle changes of pace were too much for the Capitals’ top-order stars, doing for Shaw, Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane.
Jasprit Bumrah's skills at the death have again been vital
Harshal Patel (Royal Challenger Bangalore)
Patel has been the standout bowler during the IPL’s first week and has provided RCB with some much-needed quality at the death. With a five-for against Mumbai Indians, which included the big-hitting the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard, the seamer is the holder of the Purple Cap and an extraordinary 5.75 economy rate.
Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)
At 120 for 5 with four overs remaining in a chase of 151 Sunrisers were cruising in Saturday’s match against Mumbai Indians. Then Bumrah had the definitive word. Bowling overs 17 and 19 the right-armer went for nine runs and picked up the key wicket of Vijay Shankar to snuff out Sunrisers' hopes with a spate of slower balls.
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