Best Match Finishers in the IPL: Every cricketer has a dream to stand till the end and hit the winning shot or take the last wicket. Many cricket enthusiasts have amalgamated the definition of match finishers with batsmen, but any player can be the match finisher for his team.
After a lot of surfing on IPL island, Sportzcraazy has gathered the list of top 5 match-winners in the IPL history. Let’s have a look:-
MS Dhoni
The world has glared some unbelievable match finishers in IPL finishing the game on the last ball, but every ardent cricket fan should remember that there are two types of finishers in cricket. First is Mahendra Singh Dhoni and rest other finishers fall in the second bracket.
He has played 175 matches in the eleven editions of the IPL and remained not out on 58 occasions making him the most consistent player. He has only 3 ducks under his name during these 11 players. The modern-day great is the best reader of the game and exactly understands how and when to absorb and release the pressure while batting.
His aware sensory organs anticipated, which bowler to target and when to, making him not only the deadly batsman but master tactician. He has scored 4015 runs at an eye-popping average of 401.15. Now, that’s some serious statistics.
AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers is the most innovative, crafty batsmen, the world has ever seen. He can do anything with the bat, he can use a bat like a golf club or can hit the ball like a baseball player or use it as a racket. He is equally capable of in front and behind the wickets to hit the ball, this is the only reason he is called Mr. 360 degree.
He has played 141 IPL matches in the last 11 years and remained not out on 29 occasions despite batting in the middle order. He has scored 3953 runs at an average touching 40, he has hit 3 hundred and 28 fifties till date at an amazing strike rate of 150.
The interesting point break with AB de Villiers was that he could bat at any position and finish the game for his team.
Lasith Malinga
There is a reason why Lasith Malinga is called one of the greatest death overs bowlers of all time not only in IPL but in international cricket. Although age has started taking a toll on the body, the player has an impeccable talent on delivering toe breaking Yorkers in the death overs leaving batsmen in no man’s land. It could be either LBW or castled stumps. Lasith Malinga has played 110 matches in the last 10 years and has taken 154 wickets at an average of 19.06. He has taken five 4 wicket hauls and strikes in every 16 balls.
He is almost unplayable during the death of players, the batsman tries to avoid uneven risks, which gives him to experiment and outfox the batsman.
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir is one of the biggest selfless, unsung children of Cricket, but has never achieved the recognition he deserved. He gave everything he had, IPL was a no different tournament for him. He played each IPL game to win and tried to take every game to the last overs and win.
He has 154 matches in the last 11 years while playing for two franchises. He remained not out on 16 occasions and accumulated 4217 runs at an average of 31.01 and at a strike rate of 124.
He played the role of captain cum player for both the franchises he played. As a captain, he always had the responsibility to take his team towards the victory ropes by playing a sheet anchor role in the match. During the process, he became one of the finest IPL finishers of all time.
Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo’s journey as an IPL match winner is astounding and worth remembering for many decades. He doesn’t have lethal inswing and outswing deliveries nor steep jawline bouncers but has the surprise element in him to outfox the batsmen.
He has the tenacity to read the batsman’s mind before delivering the ball and understands the batsman scoring ability and options, this is the only reason he is so successful cricketer in modern times.
He has played 122 matches to date in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Lions and has performed exceptionally well in all the departments of the game.
He has scored 1403 runs in 122 matches at an average of 23.78, but the jaw-dropping fact is that he remained not out on 34 occasions. He took 136 wickets at an average of 24.18, which includes 2 four-wicket hauls.
On the fielding front, he has a crucial role to play, he has taken 69 matches and most of them during the death overs. The fact is you can’t keep this man out of the game.
