The 2023 season of the Indian Premier League is nearly over. 56 games have been played through the sixth week. All of the teams are still vying for a spot in the playoffs, but some only have a realistic chance. To secure a spot for their team in the top four, the players have given their all for the franchise.
Particularly this week, it has been quite the ride. There have been games where teams had difficulty going over 140 and others where 200+ totals were successfully defended. It reveals the true character of the field and the manner in which cricketers present themselves to the franchises. In this article, we discuss some of this week’s best bowling performances.
Their teams have typically prevailed in the game. However, their efforts were appreciated even if their team fell short. We have three pacers and two wrist spinners on this week’s list. Rahul Chahar deserves special recognition since he was left out due to space considerations.
Let’s have a look at key bowling performances of week 6:
1. Matheesha Pathirana a 3-for-15 performance vs Mumbai Indians
The biggest discovery made by Chennai Super Kings this year has to be Matheesha Pathirana. He has completely changed his level of evolution. The Sri Lankan cricketer’s bowling motion is reminiscent of that of Lasith Malinga, a national hero. He is getting ready to be a treasure for any captain, just like his hero.
The teen usually enters the field to bowl after the 11th over, when MS Dhoni is preparing Pathirana to play the middle and death overs. He did the same thing in the cross-fixture against the Mumbai Indians, restricting Nehal Wadhera and Tristan Stubbs and only allowing them to score a few runs.
Then again, Dhoni reintroduced Pathirana and dashed MI’s hopes when they appeared to post a total of around 160. He dismissed Wadhera with a fiery yorker, and more importantly, he only gave up two runs in the 18th over. Additionally, he lost two wickets in exchange for five runs in the final over. In addition to keeping MI under 140, his economic spell earned Dhoni praise.
2. Rashid Khan 3 for 14 against Rajasthan Royals
The best bowling performance of the week belongs to Rashid Khan, an international T20 superstar from Afghanistan. He made a strong comeback to form after a number of forgettable performances in prior IPL games. After performing poorly against Rajasthan in their previous meeting, Rashid arrived unexpectedly and forced Sanju Samson to make a mistake that caused Yashasvi Jaiswal to be ejected.
Momentum then began to shift in favour of Gujarat Titans’ corridor. To contain the run, Rashid continued to bowl on good lengths, primarily googlies. They kept things tight, and he received good support from the other side. Ravichandran Ashwin, who was sent by Rajasthan Royals, had no idea how to counter Rashid’s spin. In the end, he bowled Ashwin after playing games with him.
Riyan Parag was brought in as an impact player because the Royals were under increasing pressure. And to make matters worse, the second delivery that Parag faced hit him in the pad. Shimron Hetmyer was then held by Hardik for Rashid, who then, in accordance with the plan, sent Hetmyer back to the pavilion to put the final nail in the coffin.
3 Mohit Sharma 4/29 vs Lucknow Super Giants
Mohit Sharma gave an underappreciated performance in a game that featured the Gujarat Titans’ openers performing a batting masterclass. This year, Mohit Sharma has been the “man with the golden arm.” He performed admirably in the game against Lucknow Supergiants once more. When things were going against GT, Hardik Pandya called Mohit Sharma, and he answered with Kyle Mayers’ wicket.
A bowler who has good pitch reading skills, like Mohit. He realized that slower balls were getting caught on the deck and forcing batters to make errors. This dismissal significantly reduced LSG’s rate of run production. As Mohit Sharma took his second wicket and removed Marcus Stoinis, more wickets continued to fall.
In the penultimate over, Sharma completed his spell, ending the game for the opposition. Ayush Badoni and captain Krunal Pandya were caught in his trap during that over. Together with Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma has helped Gujarat win games one after another with a potent bowling attack.