Yashasvi Jaiswal was once again at his best as he hit 98* off 47 balls to help Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 56 of the ongoing IPL 2023 season.
KKR could only score 149/8 after RR sent the hosts in to bat first at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Although the pitch offered something for spinners, Jaiswal appeared to bat on a different track entirely. Rajasthan’s run chase began on a spectacular note, with Yashasvi blasting five boundaries in the opening over.
Despite of being involved in Jos Buttler’s run-out in the second over, Jaiswal did not back down and continued to put immense pressure on the KKR bowlers. He got to his half-century in 13 balls, thanks to seven fours and three sixes. Captain Sanju Samson provided excellent support for his youthful opener, scoring a well-made 29-ball 48*.
Jaiswal put on a major show for RR with his exceptional ability to strike the ball strongly and with incredible timing. Aside from slogging with his feet, he also cut, pulled, and drove exceptionally well.
While he fell short of a respectable century, Jaiswal led his team beyond the target with nine wickets and 6.5 overs to spare.
1) Most runs by a batsman in the first over of an IPL inning
He established his authority on the KKR bowlers from the start. KKR captain Nitish Rana made an unusual decision by choosing to bowl the opening over of the innings.
To begin the innings, Jaiswal hit back-to-back sixes before three fours and one double from the following four balls to collect 26 in the first over. Jaiswal’s 26 runs is the most ever scored by a batsman in the first over of an IPL innings.
The previous best was set by Prithvi Shaw in IPL 2021, when he scored 24 runs against Shivam Mavi.
2) Most runs by an Indian uncapped player in a single IPL season
So far, the 21-year-old has had a fantastic season. He has 575 runs at an average of over 52 and a fantastic strike rate of 167.15 in 12 innings of IPL 2023.
While he is only two runs behind the Orange Cap this season, Jaiswal’s 575 runs in the league is already the most by an uncapped Indian batsman in a single IPL season.
With his 98*-run innings, Jaiswal broke Ishan Kishan’s record of 516 runs for the Mumbai Indians (MI) as an uncapped player in 2020.
1) Fastest IPL half-century ever
On the way to his remarkable score of 98*, the daring opener hit his half-century in just 13 balls, setting the record for the quickest fifty in IPL history.
Jaiswal did not play any dot balls till he reached his half-century. The youngster broke the previous mark established by KL Rahul and Pat Cummins, who both took 14 balls to reach 50.
In terms of overall T20s, Jaiswal’s 13-ball fifty is currently tied for second-fastest. Yuvraj Singh (for India), Chris Gayle (for Melbourne Renegades), and Hazratullah Zazai (for Kabul Zwanan) still hold the record for the fastest T20 half-century, which they all achieved in 12 balls.
