All-rounders are essential in any format, but especially in T20s. Mitchell Marsh has been a fantastic addition to the Delhi Capitals (DC) and is making his mark in the IPL 2023.
The Australian all-rounder shone with both bat and ball in Delhi Capital’s match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday, April 29, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Marsh took four wickets for 27 runs in four overs, including a maiden over. Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Harry Brook, and Abdul Samad were among his victims. With a spectacular spell, he shattered the backbone of the SRH middle order.
Marsh was equally productive with the bat, scoring 112 runs with Phil Salt for the second wicket. He scored 63 off 39 balls, hammered six sixes and one four, and had an incredible strike rate of 161.54. Despite his best with both the bat and the ball, DC fell nine runs shy of the goal.
There have been a few such instances in the IPL where superb all-around performances have resulted in a losing cause. Let’s look at 3 such performances.
1) Moeen Ali vs Mumbai Indians – IPL 2019
On April 15, 2019, Moeen Ali excelled with both the ball and the ball against the Mumbai Indians (MI). He hit 50 runs off 32 balls and combined 95 runs with AB de Villiers for the 3rd wicket. In 20 overs, RCB scored 171 runs.
After dismissing MI openers Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock, Mumbai Indians were just 71 for the loss of two wickets. He bowled well, having figures of 2/18 from four overs.
MI, on the other hand, easily chased the target with five wickets in hand and an over to spare.
2) Chris Morris vs Gujarat Lions – IPL 2016
In IPL 2016, the Delhi Daredevils all-rounder Chris Morris was on fire against the Gujarat Lions.
The Lions got off to a flying start thanks to a fantastic opening combination between Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum. Morris struck twice with the ball in the 12th over, dismissing McCullum and Suresh Raina. He finished his four overs with a figure of 2-35.
Morris batted at number six and blasted 82 balls from 32 balls, including four fours and eight sixes. Morris’ brilliant performance nearly sealed victory for his franchise as Gujarat Lions bowlers struggled to contain him. Somehow, the Daredevils fell 1 run shy of the target.
3) Harbhajan Singh vs Kings XI Punjab – IPL 2015
On April 12, 2015, the former Mumbai Indians captain had an outstanding performance against the Kings XI Punjab.
Harbhajan Singh was deadly with the bowling, taking crucial wickets of openers Murali Vijay and Virender Sehwag. Given that the Kings XI Punjab scored 177 runs in their 20 overs, his figures of two wickets for 20 runs in 4 overs were outstanding.
Bhajji, who batted at number eight during the run chase, was spectacular from the start, smashing the bowlers all around the Wankhede Stadium. He hit 64 runs off 24 balls, including five fours and six sixes, and helped MI get near to the mark. Despite Harbhajan’s heroics with both bat and ball, Mumbai fell 18 runs short of the mark.
