Best Bowling Performances of Imran Tahir in IPL
At the age of 35, most players would be glancing through brochures of holiday packages, planning a big retirement trip. But the South African spin wizard Imran Tahir is very, very different than most players. When he was 35, he got his first shot at Indian Premier League. It came purely by chance, as Delhi Daredevils were allowed to find a replacement after a hamstring injury ruled Nathal Coulter-Nile out of the tournament.
His first two seasons were phenomenal, but then he struggled in 2016. In 2017, now at the age of 38, he had another good share of fortune. A shoulder injury for Mitchell Marsh meant that his season was over, and the currently disbanded franchise Rising Pune Supergiant signed Tahir. Despite his impressive performances, he struggled to find a buyer next year.
Best Bowling Performances of Imran Tahir in IPL
Chennai Super Kings came in at the last minute to sign him up for his base price for INR 1 crores, and things have only been uphill ever since. Imran Tahir has delivered plenty of brilliant performances in the IPL.
Let us have a look at Top Bowling Performance of Imran Tahir in IPL:
5. 3/18 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Imran Tahir has an ability that is extremely special in T20 cricket. He is capable of both keeping a check on the flow of runs, and also providing breakthroughs at regular intervals. This particular match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2017 is a fine example of his abilities.
Batting first, Rising Pune Supergiant scored 157 runs. Royal Challengers were on the back foot from the start as RPS pacers were on sublime rhythm. After the initial threat was neutralized, Steve Smith unleased Tahir towards the business end. He picked up three wickets in the consecutive overs, in the form of Pawan Negi, Adam Milne and Samuel Badree.
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4. 4/28 vs Rajasthan Royals
Top Bowling Performance of Imran Tahir in IPL: Unlike the previous mention, this match against Rajasthan Royals in 2015 was a very high-scoring affair. It was Tahir’s second season in India, and he sported the Delhi jersey. Chasing a target of 185, Royals got off to a good start. Tahir started his carnage by trapping all-rounder Stuart Binny leg before wicket.
However, that wicket was not the one the Capitals, then known as Daredevils, were chasing. It was Ajinkya Rahane who was firing from one end. Tahir bowled him when Rahane was just three runs short of his half-century. Royals’ batting lineup was far from dismantled, as Deepak Hooda now started his show. But just after completing his half-century, he fell prey to the wizardry of Imran Tahir.
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3. 3/9 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
The neutral fans must have hated Tahir for this particular spell. It was the inaugural match of the 2019 edition of IPL, and everyone was hoping for a cracker of a contest. But thanks to Tahir’s amazing performance, Bangalore batting lineup crumbled for just 70 odd runs.
Tahir’s first victim was Shivam Dube, the young all-rounder who RCB spent a fortune on. He then preyed on Navdeep Saini and Yuzvendra Chahal to make sure that there is not a fightback from Bangalore’s tail. He also conceded only 9 runs in this game.
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2. 4/27 vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Aging like fine wine, Tahir is only getting better with age. Though he has been playing in the IPL from 2014, the top three mentions on this list are all from the season. The spinner wrecked havoc when CSK met Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.
Batting first, Kolkata lost Sunil Narine very early. But Chris Lynn and Nitish Rana steadied the innings from there onwards. Tahir broke the partnership by trapping Nitish Rana in his web. Just a couple of balls later, he dismissed the new batsman Robin Uthappa. To hand KKR a blow from which they cannot recover, Tahir soon dismissed the in-form Chris Lynn as well.
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1. 4/12 vs Delhi Capitals
Tahir’s spell against his former club last year qualifies as his best spell in IPL. On May Day, Chennai hosted Delhi Capitals in their home ground. Batting first, CSK put up a respectable total of 179. Delhi lost Prithvi Shaw early in the run chase as he couldn’t deal with the trickery of Deepak Chahar.
Imran Tahir was called up when the dangerous Rishabh Pant came out to bat, and Tahir did exactly what was expected of him. Soon after dismissing Pant, Tahir sent Axar Patel back to the dressing room. In the same over, he also picked up the wicket of West Indian all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford. To complete his 4-wicket haul, he dismissed Amit Mishra, which also meant that Capitals failed to hit the 100-run mark. This was the Best Bowling Performances of Imran Tahir in IPL so far.
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