As the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) enters its fourth week, the landscape of the tournament has begun to take shape. With nine teams having completed at least five matches and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) having participated in four fixtures thus far, the strengths and weaknesses of the teams are becoming clearer. The third week of the tournament was not without its fair share of drama, glitz and excitement.
Now, as we embark on the fourth week of action, let's take a retrospective look at the hits & misses from the past week:
Hits
Mumbai’s Remarkable Turnaround
After a streak of three consecutive losses, Mumbai Indians found their footing as they returned to their home ground. In their next two matches, the Hardik Pandya-led side orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in classic Mumbai Indians fashion. First, they secured a commanding 29-run victory over Delhi Capitals, highlighted by Romario Shepherd's explosive 10-ball 39 and Gerald Coetzee's four-wicket haul.
Their momentum continued in the following game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where Jasprit Bumrah's five-wicket haul spearheaded a seven-wicket win. Suryakumar Yadav, returning from a previous duck, blazed through with a rapid 19-ball 52. Both matches saw Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma setting the stage with exceptional starts.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Heroics
A six against Chennai Super Kings to seal a win. A knock that propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to a win against Punjab Kings. In Nitish Reddy, this IPL has put the spotlight on yet another uncapped Indian player. A pace-bowling all-rounder, Reddy made a statement in just his second outing, smashing a remarkable 67 off 37 balls. His performance was even more impressive given the challenging circumstances, with key players like Travis Head and Aiden Markram dismissed and Arshdeep Singh posing threat with the ball.
Despite losing experienced and reliable partners like Heinrich Klaasen and Rahul Tripathi, the 20-year-old rose to the occasion, accelerating his innings from 14 off the first 18 deliveries to a blistering 50 off the next 19. His fearless approach propelled SRH to a match-winning total of 182.
Jake Fraser-McGurk Announces His Arrival
Roped in as Lungi Ngidi’s replacement in the squad, Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk made his IPL debut in style by slamming 55 runs off 35 balls. Chasing a moderate target of 168 against LSG, who are renowned for defending low-scoring totals, the 22-year-old Aussie dispatched five maximums and two boundaries during his stay at the crease.
While this innings did propel the Delhi Capitals to a dominating 6-wicket win over LSG with 11 balls to spare, it marked another significant development. As reckoned by skipper Rishabh Pant, in McGurk, DC have found their number three batter.
Misses
RCB's Floundering Bowling Unit
On 11 April, Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced their fourth consecutive defeat of the season, managing only one win out of six matches. While RCB's batting lineup is yet to unleash its full potential, their bowling performances have been underwhelming since the start of the season.
When RCB squared off against MI at the Wankhede, their bowlers not only were unsuccessful in defending 197 runs, but allowed Mumbai to score those runs in only 15.3 overs. The bowling unit suffered a thorough beating, with Akash Deep conceding 55 runs in just 21 balls at an economy rate of 15.7, while pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj had a bad day as well, going wicketless and leaking 37 runs in his three-over spell.
In their previous game, against Rajasthan Royals, the batters had posted 183 runs on the board, thanks to Virat Kohli’s century. However, the bowlers struggled once again.
Shikhar Dhawan’s Struggles
In their recent matches, Punjab Kings' captain Shikhar Dhawan has faced challenging outings, tallying a combined total of just 15 runs off 18 balls. In the match against SRH, Dhawan's dismissal for 14 runs came through a superb stumping by Heinrich Klaasen, capitalizing on a deceptive delivery that Dhawan misread while attempting to advance down the pitch. Previously, in the encounter against Gujarat Titans, Dhawan was bowled out in only the second over of PBKS' innings after scoring just a run.
What Is Happening with Devdutt Padikkal?
Since joining the Lucknow Super Giants, Devdutt Padikkal has experienced a string of disappointing performances. A glance at his recent scores illustrates this trend – 0 against RR, 9 against PBKS, 6 against RCB, 7 against GT, and 3 against DC.
With five consecutive innings without reaching double digits, Padikkal has appeared neither confident nor comfortable at the crease this season. Notably, three of his dismissals have come at the hands of left-arm pacers – Khaleel Ahmed, Sam Curran, and Trent Boult. Given his ongoing form, Padikkal's chances of featuring for Lucknow in their next match look bleak.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)