IPL 2015: Leading Run-Scorers, Wicket-Takers, Averages and More After Qualifier
Chennai Super Kings will play Mumbai Indians in the final of the 2015 Indian Premier League after beating Royal Challengers Bangalore in a tense qualifier.
MS Dhoni’s men—who will feature in their sixth final on Sunday—won by three wickets, and although they always looked in control of the chase, they knocked off the winning runs with just one ball remaining in the match.
Ashish Nehra shone with the ball up front for Chennai, and his bowling display was backed up by an excellent innings from veteran batsman Mike Hussey. Sadly for RCB, none of their batting superstars found their groove. After posting a meagre 139 for eight from their 20 overs, they were always defending a below-par score.
Read on for updated individual classifications ahead of the final and a recap of the day’s standout performers.
Top 10 Run-Scorers
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| Player | Team | Runs |
| David Warner | Hyderabad | 562 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Rajasthan | 540 |
| AB de Villiers | Bangalore | 513 |
| Virat Kohli | Bangalore | 505 |
| Chris Gayle | Bangalore | 491 |
| Lendl Simmons | Mumbai | 472 |
| Shreyas Iyer | Delhi | 439 |
| Brendon McCullum | Chennai | 436 |
| Rohit Sharma | Mumbai | 432 |
| JP Duminy | Delhi | 414 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Batting Averages
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| Player | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Albie Morkel | Delhi | 3 | 86 | 86.00 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Rajasthan | 13 | 540 | 49.09 |
| Jagadeesha Suchith | Mumbai | 6 | 48 | 48.00 |
| AB de Villiers | Bangalore | 14 | 513 | 46.63 |
| Virat Kohli | Bangalore | 16 | 505 | 45.90 |
| Yusuf Pathan | Kolkata | 12 | 312 | 44.57 |
| Shane Watson | Rajasthan | 9 | 347 | 43.37 |
| David Warner | Hyderabad | 14 | 562 | 43.23 |
| Lendl Simmons | Mumbai | 12 | 472 | 42.90 |
| JP Duminy | Delhi | 13 | 414 | 41.40 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Strike Rates
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| Player | Team | Runs | Strike Rate |
| Andre Russell | Kolkata | 326 | 192.89 |
| Hardik Pandya | Mumbai | 112 | 186.66 |
| AB de Villiers | Bangalore | 513 | 175.05 |
| Pawan Negi | Chennai | 113 | 166.71 |
| Kieron Pollard | Mumbai | 383 | 160.92 |
| Deepak Hooda | Rajasthan | 151 | 158.94 |
| Harbhajan Singh | Mumbai | 111 | 158.57 |
| Quinton de Kock | Delhi | 122 | 158.44 |
| Mandeep Singh | Bangalore | 157 | 157.00 |
| David Warner | Hyderabad | 562 | 156.54 |
Minimum 90 runs scored. Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
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Top 10 Wicket-Takers
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| Player | Team | Wickets |
| Dwayne Bravo | Chennai | 24 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Bangalore | 23 |
| Lasith Malinga | Mumbai | 22 |
| Ashish Nehra | Chennai | 22 |
| Mitchell Starc | Bangalore | 20 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Hyderabad | 18 |
| Harshal Patel | Bangalore | 17 |
| Harbhajan Singh | Mumbai | 16 |
| David Wiese | Bangalore | 16 |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | Delhi | 15 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Bowling Figures
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| Player | Team | Date | Opponent | Figures |
| Ashish Nehra | Chennai | April 22 | Bangalore | 4/10 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Chennai | May 10 | Rajasthan | 4/11 |
| Mitchell Starc | Bangalore | May 6 | Punjab | 4/15 |
| JP Duminy | Delhi | April 18 | Hyderabad | 4/17 |
| Sunil Narine | Kolkata | May 9 | Punjab | 4/19 |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | Delhi | May 1 | Punjab | 4/20 |
| Lasith Malinga | Mumbai | April 25 | Hyderabad | 4/23 |
| Chris Morris | Rajasthan | May 16 | Kolkata | 4/23 |
| Sandeep Sharma | Punjab | April 18 | Kolkata | 4/25 |
| Sreenath Aravind | Bangalore | May 6 | Punjab | 4/27 |
Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Top 10 Economy Rates
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| Player | Team | Overs | Wickets | Economy |
| Jayant Yadav | Delhi | 7.0 | 2 | 4.14 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Chennai | 37.0 | 10 | 5.59 |
| Shahbaz Nadeem | Delhi | 7.0 | 0 | 6.14 |
| Parvez Rasool | Hyderabad | 5.0 | 1 | 6.20 |
| Moises Henriques | Hyderabad | 25.0 | 11 | 6.32 |
| Zaheer Khan | Delhi | 24.1 | 7 | 6.45 |
| Mitchell Starc | Bangalore | 39.0 | 19 | 6.76 |
| Brad Hogg | Kolkata | 21.0 | 9 | 6.85 |
| Sandeep Sharma | Punjab | 50.0 | 13 | 7.00 |
| Murali Vijay | Punjab | 4.0 | 28 | 7.00 |
Minimum three overs bowled. Statistics courtesy of the official IPL website.
Standout Performers
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Ashish Nehra Puts Chennai on Front Foot
It’s often said that there is no substitute for experience when it comes to these types of high-pressure games, and Ashish Nehra added further credence to that narrative with an excellent bowling display for Chennai Super Kings.
The 36-year-old has enjoyed a superb tournament to date, and his full range of skills was on show once again here. Nehra took three wickets for 28 runs from his four overs, prompting former India teammate Virender Sehwag to pay tribute on Twitter:
"Nehra ji got big wkt of AB .. Old is gold ..
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 22, 2015
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But what was even more important for Chennai was the wickets Nehra took. Royal Challengers Bangalore have a loaded top order, with the likes of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers capable of taking a game away from any side. But Nehra had the latter two back in the dugout before they could make a major impact on the game.
The bowler capped off an excellent display with another vital wicket. Dinesh Karthik was looking well set at the crease on 28, but Nehra abated any concerns of the wicket-keeper piling on some late runs.
Mike Hussey Rolls Back the Clock
There’s a reason why Mike Hussey is known as “Mr. Cricket,” and despite his advancing years, the Aussie gave us an emphatic reminder of why with a gem of an innings here.
Although he looked a little rusty in the opening stages of the match, Hussey played sensibly, and as he picked up the pace of the ball, he began to bring out the shots. The Aussie smashed a delectable cover drive—one of his trademarks in his heyday—before lofting two massive sixes to pass his half century.
Freddie Wilde of ESPNcricinfo paid tribute to Hussey’s composed effort of 56 from 46 deliveries:
"That's a very good innings from Mike Hussey. #CSK's top order was a problem & his experience & sagacity has steadied it. #IPL #CSKvRCB #RCB
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) May 22, 2015
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While the aggressive influence of Brendon McCullum is impossible to replace at the top of the order, Hussey is a wily player. In a team that has so many power players, his canniness and experience give Chennai an assured presence that has occasionally been lacking in this competition so far.
The Australian will turn 40 next week, but it’s clear to see he still has something to offer in this dynamic format. Mumbai will be acutely aware that getting him out early in the final will be crucial to their chances.
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