IPL weekly digest: Narine's fastest fifty, Royal Challengers’ dramatic slide

A look at the Indian Premier League (IPL) highlights of the week gone by.

Sunil Narine’s had reached his fifty off 15 balls, a record made by his teammate Yusuf Pathan in the 2014 edition.

The past week has witnessed resurgence from Rising Pune Supergiant , Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils , and reversals suffered by table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, in the ongoing 10th season of the Indian Premier League. With consistent wins, Supergiant has now occupied the second spot in the points table. Mumbai became the first team to qualify for the IPL playoffs with a 146-run victory over Delhi Daredevils.

 

Royal Challengers Bangalore, however,

continued to slide , slipping to the bottom of the table with only two wins in the entire season thus far. Ben Stokes, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Rishabh Pant were some of the match-winners of influence for their respective sides. The partnership between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson against Gujarat Lions was so impactful that Daredevils’ stand-in captain

confessed it was “one of the best” he had ever seen.

Brendon McCullum and fast bowler Nathu Singh have been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. While McCullum suffered a hamstring injury, Nathu, who played only two games this season, became unavailable due to back spasm.

Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore

Rohit Sharma played a sublime knock to guide Mumbai Indians to a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, ensuring the team of a berth at the IPL playoffs. ( Report )

Rising Pune Supergiant v Gujarat Lions

Rising Pune Supergiant’s ‘million-dollar man’ Ben Stokes finally paid off as the Englishman hit an unbeaten century to beat Gujarat Lions by five wickets. ( Report )

Delhi Daredevils v Sunrisers Hyderabad

Delhi Daredevils batsmen helped the team snap a five-match losing streak with a comfortable six–wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad and mathematically remained in the race for the IPL playoffs. ( Report )

Kolkata Knight Riders v Rising Pune Supergiant

Rahul Tripathi played a breathtaking knock of 93 to singlehandedly take Rising Pune Supergiant to a four-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders. ( Report )

Delhi Daredevils v Gujarat Lions

Young Rishabh Pant produced a sensational 43-ball 97 to guide Delhi Daredevils to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Gujarat Lions. ( Report )

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab

Axar Patel's lion-hearted all-round effort helped Kings XI Punjab stay in the hunt for a play-off berth with a resounding 19-run victory over Royal Challengers Banglore. ( Report )

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rising Pune Supergiant

Ben Stokes, Jaydev Unadkat and MS Dhoni starred as Rising Pune Supergiant defeated host Sunrisers Hyderabad by 12 runs and powered team to second spot in points table. ( Report )

Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians' bowlers rose to the occasion after team's tough time with the bat as the hosts recorded their sixth win on the trot with a comfortable 14-run victory over Delhi Daredevils. ( Report )

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders

Sunil Narine hit the joint fastest half-century in IPL as Kolkata Knight Riders spanked Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets to become the third team to qualify for the playoffs. ( Report )

Kings XI Punjab v Gujarat Lions

Gujarat Lions rode on some powerful batting to defeat Kings XI Punjab by six wickets. Dwayne Smith played a starring role for Gujarat, smashing 74 runs off a mere 39 deliveries, hitting eight boundaries and four towering sixes along the way. ( Report )