Strange things about IPL

IPL 2016: 10 unusual facts you need to know:

The 9th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League got underway on 9th April 2016. The previous 8 editions have witnessed plenty of high-voltage action and a plethora of drama. IPL has seen many records getting broken, many feats being achieved in this span of 8 years.

Just like a big tournament, IPL too has many unusual facts which can bewilder even the most die-hard IPL fans who have been following the league since its inception. Well, we have selected 10 such bewildering facts about the lucrative league. Here they are

1. Yusuf Pathan and Rohit Sharma are the only players who have won the tournament thrice:

These two have won the IPL thrice

KKR’s big-hitting batsman Yusuf Pathan and current Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma share a rare feat which is unmatched by others. They have won the IPL thrice with two different franchises and that surely is something they should be extremely proud of.

Yusuf Pathan won the inaugural edition of the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals in 2008. He was one of the star players of the squad who immensely contributed with both bat and ball.

That was a fairytale season for the Royals as they defied all the odds to emerge winners. Pathan moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011 and won two IPL trophies with them in 2012 and 2014. It surely is a great achievement for the Baroda all-rounder.

The talented Rohit Sharma won the IPL with the Deccan Chargers in 2009. He was one of the key members of the squad and he repeated that feat with the Mumbai Indians twice in 2013 and 2015. Rohit as captain of the Mumbai Indians team won the last edition of the IPL when no one gave them a chance after their dismal start to the campaign.

2. Chris Gayle remained unsold in the 2011 auction:

Gayle set the 2011 IPL on fire after coming in on as a replacement for Dirk Nannes

You will be surprised to know that IPL’s most destructive batsman Chris Gayle remained unsold in the IPL auction in 2011. Later he came in as a replacement for fast bowler Dirk Nannes in the Royal Challengers Bangalore team and set the tournament on fire with his blitzkrieg.

Gayle played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three seasons of the IPL and played 16 matches for them. He scored 463 runs in those 16 games but could never get going in that KKR jersey.

The 2011 season saw the re-birth of the giant as he came, saw and conquered the tournament with his blistering stroke-play. He scored over 600 runs in 2011 and backed that up with over 700 scores in 2012 and 2013 to stamp his name in the IPL history forever.

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore involved in all three 200 run partnerships:

These two put on a record stand of 215 together in last year’s IPL(Source: mysports.today)

The flamboyant RCB team has a batting line-up that can intimidate any opposition. The likes of Gayle, Kohli, AB De Villers in the same team surely will send shivers down the opposition's bowlers’ spines.

Team RCB has been involved in a rare feat in IPL. They have been involved in all three 200-run partnerships in IPL where they are on the receiving end once.

It was the Australian duo of Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh who put up a record 2nd wicket stand of 206 in 2011 at Dharamshala in a game against the RCB. But with the kind of firepower RCB had in its batting, it was a matter of time before that got emulated or broken.

 4.Aaron Finch and Parthiv Patel- Played for six different franchises:

These two share a rare feat of playing for six IPL franchises

The Australian and the Indian share a unique feat of playing for six different franchises in IPL. Finch appeared for Gujarat Lions yesterday to emulate the feat of the diminutive keeper-batsman from India.

Parthiv played for Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians and it surely is a unique feat.

Aaron Finch has also played for six different franchises throughout his IPL career. They are Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions to complete almost a full circle.

5.Gautam Gambhir- Most Fifties and Most Ducks: 

The talented Southpaw holds two unique recordsFormer Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir has been one of the best performers in the IPL. He has amassed plenty of runs for both the teams he played for in the IPL. He is KKR’s highest run getter and sits pretty at the 4th spot for in the Delhi Daredevils’ highest run-getters’ list.Gambhir also has scored the most number of 50s in IPL. But there is a record that he would love to forget. Gautam Gambhir has scored the most number of ducks i.e. 11 alongside Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh to share this ignominiousfeat.

6.Harbhajan Singh and Virat Kohli- 9 editions, same franchise:

Harbhajan and Kohli play for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively

Team India teammates Harbhajan Singh and Virat Kohli share a unique feat together in the IPL. They are the only players who have been part of the same franchise throughout their journey in the IPL.

With the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Dhoni, Raina, Ashwin joining other teams, Harbhajan and Kohli remain the only players who have represented the same franchise throughout these 9 seasons.

Harbhajan Singh has been a backbone of the Mumbai Indians squad and he even won the IPL trophy twice with them. Virat Kohli will surely look to add the IPL title to his kitty as it is a trophy that has been eluding him since 2008.

Refernces:( https://www.sportskeeda.com,https://www.google.com.pk)