Urvil Patel Sets IPL Record with Explosive Debut Performance

Historic IPL Debut for Urvil Patel

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 8: In a remarkable debut for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), opener Urvil Patel made headlines by achieving the highest strike rate for an Indian batter in their first IPL innings lasting 10 balls or more.

This milestone occurred during a match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens.

Patel scored an impressive 31 runs off just 11 balls, featuring one four and four sixes, resulting in a phenomenal strike rate of 281.82. His innings included two sixes and a four off Moeen Ali, as well as a six and a four against Ravichandran Ashwin, showcasing his skill against spin bowling.

Despite this achievement, Patel's strike rate is the second-highest for a debut IPL innings, following former England player Luke Wright, who scored 34 runs in 10 balls (with six fours and a six) at a strike rate of 340.00 for Pune Warriors India against Punjab Kings in 2013.

Representing Gujarat in domestic cricket, Urvil is recognized for his aggressive batting style. Last year, he broke a record held by Indian star Rishabh Pant for the fastest T20 century by an Indian, scoring 113* in just 35 balls during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Tripura, which included seven fours and 12 sixes.

In his T20 career, Urvil has accumulated 1,193 runs in 48 matches, averaging 26.51 with a strike rate of 172.15, including two centuries and four fifties, with a top score of 115*.

In the match, KKR won the toss and chose to bat first. A solid 58-run partnership between captain Ajinkya Rahane (48 runs off 33 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Sunil Narine (26 runs off 17 balls, with four boundaries and a six) set a strong foundation for KKR.

Subsequent contributions from Andre Russell (38 runs off 21 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Manish Pandey (36* runs off 28 balls, with a four and a six) helped KKR post a total of 179/6 in their 20 overs.

Noor Ahmed was the standout bowler for CSK, taking 4 wickets for 31 runs, while Anshul Kambhoj and Ravindra Jadeja each claimed a wicket.

During CSK's chase, they found themselves struggling at 60/5 within 5.2 overs. However, a counter-attacking 51 from Dewald Brevis (25 balls, with four fours and four sixes) and a 67-run partnership with Shivam Dube revitalized their innings. Dube contributed 45 runs off 40 balls, including two fours and three sixes, as he partnered with skipper MS Dhoni to bring CSK closer to victory.

In a dramatic turn, Vaibhav Arora dismissed both Dube and Noor Ahmed in the penultimate over, leaving CSK needing eight runs in the final over with two wickets remaining.

Dhoni (17* runs off 18 balls, with a six) delivered a thrilling finish, hitting a six off Andre Russell on the first ball of the last over, allowing Anshul to score the winning runs. CSK concluded their innings at 183/8 in 19.4 overs, marking their third victory of the season.

Despite conceding runs, Vaibhav Arora was KKR's best bowler with figures of 3/48 in three overs, while Varun Chakravarthy (2/18) and Harshit Rana (2/43) also contributed with wickets.

Currently, CSK sits at the bottom of the points table with three wins and nine losses, while KKR holds 11 points with five wins, six losses, and one no result in 12 matches, significantly impacting their playoff prospects as they occupy the sixth position.