The second week saw some incredible cricketing action, which further heightened the excitement from the previous week. Amazing spells and exhilarating run-chases were both part of the second week’s exciting events.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders’ high-scoring match brought the second week of the ongoing IPL 2023 to a close (KKR). The Lucknow Super Giants, Gujarat Titans, and Rajasthan Royals are all tied for first place in the points standings with six points each after winning three of their first four games.
On the other side, Delhi Capitals (DC) have mostly underperformed and have not yet opened their account. The IPL had a rather uneventful first week, but the second week of the competition was electrified by several thrilling and suspenseful matches.
The 10 IPL franchises have combined to score 3,213 runs in a total of eight games during Week 2. Now that week two of the IPL 2023 has come to an end, let’s have a look at the best five batting performances from the week.
5) 61 of 27 against MI in match 12 for Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane made his CSK debut in the first “El Clasico” of the season and shone with a blazing 27-ball 61. At the Wankhede Stadium, the hosts scored 157 runs in 20 overs after being given the opportunity to bat first. Rahane came to the crease after CSK lost Devon Conway in the opening over of their chase. The IPL veteran batted at his home venue, destroying MI bowlers with some magnificent strokes, and reached fifty in just 19 balls.
In just 27 balls, Rahane scored 61 runs. When CSK chased down the necessary runs with 11 balls remaining.
4) Shikhar Dhawan scored 99* off 66 against the SRH
This exceptional knock occurred on Sunday, April 9, during Punjab Kings’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. That is one of the most tenacious innings of the IPL 2023 thus far. The team captained by Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to field first.
The majority of Punjab’s batting lineup collapsed when the SRH bowling unit unleashed its fury on them, demonstrating the 2016 champions’ strong bowling performance. The only batsman to score more than 25 runs was seasoned Indian slugger Shikhar Dhawan. The 37-year-old played a captain’s knock since wickets were perpetually falling at one end.
Punjab Kings scored 143 runs after 20 overs thanks in large part to Dhawan, who scored 99* runs in 66 deliveries. The captain narrowly missed getting the opening IPL 2023 century. The game was ultimately won by Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets, therefore the valiant knock ended in vain.
3) Harry Brook against KKR: 100* off 55
At Eden Gardens on Friday, April 14, SRH’s star player Harry Brook blasted the first century of the 2023 IPL against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Brook, who batted first in the order alongside Mayank Agarwal, made his intentions clear right away by hitting three boundaries off Umesh Yadav in the opening over.
He then continued to attack every other pacer before patiently haggling with the KKR spinners. The Englishman continued to strike hard against the pacers in the second part of the innings and sped to his second T20 century off only 55 balls in the last over, which contained 12 fours and three sixes.
The Sunrisers scored a staggering 228/4, the best total of the year and the greatest by a visiting side at Eden Gardens, thanks to this magnificent knock.
Nitish Rana (75) and Rinku Singh (58*) gave SRH a late scare, but they were able to win, earning Brook his first ‘Man of the Match award in the IPL.
2) Nicholas Pooran scored 62 runs off 19 against Royal Challengers Bangalore
The run-chase proved to be even more enthralling and elevated the game into an era-defining classic in the same game where Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell shone for Bangalore against Lucknow Super Giants in the first innings. While Kyle Mayers was dismissed for a duck, the top order was unable to score significantly. Marcus Stoinis scored 65 runs to give Lucknow some hope as the game appeared to be slipping from their grasp.
Nonetheless, Pooran’s outstanding 62 runs in just 19 deliveries played a crucial role in Lucknow’s victory over the opposition.
1) Rinku Singh scored 48 runs in 21 balls against GT
On Sunday, April 9, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat scored 204 runs when batting first, owing to outstanding innings from Vijay Shankar, Sai Sudharsan, and Shubman Gill. The reigning champions, however, were unaware of what was in store for them in the second innings since they were feeling confident after their big total.
Impact player Venkatesh Iyer scored 83 runs, but it was Rinku Singh’s brilliance that propelled the two-time champs to an exciting triumph. The 25-year-old scored an unbeaten 48 runs in just 21 deliveries, and in the game’s penultimate over, he hit a magnificent burst of five consecutive sixes to give Kolkata the victory.
