IPL: Batters who were quickest off the blocks

Sanju Samson and Prithvi Shaw aced the strike-rate game among Indian top-order batters while some others took their time before accelerating in this IPL season

When Sanju Samson took guard against Yash Dayal in Qualifier 1 at Eden Gardens, Rajasthan Royals were 11/1 and in need of a partnership. First ball from Dayal, Samson hit a six over long-on. Gifted a length ball two deliveries later, Samson rocked back and punched it on the up between cover and mid-off. The next four deliveries were dots but Samson had still got 10 off the over. Mohammed Shami wasn’t spared, neither was Alzarri Joseph or R Sai Kishore. While there was certain randomness to Samson’s 26-ball 47 against Gujarat Titans, his scoring heavily at the start meant Rashid Khan didn’t make a difference later. Samson finished with a strike rate of just over 180 despite scoring five off the six balls he faced from Rashid.

No one attacked like Sanju Samson did at No 3.(PTI)

Many batters, especially openers, though didn’t take advantage of the field restrictions during powerplay in this IPL. Some took their time and started hitting only in the slog overs. KL Rahul (S/R 135.38), Shubman Gill (132.32), Abhishek Sharma (133.12) Shikhar Dhawan (122.66), Ishan Kishan (120.11) and Virat Kohli (115.98) all stuck to this ploy. Then there were a few who started aggressively but slowed down when wickets fell at the other end. For example, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer started with a strike rate of 143 in the first five balls but dropped to below 130 after the 10-ball mark. Nitish Rana normally takes 10 balls to get his eye in. He then accelerates to a strike rate in the 130s and by the 20-ball mark gets to 140 (146). Though it may not have always looked like that, Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant has been quietly aggressive too.

Dinesh Karthik was at his best in a reinvented role, turning it on almost straightaway. Among Indian batters with at least 200 runs in this IPL, Karthik had the best strike rate for the first 15 balls (172), 20 balls (174) and 25 balls (182). That he finished the tournament with a strike rate of 183.33 shows how Karthik could maintain the momentum deep into his innings. At the five-ball and 10-ball marks, Jitesh Sharma has the best strike rate (160 and 180) before it drops to the mid-160s. Karthik and Sharma though are middle- and lower-middle order batters, usually coming in the second half of the innings.

What about top order batters who took hardly any time to hit top gear and continued in the same vein?

Prithvi Shaw was the only Indian opener to achieve a remarkable level of consistency in this aspect. Aggregating 283 runs with two fifties, this has been a mediocre season for Shaw at Delhi Capitals. But as long as he batted, he didn’t hold back, starting at a strike rate of 139 for the first five balls, going up to 159 by the 15th ball and not dropping below 154 even after 25 balls. Among No 3 batters, Rahul Tripathi’s acceleration was remarkable—reaching a strike rate of 116 after five balls, 146 at the 10-ball mark and going up to 169 after 15 balls.

But no one attacked like Samson did at No 3. Where he impressed most was in attaining consistency in the first five balls he faced (140) and maintaining it for most of his innings—156 for the first 10 balls, 157 for the first 15, 155 for the first 20 and 152 for the first 25.