That's four in a row there is good they're gonna blow next.
In the prodigal son turn, Messiah gets a second. 100.
In successive in. Their front and romantic style,
the whole of Bengal are on their feet.
The dream has diminished for Carlos Pratwick.
Favourable. Scenes here at the moment.
So welcome to the PCCI podcast. We are recording this to find
out the greatest IPL performances of all time of the
near nearly two decade history of the IPL.
The idea is to do a snake style draft and with me I have Raghav,
Vatsal and Assad and we will go in order.
That is Raghav first, Watsal second, Assad third and last me
and then reverse again. I thought be useful to start the
episode with a short introduction from Raghav, Watsal
and Assad. Go ahead, Raghav.
Yeah, hi. Yeah.
So my name is Raghav. I've been following the IPL
since day one, really since season one 2000.
And I've been a Delhi fan since still called the Daredevils and
been on that, been on that roller coaster job.
And outside of IPL, I'm I'm a journalist currently in between
jobs, but hopefully not for much longer.
So to start off with oh sorry, which is intros.
Right now, right? Or are we giving?
Updates as well. No, no.
We start. We go to What'sal.
What'sal, go ahead. Hi hello everyone this is Watsal
here. This is my second time being on
the board. I've been on IPL fan again since
the very beginning and I'm a KKR fan and been to been to a lot of
matches and been through all the ups and downs and yeah excited
for the new season as well and excited for the draft.
Assad, you're up. Yeah.
Hey. Hi all.
I'm Assad. I've been following IPL since
day one again. Yeah, we are all old.
I was. I was a huge mice fan because of
Sachin when it started, then it passed on to Rohit and then.
But I gave up on my mice for like 4-5 years ago and now I'm
like, I just pick my team every single.
So there's no that's that, yeah. So you stop following MI as soon
as they stopped winning? No, no, no.
They won. I think they won the Mudwell
even when they had the Mudwell, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, they did, They did. They did.
Correct, Correct. Well that so I have switched 2K,
KRGTRCB, all these all these teams.
Yeah, yeah. New winners always.
I mean for me, I think it was KKRS from day one and I never
stopped telling people that I was there.
On day one of the IPL, when Raul Dravid and Shivnaran Chandra
Paul walked to score 222, Raul Raj and Jaffer walked into score
222 against KKR. So the order of the draft is
simple. We have one pick each and then
it reverses. We'll see how many picks we can
get in and then do maybe honorable mentions and we'll
still have missed out. Probably picks that four of our
listeners would have wanted. So the order is first is Raghav,
second is Vatsal, 3rd is a sudden and last is me with two
picks and then reverses and then it's Raghav, 2 picks and then it
reverses back again. So Raghav.
So what we are doing is the greatest IPL performances of all
time. The idea is to find batting
performances, bowling performances, all rounder
performances, and the only kicker that we have in this
draft is that we must all choose at least one batting performance
and at least one bowling performance.
And the rest is dependent on whatever we like and whichever
innings or whichever bowling performances we've liked.
So first pick is Raghav. Raghav, go ahead.
Yeah, I'd actually like to start off with an all round
performance that I came to mind when I was doing my research in
the past day or so. And that is from the mostly
forgotten 2016 Delhi season of Sorry, I'll start Again.
So yeah, I want to start off with an with an all round
performance from the mostly forgotten 2016 Delhi season.
That is Chris Morris against the Gujarat Lions at the then named
Perosa Portla because he's hit an unbeaten 82 of 32 balls and
picked up two wickets for 35 balls.
He was single handedly carrying a very inconsistent and
inexperienced Delhi team on his back and we only ended up losing
that match by one run. But he would have lost by like
55 or 60 if it weren't for his his batting especially.
It was like watching him play golf essentially.
Like just teeing off 1 after the other and and almost taking DD
home in what would have been a very unexpected historic.
Yeah, I think this is this is one of those matches, right?
Like where you thought like all the money is lost and everybody
is ready to pack up, go home, and then Chris Morris decides to
show up and, and, and how it was.
It was crazy, especially because everybody before Chris Morris
had struggled so much right from like, I mean, this is the season
where, like, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant were playing
together in case people have forgotten.
And yeah, it was great. Anybody else have any memories
of this game like. Before he got the highest bid or
after? No, this is, this is, I think
this is before he got the highest bid, I think.
Yeah. No, it was, it was, it was after
we had sort of paid similar amounts of money on three
players which were Chris Morris, Carlos Brathwaite and Pawan
Maki. So the third one was a little
bit of a flop show and he contributed to our defeat that
night as well because he didn't scored it like a rattle ball or
less alongside Morris at the crease.
Yeah, he was 3 or 4 at the end of it.
All right then. Second pick is Watsal.
Yeah. So for me, my first fake, it
came in a losing cause, but it was an innings that like at that
time, I could not believe that it can be played as well.
It was like Suresh China's 87 against Punjab.
If I remember correctly, Sava got 100 in that game as well.
And they posted like something like 210 or something and he
just came out and he smashed the ball everywhere.
And they got I think around 100 in the power play, which I think
that was back in 2014, which is like unheard of back then.
I think for 4550 used to be a good spot in the power play.
So that was just a stunning. Now that just sticks in the
memory. Wow, I mean no, I mean you had
already prefaced the entire thing by saying that CSK
eventually lost. But that's the thing I want.
I like telly everybody. I'm like stop hyping and hogs
CSK lost because it's always funny.
To. Tell that to CSK fans.
Yeah, I know. But like 226 target, 226 target.
And basically, as you said with the Morris thing, that everyone,
everyone felt like it's over back then, 2/26 was impossible.
You don't you, you, you give up. Basically you're playing for the
NRA then. And that he just came out and
just totally brought life to the match.
I mean, it's also important to mention, that's been mentioned
many times that we did all this before the advent of the Impact
Player. So it was.
An unbelievabilities. Yeah, this is.
Indian cricket total favorite knock Suresh Raina.
Yeah, that's true. That's true.
So even about I think when Fin
Allen scored this 133 ball, I mean they were.
Bringing Yeah, they were comparing it to this.
Suresh Raina. All right, next pick is Asad.
OK. So this is a personal favorite.
David Miller Century versus RCB 101 or 38 balls.
This is I think coach dropped a Dolly catch.
He got it on the face and then David just took off and it was
like a single handed effort. They chased down about 190 I
think. And in the 18th they needed
about 1120 in the last 10 and they finished it on the 8th.
And we also got the famous quote.
If it's in the V, it's in the P If it's if it's in the art, it's
out in the back. And again, like everybody
struggled in that innings, like Mandeep Singh and everybody else
was struggling. So like Miller just just took
off from from somewhere. Yeah.
And of all, no, go ahead, go ahead.
I mean, he ended up scoring like I think 60 or 70% of the runs,
like 101 in like 190 or something.
I was. And of all people, Raja Gopal
Satish was with him. And these are the forgotten
heroes of the IPL. Yeah, we've never heard of him
after that. Yeah.
And I remember he got like few boundaries in the last over
Satish so. He yeah, yeah, he did.
He did eventually, was 150 plus I think if I remember correctly.
He got up to 25 was was so, but it was single handed a print
throughout the partnership. Yeah, fairly, fairly short, but
diverse IPL career for Rajagopal Satish, played for KKR, played
for Punjab Kings and for MI. All right, I have two obvious
picks. Both picks are KKR picks.
Just easy that it can be. It also allows me to pick the
bowling performance and the batting performance.
Actually, I'll, I'll pick. OK, let's let's take one.
The first is of course the Brendan McCallum 158.
I mean, there is. There's.
Just like he was zero of seven and then he hit 158 alone.
And it was crazy. It, it was, it was like I had a
close dear friend of mine with me in the stands at the
Chinnaswamy. And I think is one of those
general stands. And at that point in time,
Chinnaswamy didn't even have seats in those in, in a lot of
those stands. So you essentially had to sit on
the, on, on, on those, on those on the cement and out of like
maybe 3 or 4000 people, we were like 2 KKR fans.
That's all, that's all there was.
And, and my, and my abiding memory of that game is that
Jaffer and of course Dravid are walking in and, and the guy next
to me is, is in, in, in chase English Kannada because he
realized I, I don't speak Canada.
He's like 222. They'll score by lunch tomorrow.
I'm like, OK, that, that, that, that puts everything in
perspective. I mean, I mean, it was
everything. I mean, there is.
We have no idea how the IPL would have taken off if it were
not for that innings. I think it was just crazy.
Like everybody was talking about it for the next few days and it
was a haze. My second pick is again from
that season itself, it is the Shoaib Akhtar 4411 versus the
Delhi Daredevils. I mean we are talking about it
in very strange times that a Pakistani cricketer is featuring
in IPL all time type of a performance.
But Shoaib was box office. I mean you're to hear Shoaib
talk about it. Shoaib says at one time sort of
told me not to go short at AB devil years because she AB devil
years now pull by the Chamata, the Shoaib says.
But Meri Paz Pinimar Paiaga and then he he naturally has to bowl
a short pitch delivery and gets AV de Villiers out and
eventually he has Shahrukh in his arms and he's like running
around the stadium and and and and and of course that that game
also at that point in time, KKR used to give a a fired up helmet
as the man of the match prize. So I remember that also being
given to Shoaib and I, it was, it was a it was a festival.
So yeah, those are my 2 picks back to Assad.
Yeah. Can I just speak about the
Shoaib? Yeah, Yeah, go ahead.
For a while I was, I mean, I was at the ground for that one and
the atmosphere that day was just insane.
I have not. I've been to Eden a few times
and the atmosphere that day was insane.
I am people were people were legit going mad in the stands.
They were and the bowling thing, the bowling, the kind of
tension, the kind the because show was a long run upright.
People were just people were yelling from the moment he
started the run up and it was it was just something else.
I've not experienced that even for India games after that, I
was just something else. I was just a unique experience.
I believe that day and the entire spell, people were just
constant. They were, they were on their
feet, they weren't sitting down at all.
It was hard for a short person to, you know, catch a good
glimpse of the match. Was a really, really special,
special spell. Yeah, I think, I think one of
the things people don't, I mean, you can see it in the highlights
that like the 90s and the 90s, especially that Azar innings
where he hit clues, no 455 boundaries.
You can see how raucous the crowd is.
I think Eden, Eden gets gets on a different frenzy.
I mean, and, and it's violent and it's raucous.
It's it's something you should experience if at all you get to
anybody. Yeah, that match.
Was a while and Shaib still recalls that.
Match, you know? Yeah, yeah, all the time.
Shahrukh, Shahrukh meri godi Mein.
Shahrukh meri godi Mein. OK.
So my next pick is Azari Joseph 6 foot 12.
This is in 2019. So I was still supporting him
till till this time. And Azari Joseph I followed his
career from the under 19 World Cup.
So he was of the same batch as Rishab Tan, Tishan, Tishan at
Meyer, all these guys and they won the final W Indies and he
had a big role to play in that. So I was following his career
and then MI got him as a replacement for somebody I don't
recall. And he debuted in this match MI
versus SRH and MI scored about 13535 ish.
And then Alzarri Yusuf, he took six, they would won and he just
kept hitting hard length and sudden batting kept standing up
so. I think it's the.
Record for IPL the best 1 performance.
Yeah, yeah, I mean it, it's still top, it's still top 6 foot
12 is still the best bowling figures in in an IPL game.
And I mean, everybody was shocked because if you think
about it, I mean, it was a very, very able, so to speak, opening
Warner Bair store. And then they had the KKR boys
coming in, Manish Pandey and Yusuf Patan also.
But eventually when Joseph started, it was it was just
carnage. All right, next, next pick is
what? Sell Unless we have more
thoughts on the Alzari Joseph game.
I'm going to go with a KKR pick. It's Andre Russell's 48 or 13
balls over there against RCDI. Don't remember the exact balls,
but that was in 2019 I believe. That was another incredible.
I mean, you can pick. I can pick like 1000 and still
knocks and that that will be my entire pick.
But that knock was we, we needed I think 52 of 18 balls or
something like that. And I remember he smashed Chill
everywhere and chill was having a good game, that good game
until then that point and he just smashed him everywhere.
That was that was an insane knock and it will stay with me
forever. That was a fantastic knock on
the rest we won like with five balls to spit, 5 balls to.
Spit. Yeah, last over Gil.
Gil was the, Gil was the guy who was taking the single in the
last over. I remember that.
And that happened quite a few times in that season versus SRH
also. Yes.
Yes, yes, which is a crazy knock versus Bui that season.
But in this game, in the RCB game, I mean, I mean two very,
very clear memories. One is of course, the shock on
Virat's face when when all of this was going on and and then
Arman Siraj tries to bowl a beamer, which is head height and
head height full toss goes for a six to long on.
I mean it was crazy. Chris Lynn in fact tweeted how
the fuck do you hit a head high full toss to long on That was it
was it was just crazy. I mean 2019 Andre Russell was
was different gravy. I think if we ever do a draft of
the top performances in a season kind of a thing or the like
major MVP seasons, I think Anderson should. 2019 probably
Trump's a lot of other MVP seasons as well.
Maybe. Maybe the 2024 Narayan?
Comes. That's it.
That's it, yeah. Yeah, and and I remember that
game like RCB in the first innings.
I mean, other match Virat Kohli would have been the match come
with him that day. He was he was he was very slow.
He was very slow in the middle overs.
He was just knocking it around. It was AV Devilliers who
basically got them to that high total with his knock.
But that that kind of also sticks out in the Nandi.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was it was that it
was that classic with our template, right Where where if
he if he got a chance to do the complete acceleration, he he
would have. But even in this innings, if you
think about it, he still scored 84.
But you know that it's that famous Harsha to eat.
Is it enough that yeah, it's that right?
Any any thoughts on Russell or this innings before we move to
Raghav? Raghav has 2 picks before it
reverses back to what cell? Raghav, it's your turn.
Yeah, So my first pick was again going all the way back to the
beginning, which is Sohail Tanvirs 6 for 14 for Rajasthan.
I from what I remember, it was against CSK in a, in a, in a
regular season game. I might be wrong about the
opposition. So finally enough.
I actually didn't watch that game live, but I didn't watch
I'm watching the highlights as an 11 year old the next day and
just being that was the first, first time that year.
I was like genuinely in awe. And I thought that OK, yeah,
Rajasthan is the real fun front runner.
They're probably going to run away with the with the title.
And that's kind of what ended up happening because that spell in
a way for me sort of typified what are our strategy was that
whole season, mixing up a few like undervalued domestic
players and like international players that aside from a Shane
Watson were like good, but not like the big stars like Delhi,
for example, sign Muhammad Asif and and perhaps other teams
would have gone gone for an Umar goal, who was a more prolific
bowler at that time, whereas RR went for a more role player in
Tanveer and it really paid off for them, at least in that game.
So that was one pick. My other pick is now fast
forwarding to the present thing, which is Abhishek's 141 of 55
against Punjab, his his domestic team, funnily enough.
And and again, that for me then signifies just the evolution of
franchise cricket batting over the course of 17 years.
Yes, people complain about the quality of pitches and sometimes
perhaps whether it's defensive bowling or attacking bowling,
what's the right way to go. But I think in light of the kind
of stick he's gotten in this tournament while he's been
battling illness is important to remember his his peak that was
actually quite recent and I easily his probably his best
knock that perhaps he may never top, but sort of shows the
extent of his standings. Yeah, I think that that SRH
season, I mean, because it didn't end up in a title, I
think there's a lot of who are around it, but I mean for.
The the 141 I believe was in 25 so actually they underperformed
that season. But that one huge century
healing. In general, I mean, it's it's
the approach, right? It's the approach that they like
we're ready to go down this road irrespective of come what may
type of a thing. And when it comes over, it's
going to be grand. I think the thing with having
Abhishek and Travis head up top is just like the the cough that
you put in in the opposition, right?
Like if they if they just stay for like 6 overs or let's say if
they stay for 10, they'll hit 165 or for that matter, right.
Yeah. Any thoughts on on Abhishek?
Yeah, that was that was an insane innings, the hitting that
he basically when Abhishek Sharma bats, he just makes the
bowlers look helpless. There are no plans work.
Nothing works for the opposition.
They they just totally look like they don't have any clue what's
going on. So he once he he made Travis
Head look slow and that is all that you can say about that
innings. I was just crazy the way he went
about it. And yeah, it was a disappointing
season. They did not live up to their
expectation of the building that they had.
But that that innings, you know, and that that particular, that
particular day was just there. Then to chase like 245 or
something, I was just crazy. I remember actually she has
played a fantastic now with all in that in that match.
Chase was amazing. He brought I think something
like 80 or something. I was.
That was crazy. Assad anything on Abhishek?
Yeah, I don't recall the innings, strangely.
But which is perfect? Which is perfect?
This is what the IPL is about. Like I I thought it was in 2024.
Rather immediately corrected me. Yeah, yeah, but this is the T20
cricket 3.2 after the the new revolution, so.
Yeah, I mean, I, I am very interested if Nimwigmor and
Freddy Wilde are going to write Cricket 3.0.
I mean, that's the first thought that I had when you just said
Cricket 3.0 like T20 Cricket 3.0.
Yeah, because if you think about it, so W Indies level level
smallest 2 point O with introduced 6 setting.
And then these guys specially travel Set and Abhishek in SRH,
they just kept going through our beginnings.
Yeah. And we saw that in semi final
versus England. True, true.
So we're we're 9 picks down. I'll just recap.
So we have first pick is first pick was Chris Morris's 82 of 32
and A2 for 35 in 2016 versus SRH for Delhi Daredevils at that
point in time. We also have Suresh.
Sorry, I believe it was, I think it was from whatever it was
Gujarat, not not SRH, but but yeah, whatever.
Like, yeah, it was one of the audience teams.
Yeah, you can accuse us of not knowing teams, it's fine.
I mean, second was Suresh Raina 87 of 25 versus Punjab Indian
cricket, Twitter's favorite innings of all time.
Beat T20 cricket, ODI cricket, World Cup cricket.
Doesn't matter. This 87 of 25 is the gold
standard guys. David Miller's 101 of 38 versus
RCB, Mccullum's 158 in the IPL opener in 2008.
Shoaib at Eden for for 11. We then had Azari Joseph 6 for
12. We've got Andre Russell's 48 of
13 versus RCB from his 2019 season.
So Elton V6 for 14 versus RR4RR versus CSK in the 2008 season
again. And last pick before we move to
Watsal again is Abhishek's 141 of 55 versus Punjab Watsal your
pick? OK, I'm going to go for.
I'm actually confused between
2:00. Yeah, yeah, take your time.
I'll edit it out. OK, yeah, I'm going to go for
the game where I made-up my now I'm going to go for the game
where legit when I when I spoke to people after that they were
like yeah, yeah, IPL to Pura fixed Pura Khatam Khatam Smith
Pura setting over sub sub, sub basically that was the core
Corey Anderson 95. They chased like 116 I think 12
or 13 overs on rebel benching to Aditya.
There is 6 of one that that. Was.
I mean, I've never seen Rahul Dravid as angry on the on a
cricket field as that day The the the hat drop, the cap drop
that happened was. Man that that cap drop was
emulated or is still being emulated by people all over the
country. Like, I mean, and it's such like
it's it's a niche reference that even if you do it like in a club
game or a or a tough cricket game, you know that there's only
going to be like two people who get it.
And when they get it, it's it's that nod from that F1 or
whatever Ford movie that keeps moving.
Right. Yeah.
Ford versus Ferrari. Like it was, it was iconic,
especially like Pare doing what he did.
Also not not to take away the main character energy from Cory
Anderson, who was like, it was, it was massive like.
And I mean, nobody, nobody gave them a chance.
It was like they they were just it kind of felt like the semi
final that just happened, like everybody did not, no one gave
England a chance and they came out to bat.
They were just going about the business and they were like, OK,
TK, let's take the game deep. And then just it's just
happened. And they just totally collapsed
Rajasthan. They just totally collapsed out
there. Yeah, completely.
I remember watching this game with my family and when they
don't, when the initial requirement, when they don't get
past that. And then the commentators, they
started talking about the boundary rule.
If you get a boundary of the last World, then they go
through. And then so everyone in my
family is like, oh, so so now they're introducing new rules
for MI. And I was like just telling you,
no, it's just basic maps. I mean, there is a joke.
So, so what's, and I have been part of a WhatsApp group that's,
I think been there for like more than a decade.
And, and, and that group name changes from IPL to an IPL every
year and stands for Neeta because because of how random
everything, how randomly everything just starts moving to
MI's favour. And I mean, I mean, you, you can
call it NIPL even for the auctions.
I mean considering what all MI can pull off in the auctions,
not just for the IPL but even for the WPL for that matter.
Started with the Pollard bit, right?
Yeah. The infamous handshake between
him and between. Yeah, the the RCB guy that that
was recent, that was recent. But even in the latest auction,
they just casually put the paddle up for QDK and QDK
Chalagya. They have like 2 crores.
QDK is 1,00,00,000 and then QDK is in the form of his life after
that like I mean like unretired B hogya, World Cup B Kelia, semi
final B chalagya and it's. Just he looked like, he looked
like he looked like someone who someone who last played for five
years ago, like in the last detail for KKR.
Exactly. He looked so done, so done like
so. I mean, all of a sudden he's
back in the South Africa team and he's doing well and
everything. I don't know.
No, no, don't worry. This is like a 400 run season at
a strike rate of 170 plus. All of that is happening now.
It's just written in the stars. I think I think that was a
fantastic pick. I mean, Corey Anderson to come
back to the topic, what a crazy game, What a crazy game.
I mean, and and and you know that like I think you you spoke
about, right, that people are like in IA sub fixed hair and
everything. I think there was a there's this
small minority of people who didn't watch the game who who
were like in a year and they slept off and and their sadness
of having not watched it live also was was very valuable the
next day because this happened and then you had to tell them in
inglorious detail. He dragged up my cap picker and
all of that. So it's good fun, Assad.
Yeah, Go ahead, Watson. Hey like people generally stop
watching IPL for a couple of seasons after that in my case.
Like seriously, there were there were people like ITK.
It happens. Shit can happen on a cricket
field, not everything has to be planned.
It was, it was crazy. Yeah, Asad, your pick is up
next. Yeah.
So before my pick on the topic of match ka Mujrim.
So I was just checking the scorecard for the Miller match.
David Miller and Cheteshwar Pujara has opened for RCB.
He scored 48151 and we had Kohli has scored 14114 and then end up
in 190. Yeah.
And that that was a very, very strange pick, first of all.
And then for Cheteshwar to do what Cheteshwar did there.
And you still had people, right? You, you still had people who
are like in Naina Iska Liste record bought a chair, Tum
dekhna. Yeah, IPL maybe take.
And like you could not argue. It's like, it's like it's always
somebody who's who has like a little more respect than you,
who's speaking to you about this.
So you can't even counter as much.
Because I remember a lot of old, old, old folks would tell.
And the same folks and the same folks were very happy when our
man and Srinivasan gave Pujara 50,00,000 in one of the upcoming
seasons after that. And also, Ash's legend Michael
Neeson has paid for Kings 11, and he's conceited 62 of four of
us. Yeah, man, it was what I back in
2013. Crazy, right?
Next pick is Assad. My next pick is Yusuf.
Just on this point, as pointing goes Punjab before that is the
only way Nisa can get into an IT team.
No, no. But I think David has.
He was there. Oh, OK, OK, that makes sense.
Or might have been Moody also. Nah, Moody was later.
So David has, he was the captain, so he's probably,
that's why. Darren Lehman was the coach for
the 2013 season. So that makes sense.
OK, so my next pick is the almost impossible chase by
Youssef Pathan back in 2020. 1000 of 37 balls.
I think he was one of the fastest centuries.
I think he played these kind of winnings, like two or three of
these in that time period just before the 2011 World Cup and in
Audi, especially one versus South Africa, where they lost
and one versus New Zealand where they won.
And then this. So this IPL game, MI scored
about 2:10 and they were completely out of the game, but
Yusuf Patan just kept hitting sixes and they ended up losing
very four runs. So it was one of those tragic
heroes. I mean, that season Baton had
quite a few crazy, crazy things that he was doing even in the
finals, right? Even in the finals is like what,
3 wickets under 50? So, yeah, I mean, there was
suddenly a lot more hope from Yusuf than Irfan for a for, for
that brief period of time, including those Sri Lanka,
sorry, the the game in Bangalore versus New Zealand and that
crazy century in South Africa as well.
That that was his. I think that was best thing.
So I think that was the year. All right, I have two picks and
I will I will actually go to May 22, 2009.
This is Beckon Chargers versus DC.
This is the first semi final in the 2009 series where Adam
Gilchrist scores 85 of 33. I mean, what a crazy knock, what
a crazy game. And and he completely demolished
that bowling attack. I mean, for him to score 85 of
35, I think eventually and and everybody else except for Andrew
Simon's struggling, everybody else was struggling.
Like there's other Bilakia who scored 10 of 20 in that game.
There's Tirumala Sethi, Suman, again, niche IPL name 24 of 25
and even the row from Roku, Rohit Sharma 5 of 11 while
closing out the game. So I mean, there was just just
insane hitting that was going on.
Duck Manus was there, Pradeep Sangwan was there and and like
everybody went for it except for Amit Mishra, who actually had a
good game and and he took Savak down as well for like 20-5 runs
in one over. It was crazy.
Yeah. So that's my first pick and I
have a second pick as well, which is alright.
I'll, I'll, I mean, we shouldn't forget this.
So I will go for Chiron Pollard's 87 of 34 versus the
CSK. This is in the 2021 season.
I know they're like insane knocks that Paula Pollard has,
but this one was special because it was it was really, really mad
because 218 plays 219 and this game had quite a few knocks.
This game had Ambati Rayudu 72 of 27.
Lest we forget and then am I would like.
Just ambling along till Pollard came and absolutely smashed it.
Not to even forget that he also had two wickets for 12 runs in
in his two overs that he bowled. So yeah, those are my 2 picks
back to us. Unless like you have thoughts.
I mean, we, we should spend some time on on Karen Bonhart, the
the IPL legend that he is. Yeah.
I mean, I would say that barring the 2 W Indians that we had in
take care, I think Pollard is Pollard is the other MVP that I
feel is produced. He I wouldn't say as a bowler he
was not like as effective or he had good performances, but he
did not have legendary performances.
But as a batter he was just something else and from his
consistency from the first season to till eventually till
when he did play was just incredible.
Karen Pollard was amazing. B2 was the MVP I think.
Yeah, I mean, you are right. But like, aesthetically, I would
say that Karen was just for me. I mean, Bravo, yeah, he did.
He did do well. But for me, I would not include
him in the top three. For me, he would be the top
three and Bravo would get close for Yeah.
Pollard is still playing I think.
Yeah, yeah, he's he's he's also in the coaching staff and he
plays for MI in some tournaments.
I think he plays in the Dubai, Dubai World.
Yeah, IT 20. Yeah, I.
Think got him in that final. That desert pack was final.
Correct, Correct. Yeah, yeah.
And of course for Gilchrist, I mean, what can you say?
He was he, he was bit ahead of his time, like he was someone
who should have like like a child of the I think if he had
come like 10 years later, if he had something, he would have
been, he would have, they earned more money and he should be and
he would have been, I think appreciated more for his talent.
I guess he was in a way, but he had a great Test career.
But I recently, I recently was like had the misfortune of
playing cricket with some 2021 year olds and, and they were,
they, they showed me a reel where it was written that
Gilchrist was the original Abhishek Sharma.
So I was like, he oh God, like, how do I explain?
Like what was Gilchrist and, and, and what Gilchrist used to
do especially like all our lives, like, and, and there's no
way to explain the gravity of the of, of Gilchrist importance,
at least in world cricket at that point in time, right.
And, and it was this innings that they were showing he, he is
the OG Abhishek Sharma. Like okay, like okay.
I mean, one reason I feel guilt is not like as revered in India
is because probably his record versus India isn't that great
that I mean it's just a side note.
His record versus India is OK. She used to smash England more,
I feel, or Sri Lanka, maybe those two, those two teams.
Yeah, and and and and. Indians famously don't watch
other series. Though other movies.
Exactly. And and the other and the other
important fact, India never lost a game on Star Sports.
So that's another. That's true, yeah, Yeah.
It's OK, it's OK, let let the lockdown kids have their fun
while they last. Yeah, I think the next pick is
Assads. OK.
I'm confused, but I'm going stock in the final versus SRH.
That, that was my, that was my, that was my pick if I had not
picked Pollard, but I just needed Pollard to be in, in the,
in the pick. So, like, take care, yeah.
So basically start the stencil and kill 320 cricket 3.0 in the
finals. That ball to start is something
else. I it cannot I cannot forget it.
It was just insane how that works like this.
He's he's got something about the James wins one.
I was I was just extraordinary. The one to Alice to cook as well
was also very good. But that ball, the way it went
late, I mean, and he's a huge fan of spin bowling, so I'm
pretty sure that he must have enjoyed it as well.
I mean, I was, I was at Chiphawk for that final and I'd I'd
gotten the tickets somewhere on on, on cover or point.
So and and and and and then start bowl that ball.
You could see Abhishek squaring up from the square on angle as
well. And then the bales light up and,
and like, and because that crowd didn't have like there was no
CSK game that day per SE. So everybody was like, wow,
that's a great wicket. And and everybody cheered on.
And and yeah, I think, I think that killed everything.
But why I wanted to select this also was the fact that this
ensured that we have the great Gautam Gambhir as the BCCI
coach. Because what happened post the
game is that they wanted to set up a stage with with video on
the stage and that was failing miserably for about an hour,
hour and a half. So the, so if you, if you
remember, the presentation ceremony happens like an hour,
hour and a half later, during which time for like about 90
minutes, there is one guy running behind another guy.
And, and that guy is Jaisha who's running behind Gautam
Gambhir. All through that, all through
those 90 minutes, it's like Gambhir is not going to get even
one minute free to celebrate this IPL win.
And I was, it was, it was really crazy.
I'm so glad that it happened. So thank you to Mitchell Stark
for it. And he didn't have a good season
throughout. Oh, it was a terrible season up
until up until the up until the qualifier and only one game in
that season before that was good.
Was the game where was the game versus MI?
Correct. Was the game versus MI?
He got Tim David and then he got Gerald Kudzia and Piyush Chawla
after which of course the both the knockout games he was the
player of the match. Yep, fantastic pick.
Next is Watsal and then we close it out with the final pick from
Raghav. OK, so my next pick will be Jaws
Butler in that game where they they they chase 260, he scored I
think 107 or 800. And seven.
Yeah, 107. I wanted to go to that game, but
unfortunately I couldn't make it last minute.
But what an insane innings that was.
Again, I was so happy when KKR had scored 260.
I was like, OK, there's another. 124 having a great season he was
not 26260 was the K XI No No 260 was the Kings 11 Punjab game.
OK, OK, OK, so maybe OK 23240 whatever and he.
He just. He just.
OK, he just went on a rampage. He just went on a rampage.
He I'm like Eden has seen some special notes, but that was just
chances. He was, he was just, he was
doing as he pleases. And to see the to see the, I
guess information from what he looks like now, it's just like
he looks like a shadow of himself right now.
But that innings and that season from him was just insane.
So I definitely felt that one Butler inning should definitely
be here. Yeah.
And like the guy was at the game and, and one of the one of the
best memories of that game is that like it was not greeted
with silence. Like there was silence, of
course, but like people were in awe.
People were like, what is happening?
Because throughout the throughout that innings, there
were other people who were trying to take off some load
from Butler. But eventually it had come down
to the last 35 runs. He scored pretty much all of
them. And and he was cramping at the
end of it. There was like on one leg and
and and then he took down Varun in the final over, denied
singles. He's like, no, I'm going to hit
a six. All those reels that we get of
Hardik Pandya, right? No, guys, I've got it.
I'll defend one ball, I'll hit a six.
I mean that, that that all that had happened in that game.
And very easy to forget that Narayan actually scored 100 in
that game as well. Narayan scored 100.
Yes, yes he did. And his over was the most
important one. I was not Butler who took
Narayan down. It is actually Robin Paul who's
now at KKR again. So it's very crazy.
I have fantastic in India. Glad you mentioned.
So final pick is with Raghav before and we can do honorable
mentions and take it up. I've forgotten, as did anyone
actually pick Akash Madhwal? Otherwise, I'd like to play.
Yeah, Akash Madhwal 55 for five for MI against NSG in the 2023
Eliminator. I think the American sports fans
love to bring up clutch. Clutch knocks, clutch
performances. I don't even get some more
clutch than that. And it's also again, this is
sort of why I think leagues like IPL who do so well when it's
like a player that doesn't have like a massive fan base or
little someone who's talked about in the offseason as much
and he just doesn't have the Passover's versatile skill sets.
But in a specific role with the new ball, he can do some real
damage, which is what he did in that, in that eliminator and
just completely the molest and LSD attack.
That LSD batting lineup that perhaps people would have
favoured because that because that MI team was in that season,
was quite disjointed on paper and still managed to finish
third thanks to mostly thanks to Madhwal's spell appeal.
Yeah, I think, I think, I mean, since you spoke about American
sport, I think one of the things that people are very easy to
forget that what am I do at the auction table is of course, I
mean, fishy. But what they do in games is
absolutely crazy. Like, I mean, they have Jayant
Yadav for Four Seasons on end just to bowl one over to Shikhar
Dhawan. They'll have these players who
come in for specific roles for specific seasons.
They're always on the hunt for that one left arm seamer always
like be a Jason Bandra, be a trend bold.
I mean, the list is endless. I mean, and he will look good
this year. Mitch, Mitch Mclenagan.
Mitch Mclenagan I mean both at least legendary like season
reason. Jeeta Webber.
I'm like types and and. Mitch Johnson had a winning.
Season, of course. Both, both.
Both of them. And we have one question for
you. I have one question for you and
we have one question for you. Yes, one question for you.
Who? Which specific better did they
pick Arjun Tendulkar for for these many seasons?
Which specific batter I have Like I think I mean this like
I've had OK that more offline chat can pursue behind that
Arjun Tendulkar pick, but great question, right, honourable
mentions. I think that can be a longer
chat. Raghav, before you exit, any
honourable mentions from you? And then we can continue and and
wrap up the episode. Mostly very biased.
I'd like to give a shout out to Ashley Sharma and the opening
game of 2025 season against LSG. Yeah, I mean, I think it speaks
for itself. Anything from like the early
days? Any any other honourable
mentions? I mean off, off the door, home.
I think I I used up the ones I could remember in the main pics
but from what I remember I think Shawn Marsh was like that was
one of the best players in season 1.
So if you're doing a season wide phrase he has to be named.
And Albie Morkel had a great all round season.
I think he had like 241 runs at high strike rate and 17 wickets.
Yeah, I think, I think those are the great season wide calls that
yeah. That Virat Kohli last over.
That's that's what I remember. What Albie Morkel.
I think that's what is my OK. I think Shawn Marsh had a 600.
Run season, maybe that was the opening season, 2018 opening
season. Yeah, yeah, it was an 8 season.
I had, I had both Shawn Marsh and Brendan McCallum in my
Facebook super selector for so for like so briefly I was like
somewhere in the top 25 in the country, I think maybe.
I don't know was good fun that that season.
Any other honorable mentions? I have quite a few but Assad
Batsal. Mine, the biggest vulnerable
mention would be called about 30.
He got 120 versus CSK out of nowhere.
Like no one knew anything about him and he just comes at the
scene and he, I don't know, he's never heard from before or since
I guess. I mean, that was just a crazy
knock coming out from nowhere. And what he did was just
incredible. And those early days, you know,
the IPL and the IPL, you know, you, you kind of romanticize
these kind of stories because before then, you know, he just
knew about like 2025 players who were playing for India.
And all of a sudden you, you, you kind of hearing about these
people who are just nobody's basically who did not, who did
not have any chance of playing for India or who had no, they
basically knew as well that it's just another stage to perform on
that he just came in and he just did this thing and that too in
South Africa for an Indian cricketer to go and do that was
just. Incredible.
Assad. Yes, of course.
How how have you taken a draft by not mentioning that?
That is just crazy. I think or I think or or pick he
just. Kept hitting the roof of
Chinnaswamy. Oh man, like.
There was 1. And he took two wickets in that
game as well. Yeah, yeah.
There was 1. He hit him for like a lot of
times in. That oh man, it was it was it
was there was just however, Luke right 4 overs for 25 guys Luke
right don't forget movie at the game.
I think yeah, movie was 4 overs 26.
I think Luke right is 4 overs 25 essentially Bara over he was
crazy. It was is run at least, so it's
crazy. Dilshan I just checking the
scorecard Dilshan 33 or 36? Yes.
I That's a ode to Virat Kohli now.
Yes, exactly. It's like.
That Robin at the paintings in the Rohit Sharma 2. 64 I think
yeah yeah, yeah at least Rohit had at least Robin had like one
goal like a single inner or Rohit coast.
Yeah, in this case there's like there's this is pre cricket 2.0
also right. So I guess you can cut some
slack to Bilian. Yeah man, I have so many.
I have so many inning. I mean we all we spoke about
this Yusuf Patan 100 of 37. But I think for me like that 72
of 22 was insane because it allowed KKR to qualify.
Both the KKR final innings were great, Manvinder Bisla, Bisla
Bisla and Manish Pandey. Manish Pandey in which Karanveer
Singh was, was there who's I think going to be playing?
He plays Legends League cricket now.
Karanveer Singh, he took 4 wickets in that final out of
which after taking 3 wickets, Manish Pandey hit him for three
sixes. I mean, sixes after taking each
week, each of those first 3 wickets I think.
And then Manish Pandey eventually was the 4th wicket to
fall to Karanvir Singh. I really, really like the
Regency bias. But that Jitesh Sharma 85 of 33
versus LSD in that 100 game this season, that was phenomenal.
We've not spoken about Rinku's 48 of 21.
Yes, yes, that was in my list as well.
That was in my list, yes. There's Styness is 124 of 63
versus CSK in the 2024 season as well, which is fantastic.
It was like super winning, completely silenced Jaypalk.
We've not even spoken about Tewatia 53 of 31, which is also
very, very high on my list, but not high enough to qualify here.
79 of 47 also very good. The the one where he hit.
Daily stain. Oh yeah, yeah, that that was
superb. That was superb.
That was superb as well. I think that it's that same
knock. No, it's not that same knock,
but the one versus stain was was also pretty good.
There are like. As soon as.
Go ahead, go ahead. I also remember like Jay Surya,
he completely 17 in 2008. I don't know, but it's just
there in my memory. He's 400 something having a very
bad season, but just took apart that took apart some team in
2008 that that was also like he it was carnage.
It was vintage. Just again, you know, he again
came ahead of this time like for T20.
He was born 10 years later. He was lit up the IPL and would
have been a legend in the IPL as well.
Yeah. So there are two picks that we
took stock 2 for fourteen in the 2024 finals.
So this is, yeah, the identical parallel to this is also 2 for
14, which is Boomeras 2 for 14 in that sensational 2019 final,
which is again 2 for 14. And as soon as Raghav said 545,
I remembered Kumley had taken 545 in the 2018 season versus
DC, though his 4416 in the 2009 finals was a better, better
bowling effort, I felt. Because in that 545, Praveen
Kumar, Dale Stein and even Jesse Ryder had bowled well in that
game, I think. He got a few lower order wickets
in. That yeah, he got a few lower
order wicket, but 545 is still 545.
But he had. A great He had a great season.
As if he lost that match. Correct, correct, correct and.
We also. Go ahead.
Like I have one name which we have haven't mentioned but we
should, Watson. Yes, of course I have another
one, I thought. Watson in the IPL final.
Yeah, of course. Well.
OK, now in the IPL final that was.
Crazy. 0 of 10. Yeah, yeah, 0 of 10.
Like and then 117. And he was having a horrible
tournament like people were saying why is it he dropped and
why like why are they keep? And he was like a 2007
tournament for him. Yeah, actually quite a few names
we missed. Yeah, so, so the other name, I
mean again synonymous with the IPL, Rajathan.
There's no. We haven't picked anything from
Malinga. Malinga as well.
Yeah, So I think guys, if you're listening, if you're still
listening to this episode, you must realize that we know what
are. Our.
Limitations and how well, how well we fucked up this episode,
but we are covering it up in the honorable mentions.
Yuvraj. I mean Yuvraj had couple of
crazy seasons as well. He had that crazy 80 and three
wickets in the game where they lost.
I keep forgetting what was it? Just give me a second.
I have it written down somewhere.
Highs 4435 versus RR along with an 83 of 38.
Rashid of course had a crazy 34 of 10 and a three for 19 versus
KKR as well. Yeah, yeah.
I mean. I had Eshan Kishan in 2018
played US20 was 60 versus KKR. Yeah.
And I think they got the qualification because it was a
crazy and we just. Kept it in KKR anyway.
MI's bunnies. That record is what some 1880 or
28 recorded. I think 2024 was probably one of
those rare seasons where I think KKR turned up properly versus
MI, but again, that was also because of poor captaincy
because Manish Pandey scored 56 runs in that in one of those
games. Yes, yes, yes.
I think it was a game in the one KD right?
Yeah, this is the game at the one KD where where Stark takes 3
wickets as well. Correct, Correct.
Yeah, yeah. I mean Manish Pandey was
relevant in 2024 like crazy he played.
He played last. Year, but relevancy aligning
skill in 2024. He was the impact player I I
think. Yeah, yeah.
Impact player, Impact player. Yeah, yeah, that's that's why
they didn't get to bring in maybe Vaibhav Arora or somebody,
if I remember correctly. Yeah, yeah.
Surya Vanshi as well I can, I think.
Oh man, that 100. Oh yeah, Surya vanshi.
Surya Vanshi is. Superb in that 35 ball hundred,
Yeah, 32 ball, I think, if I remember, yeah.
And and against GT were like, I think it was against GT, right
Against Rashid Khan and. Yeah.
There was SIS. Diraj Prasad Rashid.
Khan Yeah. That's just crazy, crazy stuff,
yeah. Yeah, I think this is pretty
much it. I think our honorable mentions
pretty much covers everything that we have missed, but I'm
sure people will be like koi Dwayne Bravoca innings be apne
nahi Bola the one. Where he hit Bumrah.
Yeah, yeah, that, that was a good.
Bad comments. Bad comments as well.
Oh. Man, again, MI again versus MI,
yeah, in versus MI again versus that was.
That day, that day, there was a clone of Bumrah bowling.
That was not the way the way, the way Pat Cummings for people.
I was just random like how that happened like.
Go ahead, go ahead. Yeah, I was like, I was like,
OK, this game is gone. This game take care for having a
meddling kind of a season. Anyways, this game is gone and
like I'd I'd switch off the TV like and then just read the news
next day and like bad comments is for 50 of nothing basically
and one one in the game and against.
It's just crazy. Yeah.
It was crazy again. I mean KKR has quite a few 14
ball fifties, right? Like I mean.
Yeah. 15 ball, 50s, I think 14 ball.
What is his name? Yes, yes, yes, yes.
We has a 14 ball. Yes, yes.
She also played a fantastic novel against exactly 99 or
something he got. Did he this guy, what is his
name? He didn't get 100 because what
was that game where Sanju defended the last ball because
this guy Suyash was bowling a wide and this guy needed six
while the. So he got a four I think in that
game then. OK, Yeah.
I think in that game only. I mean, how badly has Rishabh
Pant regressed that we can't even speak about that one quick
128 or his 97 or his 78 versus MI?
Yeah, like. Yeah, it's sad.
What's up? He has to open the button like
he has to like that. I don't know why he doesn't do
it. He has to open.
Any final thoughts before we close the episode?
No, it was, it was fun being back here and it was fun doing
this. IPL, Mitra, it's a bit difficult
to recall because there's just so many games and just so many
things that have happened and random things that you don't
remember, but it was fun to relive some of them.
It's just something that once it happens, you just forget about
it, you don't give it a second thought.
So it is good to good to remember a few of them.
And yeah, it was good fun and hopefully we can do it again
sometime. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
We should Asad. Yeah, it was great being here.
First of all, big fan of the show and we and everyone who
host the. Same year.
So when I was trying to research for this, I just realized I
don't remember much of IPL at all, like very recent games.
And as much as I remember all the World 20 games, like going
back as much going back to 20/09 World Cup even.
But I feel I just don't recall that.
And especially bowling performance, because you need to
be, you need to remember the game too, because just the
scorecard doesn't seem good. So yeah.
Yeah, I think that that was my thought as well.
Carry bowling performance like I like the first two performances
that I put actually I put four first two were 24142414, Bumrah
and Stark and then Kumble 545 and 4416 as like you are bowling
performance. And then then you realize like,
like as much as we like to say key batters win whatever and
bowlers win championships, but I think that's a function of the
IPL. I mean, just like 8090 games a
season. So just it's crazy.
It'll it'll. Anyway, be together with within
two months, so it is the memory span will be short.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I just like again, I
mean, I'll, I'll go on a tangent if we have time, but IPL does
the most terrible job of promoting itself in the
offseason. The only people who have access
to highlights is the IPL handle to yeah Kanamei CSK Wella handle
koi poll Dal Reiki falana AI may future make some KXIP handle is
like E India jitega and like they just become fully
jingoistic nationalistic like like just give the footage not
to the teams at least with a SATSA cantata jar crore rupee do
I mean I don't mind that happening to who LSG, but but
eventually I mean to for for for this to like be as big a product
that you want it to be. It's just imperative you just
give away the highlights yeah like YouTube, pedalo, YouTube
pedalo barbarge highlights let let people enjoy.
I mean, what's the harm like does Admi extra Kelega Dekega or
I mean net, net. There is a ton of formal and
informal betting going on for the IPL.
Yes, my view is if you if you are, if you are taking part like
as as the IPL owners, you know, or as the IPL Jobi, it's just
easy, right? Like just put the highlights,
the like 10 people who are going to be like, I'm not promoting
betting. I'm saying it is going to
happen. Like, I mean, that's, that's a
base level improvement. And like if you put the
highlights, that's 15 minutes that people are going to spend
the next day on YouTube watching those highlights.
Guaranteed. Guaranteed.
Yes, yeah, yeah, sure. Like it's just.
It's again, if you listen to like and what he says, like with
the Americans and how they cover their sports, it's just like a
world of difference, right? Within 5 minutes you get clips
of everything. One minute within within 38 to
40 seconds of the the the World Series ending where LA Dodgers
won versus the Toronto Blue Jays.
Less than one minute. The final play was on Twitter
and within 15 minutes it was already retweeted 20,000 times
or something. So it was like and and some
available and then I did an analysis of Dodin Baat Kya
Hooray. Dodin Baat, the MLB YouTube
channel had 44 videos, which includes shots of that final 44.
And these are just highlights. I'm not even talking about
analysis that let's say MLB would have put up.
MLB is already released a full 1 1/2 hour documentary on the
World Series, the seven game World Series versus the Dodgers
and the Blue Jays. It's just crazy.
Yeah, on that note, thank you very much, Asad Vatsal.
Thanks, Raghav, as well. Raghava to leave early but all
in good time and I hope you guys like this episode.
This is as random as it gets for PCCI.
So the regular listeners Scalia it's a field day because there
is as much confusion as you would have liked in a PCCI
episode. So with that you got behind
that's more in a row. There is good.
I got a blow next in. The prodigal son turn.
Messiah. Gets a second hundred in
successive. Romantic style.
The whole of Bengal are on their feet.
Not that important. He's gone.
The next ball. The dream has diminished for
Carlos Pratwick. Livable scenes.
Here the.