IPL 2016: Top Run-Scorers, Averages After Royal Challengers vs. Sunrisers T20
AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli shot to the top of the Indian Premier League's top run-scorers' table during Royal Challengers Bangalore's 45-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.
De Villiers opened his 2016 IPL campaign with figures of 82 from 42, while Kohli added 75 from 51 in the lopsided win. Team-mate Sarfaraz Khan is the new strike-rate leader after an unbeaten 35 from 10, while Dwayne Bravo of Gujarat Lions still leads all bowlers with four wickets.
Here's a look at the top run-scorers of this year's IPL:
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| AB De Villiers | Bangalore | 1 | 1 | 0 | 82 | 82.00 |
| V Kohli | Bangalore | 1 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 75.00 |
| AJ Finch | Gujarat | 1 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 74.00 |
| AM Rahane | Pune | 1 | 1 | 1 | 66 | 66.00 |
| DA Warner | Hyderabad | 1 | 1 | 0 | 58 | 58.00 |
| Harbhajan Singh | Mumbai | 1 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 45.00 |
| M Vijay | Punjab | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 42.00 |
| KD Kharthik | Gujarat | 1 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 41.00 |
| G Gambhir | Kolkata | 1 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 38.00 |
| M Vohra | Punjab | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 38.00 |
The players with the highest strike rates:
| SN Khan | Bangalore | 1 | 350.00 |
| SR Watson | Bangalore | 1 | 237.50 |
| DA Warner | Hyderabad | 1 | 232.00 |
| SK Raina | Gujarat | 1 | 222.22 |
| AR Patel | Punjab | 1 | 200.00 |
The top wicket-takers of this year's IPL:
| DJ Bravo | Gujarat | 4.0 | 22 | 4 |
| GB Hogg | Kolkata | 4.0 | 19 | 3 |
| AD Russell | Kolkata | 3.0 | 24 | 3 |
| JW Hastings | Kolkata | 2.4 | 6 | 2 |
| PP Chawla | Kolkata | 4.0 | 21 | 2 |
All statistics are courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo.
De Villiers and Kohli sliced right through Hyderabad's bowlers on Tuesday, lasting all the way until the 16th over after Chris Gayle's early dismissal and powering the team's impressive total of 227.
Cricket writer Shirin Sadikot was among the many singing the praise of the duo:
The bowlers have dominated the early goings of this year's IPL, and prior to Tuesday's matchup, they had allowed just two half-centuries to Aaron Finch of Gujarat Lions and Ajinkya Rahane of Rising Pune Supergiants.
Three players joined that list during Tuesday's clash, with David Warner also crossing the 50-run mark as Hyderabad unsuccessfully chased Bangalore's total of 227.
But it was De Villiers with his 13 boundaries who stole the show, shooting to the top of this year's run-scorers' list. Per cricket writer Mohandas Menon, the knock wasn't even close to his personal best in the IPL:
Bangalore are expected to rank among the top teams in terms of offensive output this season, and the likes of De Villiers, Kohli and Gayle will likely rank near the top of the run-scorers' standings throughout the tournament.
Kohli has high hopes for De Villiers, and he told reporters how he loves playing with him after the win, per ESPN Cricinfo:
"We lost the toss and did not get what we wanted to. It was a really good effort from the batsman and Parvez showed composure. It is never easy for the spinners to bowl in Bangalore. Parvez was the stand-out bowler for me today. Last year, me and AB had a good partnership in Mumbai. He hit balls as only he can. It was a pleasure playing with him. He took some pressure off me.
"
Khan's quick unbeaten 35 to end the innings was also impressive, as the 18-year-old managed to find the boundary from seven of the 10 balls he faced. Per writer Ayaz Memon, his knock may have been even more impressive than that of De Villiers:
His strike rate of 350.00 easily takes the top spot in the rankings so far, with team-mate Shane Watson coming in second with a strike rate of 237.50.
Khan ranks among the top young talents in cricket, and his aggressive approach with the bat means he'll always post a high strike rate. Surrounded by veterans like Gayle and Kohli, he'll be allowed to play freely and without too much pressure, which should help his numbers.
With the Bangalore batsmen stealing the spotlight on Tuesday, the bowlers had few chances to make their mark. Mustafizur Rahman was the top performer, finishing his day with figures of 2-26. That gave him a share of fourth place on the list of the top wicket-takers, but Bravo still comfortably leads those rankings with four.
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