IPL 2015: Leading Run-Scorers, Highest Wicket-Takers and More T20 Stats
We were treated to an intriguing doubleheader in the Indian Premier League on Friday, as the Delhi Daredevils and the Mumbai Indians sampled crucial victories.
It was easy going for the Daredevils, as a brutal bowling performance helped limit Kings XI Punjab to just 118 for eight from their 20 overs. They chased the score down with ease, winning by nine wickets with 37 balls remaining in the match.
The later game was a much more even affair, with Mumbai posting an imposing total of 187 for five after batting first. Rajasthan Royals made a good fist of the chase, but they eventually finished up eight runs short in their pursuit.
Read on for the standout performer from each of these matches and how various individual classifications shape up 32 games into this engrossing competition.
Top 10 Run-Scorers
1 of 7
| Player | Team | Runs |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Rajasthan | 339 |
| David Warner | Hyderabad | 317 |
| Brendon McCullum | Chennai | 283 |
| Shreyas Iyer | Delhi | 281 |
| Rohit Sharma | Mumbai | 271 |
| Dwayne Smith | Chennai | 253 |
| AB de Villiers | Bangalore | 233 |
| Kieron Pollard | Mumbai | 226 |
| Robin Uthappa | Kolkata | 223 |
| Virat Kohli | Bangalore | 221 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Batting Averages
2 of 7
| Player | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Andre Russell | Kolkata | 5 | 185 | 61.66 |
| Sarfaraz Khan | Bangalore | 2 | 56 | 56.00 |
| Ashish Reddy | Hyderabad | 3 | 50 | 50.00 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Rajasthan | 8 | 339 | 48.42 |
| AB de Villiers | Bangalore | 6 | 233 | 46.60 |
| David Warner | Hyderabad | 7 | 317 | 45.28 |
| Virat Kohli | Bangalore | 7 | 221 | 44.20 |
| JP Duminy | Delhi | 7 | 220 | 44.00 |
| Chris Gayle | Bangalore | 6 | 219 | 43.80 |
| Shane Watson | Rajasthan | 4 | 172 | 43.00 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Strike Rates
3 of 7
| Player | Team | Runs | Strike-Rate |
| Deepak Hooda | Rajasthan | 118 | 203.44 |
| Andre Russell | Kolkata | 185 | 186.86 |
| Brendon McCullum | Chennai | 283 | 175.77 |
| Kieron Pollard | Mumbai | 226 | 168.65 |
| AB de Villiers | Bangalore | 233 | 165.24 |
| Harbhajan Singh | Mumbai | 97 | 161.66 |
| Angelo Mathews | Delhi | 93 | 157.62 |
| David Warner | Hyderabad | 317 | 153.88 |
| Rohit Sharma | Mumbai | 271 | 152.24 |
| David Wiese | Bangalore | 80 | 150.94 |
Minimum 50 runs scored. Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Top 10 Wicket-Takers
4 of 7
| Player | Team | Wickets |
| Ashish Nehra | Chennai | 13 |
| Imran Tahir | Delhi | 13 |
| Dwayne Bravo | Chennai | 11 |
| Lasith Malinga | Mumbai | 11 |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | Delhi | 10 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Rajasthan | 10 |
| Anureet Singh | Punjab | 10 |
| Sandeep Sharma | Punjab | 9 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Hyderabad | 9 |
| Morne Morkel | Kolkata | 9 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Bowling Figures
5 of 7
| Player | Team | Date | Opponent | Figures |
| Ashish Nehra | Chennai | April 22 | Bangalore | 4/10 |
| JP Duminy | Delhi | April 18 | Hyderabad | 4/17 |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | Delhi | May 1 | Punjab | 4/20 |
| Lasith Malinga | Mumbai | April 25 | Hyderabad | 4/23 |
| Sandeep Sharma | Punjab | April 18 | Kolkata | 4/25 |
| Imran Tahir | Delhi | April 12 | Rajasthan | 4/28 |
| Brad Hogg | Kolkata | April 30 | Chennai | 4/29 |
| David Wiese | Bangalore | April 19 | Mumbai | 4/33 |
| Trent Boult | Hyderabad | April 27 | Punjab | 3/19 |
| Mitchell McClenaghan | Mumbai | April 25 | Hyderabad | 3/20 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Economy Rates
6 of 7
| Player | Team | Overs | Wickets | Economy |
| Suresh Raina | Chennai | 3.0 | 0 | 4.00 |
| Zaheer Khan | Delhi | 4.0 | 2 | 4.25 |
| Murali Vijay | Punjab | 3.0 | 0 | 5.33 |
| Mitchell Starc | Bangalore | 12.0 | 7 | 5.50 |
| Pawan Negi | Chennai | 4.0 | 1 | 5.75 |
| Brad Hogg | Kolkata | 8.0 | 5 | 5.87 |
| Sandeep Sharma | Punjab | 31.0 | 9 | 6.06 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Chennai | 18.0 | 6 | 6.50 |
| Johan Botha | Kolkata | 4.0 | 0 | 6.50 |
| Ashish Nehra | Chennai | 32.0 | 13 | 6.59 |
Minimum three overs bowled. Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Standout Performers
7 of 7
Coulter-Nile Shows Class
A dominant win for Delhi Daredevils over Kings XI Punjab was a measure of the vast strides they’ve made in recent weeks, and the foundations for the win were laid by a brilliant bowling performance from Nathan Coulter-Nile.
The Aussie picked up career best 20-over figures of four wickets for just 20 runs conceded, wreaking havoc in the Punjab middle order after some blistering bowling up front from Zaheer Khan.
CricBuzz took a detailed look at what was an excellent day for the seamer:
"A good day at the office for Coulter-Nile: 0 0 W 0 1 0 0 4 0 1 wd 1LB 4 0 0 1 1 W 1 W 1 1 W 0 4 (4-0-20-4) #CB #IPL #DDvKXIP
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 1, 2015"
With Khan back and leading the attack with aggression, suddenly Delhi look as though they have one of the very best bowling setups in the competition. Factor in a rejuvenated Coulter-Nile and the spin-bowling majesty of Imran Tahir, this is the platform upon which the Daredevils must build their charge for glory.
Coulter-Nile can be a frustrating bowler at times, but having so many quality options around him seems to have given him a freedom. The challenge for the seamer is preserving these kinds of consistent levels as the tournament rolls on and the pressure increases.
Samson Shines in Defeat
Batting at No. 3 is probably the most difficult position in the lineup. You have to posses an adaptable array of skills, plenty of composure and usually a great deal of experience. Twenty-year-old Sanju Samson may not possess the latter, but he showcased spades of the former in a stunning innings for Rajasthan.
He was promoted to third in the batting for this match and responded with a magnificent knock of 76. As noted by cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, his promotion in the order was a real show of faith from the team:
"Good to see #RajasthanRoyals back Sanju Samson like this. In a bad patch, needs reassurance, sent back up to no3 #PepsiIPL
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 1, 2015"
With Shane Watson, Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith dismissed for meagre scores, the onus fell on Samson to push Rajasthan to victory in a difficult chase. For a long time, it seemed as though he was going to do exactly that, showcasing some stunning shots, entertaining variety and impeccable timing.
Former India cricket star Aakash Chopra was very impressed with his performance:
"Last ten balls of Sanju Samson's innings made me go WOW...breathtaking shots. #MIvRR
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 1, 2015"
From a Royals perspective, it was extremely disappointing he didn’t finish the job here. Samson showcased exactly why there is so much hype around him with this refined performance, and while the pain of defeat will still be relatively raw in the immediate aftermath, it’s an experience he’ll learn from.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
