Where does Harshal Patel’s 37-run over rank among the 5 most expensive overs in the IPL?
Being a bowler in T20 is a pretty thankless task – especially when the wicket you have to bowl on has been prepared to gift runs to batsmen. The deck is really stacked in favour of the batsmen.
There was a time when 36 runs in an over was a seemingly unattainable maximum in a single over, but that’s a milestone that has famously been reached – South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs did it against the Netherlands in the 2007 World Cup while Garfield Sobers did it in 1968 for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan.
So, how do those efforts stack up compared to the most expensive overs in IPL cricket? Here is a quick look at the seven most expensive overs bowled in IPL history.
7. 31 runs – Rahul Sharma (Pune Warriors India vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2012)
In a match between Pune Warriors India and Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012, leg-spinner Rahul Sharma faced the wrath of Chris Gayle. The West Indian power-hitter unleashed a flurry of boundaries, amassing 31 runs in a single over.
This onslaught came as part of Gayle’s record-breaking 175 not out, the highest individual score in T20 cricket. The over started innocuously enough with a single for Saurabh Tiwary before Chris Gayle stepped forward to blast five successive sixes.
6. 32 runs – Anrich Nortje (Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, 2021)
South African paceman Anrich Nortje experienced a tough over against Mumbai Indians in 2021. West Indian batsman Kieron Pollard, known for his explosive hitting, took Nortje apart, scoring 32 runs in the over.
Four shots cleared the ropes while the other two deliveries went for four.
It was the final over of the first innings and it ensured that MI reached a winning score – they started the final over on 202 which would not have been enough given that the Capitals reached 205 in their chase – Pollard’s batting turned the tide in Mumbai’s favour and highlighted the challenges that bowlers face in the death overs.
5. 33 runs – Ravi Bopara (Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2010)
In the 2010 season, English all-rounder Ravi Bopara, playing for Kings XI Punjab, bowled an over that cost 33 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Once again it was the legendary Chris Gayle who was the tormentor, demonstrating his ability to dominate bowlers and change the game’s momentum in a single over.
Batting with Manoj Tiwary, who contributed a couple of singles to the total, Gayle hit four maximums while the bowler also sent down two wides – one of which went for four and the other which saw a stolen single.
4. 33 runs – Parvinder Awana (Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, 2014)
Parvinder Awana of Kings XI Punjab found himself on the receiving end of a brutal assault by Suresh Raina in 2014. Raina’s aggressive approach yielded 33 runs in a single over, propelling Chennai Super Kings to a formidable total of 202 for seven.
But it wasn’t enough as they fell short of the PBKS total of 226 for six which was built around a sensational 122 from 58 from Virender Sehwag.
Awana’s over started with a pair of sixes before Raina dispatched the other deliveries for four – including a no-ball. Raina scored 87 from 25 balls before being run out while Awana ended with figures of two for 59.
3. 35 runs – Daniel Sams (Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2022)
Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams, representing Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022, conceded 35 runs in an over against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Baggy Greens skipper Pat Cummins is more known as a bowler himself, but this time he was the architect of this brutal onslaught as he displayed some exceptional timing and power-hitting skills that left Sams and his team reeling.
Four times Cummins cleared the ropes (one was a no-ball), while he also hit two fours and a ran a two.
2. 37 runs – Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 2021)
In a high-scoring encounter in 2021, Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore bowled an over that cost 37 runs against Chennai Super Kings.
Ravindra Jadeja was in scintillating form, smashing five sixes (one off a no-ball) as well as a four and a two in the over, turning the game decisively in Chennai’s favour as they reached a score of 191 for four.
As if his efforts with the bat weren’t enough (he ended undefeated with 62 from 28 balls) he stepped up with the ball as well to return figures of three for 13 and claim the Player-of-the-Match award.
1. 37 runs – Prasanth Parameswaran (Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2011)
The most expensive over in IPL history came in 2011 when Prasanth Parameswaran of Kochi Tuskers Kerala conceded 37 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Chris Gayle was once again the batsman who did the damage, and his sequence of 6 (off a no-ball), 6, 4, 4, 6, 6, 4 showed his dominance and ability to dismantle bowling attacks single-handedly.
This over remains a testament to Gayle’s prowess and the challenges bowlers face in the T20 format. His assault on Parameswaran was part of a brisk knock of 44 from 16 balls as RCB reached a score 128 for one to chase down a modest 125 for 9.