Virat Kohli tops best individual performances this season

No surprises in guessing which player takes the top billing in this year’s Indian Premier League

1. Virat Kohli 113 v Kings XI Punjab (May 18)

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has scored 919 runs so far. (AFP)

Kohli took 50 balls to score 113 that comprised 12 boundaries and eight sixes in a match curtailed to 15 overs per side after rain almost threatened washout. It was a captain’s innings at a time when RCB had to win everything to reach the play-offs.

2. AB de Villiers 79* v Gujarat Lions (May 24)

AB de Villiers scored 73* in the crucial match against Gujarat Lions to take Royal Challengers Bangalore into the IPL final. (AFP)

Purely in terms of soaking the pressure and preventing the opponents from snatching the momentum, this innings was better than some of the other centuries hit in this tournament. Not only did de Villiers score the runs required to win the qualifier, he also stayed unbeaten.

3. David Warner 93* v Gujarat Lions (May 27)

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner celebrates the victory over Gujarat Lions. (AFP)

The Australian opener was anchoring a chase where no one till No.7 had contributed more than 11. But Warner had made it his mission to guide Sunrisers to their first ever final with an unbeaten 93 that was more about grit and determination.

4. Dwayne Smith 4/8 v KKR (May 19)

Dwayne Smith was a key member of the Gujarat Lions bowling unit. (AFP)

No other bowler has taken four wickets and conceded this little. Sure this was a Kanpur pitch that lived up to the stadium’s name but any seamer could have overdone it. Not Smith though. He swung the ball just enough to dismiss KKR for just 124 and help his team go up to No.2 on the points table.

5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/19 v KKR (May 25)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has ensured that the Sunrisers Hyderabad don’t miss the guile and experience of injured spearhead Ashish Nehra. (AFP)

Ashish Nehra wasn’t around in the eliminator. Neither did Sunrisers Hyderabad have a huge score on the board. Bhuvneshwar Kumar however came up with show that was capped by one of the best death over bowling performances ever in the tournament’s history.