Gautam Gambhir scored a quickfire fifty to help Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in its first match of the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL). He smashed the Gujarat Lions bowlers to score 76 runs off 48 balls, including 12 fours, at a strike rate of 158. This was Gambhir’s 32nd fifty in the IPL, which means that he now holds the joint record (along with David Warner) for the most number of fifties in IPL history. However, Gambhir has never scored a century in the IPL, therefore, the record for the most 50-plus scores (i.e. including centuries), is held by David Warner (34).
Most Fifties in The IPL*
* As of April 8, 2017
However, it is interesting that Gambhir now holds the record for not only the most fifties in the IPL, but also the unwanted record for the most ducks. He shares this record with Harbhajan Singh, both of whom have scored 12 ducks each in the IPL. Gambhir’s 12 ducks from 133 matches essentially means that he scores a duck every 11th IPL match. Next on the list are Gambhir’s Knight Riders’ team-mates Manish Pandey and Piyush Chawla, who have scored 11 ducks each in the IPL.
Most Ducks in The IPL*
* As of April 8, 2017
Gambhir will be hoping to take the sole lead on one list and relinquish the top spot on the other by the end of the 2017 IPL season.
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Q&A
Bangladesh recently drew both the Test and ODI series in Sri Lanka 1-1. Has it ever previously returned from an away tour without losing either the Test or ODI series?
— Pranav Raju, Davanagere, Karnataka
Yes, this has happened once before. Bangladesh has been on 22 previous Test tours and not lost only two, a 2-0 victory against a second-string West Indies side in 2009 (due to a dispute between the West Indies Board and the players) and a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in 2013. During the 2009 tour to West Indies, it followed up its 2-0 whitewash in the Tests, with a 3-0 whitewash in the ODIs. However, during the 2013 tour to Zimbabwe, it lost the ODI series by a 1-2 margin. Its recent tour to Sri Lanka is therefore the second time that Bangladesh is returning from an away tour without losing either the Test or ODI series.
I am curious to know how many countries have scheduled international matches during this 2017 IPL?
— Nanditha Balaram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Since the IPL now has an ICC-approved window, there are fewer international tours being scheduled during the IPL season. The 2017 IPL season is from April 5, 2017 to May 21, 2017. The international series being held during this period are: (i) Pakistan’s tour to West Indies (ongoing, till May 14, 2017); (ii) Two ODIs between England and Ireland, in England (May 5, 2017 to May 7, 2017); (iii) ODI series involving Bangladesh, New Zealand and Ireland, in Ireland (May 12, 2017 to May 24, 2017). South Africa’s tour of England starts immediately after the IPL, on May 24, 2017, which means that some South African and English players may leave the IPL early in order to join their respective teams in preparation for that big tour.
In a recent ODI between Afghanistan and Ireland, I noticed that two bowlers took six-wicket hauls. Has this ever happened before?
— Rijoy Bhaumik, Kolkata, West Bengal
That’s well spotted Rijoy. In an ODI between Afghanistan and Ireland in Greater Noida on March 17, 2017, two bowlers picked up six-wicket hauls. Ireland’s Paul Stirling took six for 55, while Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan returned figures of six for 43. This, in fact, is the only instance in ODI history of two bowlers taking six-wicket hauls in the same match. There have been 10 previous instances of two bowlers taking five-wicket hauls in the same match.
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