Cape Town, April 19 (Inditop) Anil Kumble returned with his first five-wicket haul in Twenty20 cricket to bowl Bangalore Royal Challengers to victory over reigning champion Rajasthan Royals in the second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) second edition here Saturday.
The former India captain also has the best economy rate in the IPL (1.57). Delivering a minimum of twelve balls in an innings, Kumble bettered Mohammad Hafeez’s rate of 2.00 (4-0-8-1) for Kolkata Knight Riders against Deccan Chargers at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens last year.
Other statistical highlights of the Royals-Challengers match:
— Kumble (5/5 off 3.1 overs) posted the second best bowling figures in the IPL. Sohail Tanvir had 6 for 14 for Rajasthan vs. Chennai at Jaipur last year.
— Kumble became the fourth bowler to capture five wickets in an innings. Sohail Tanvir, Amit Mishra and Lakshmipathy Balaji were the first three to claim five wickets in an innings.
— Rahul Dravid (66) has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the first time in the IPL for producing his third fifty in the tournament — his fourth in Twenty20.
— Rajasthan Royals’ 58 off 15.1 overs is the lowest total in the IPL, surpassing the 67 by Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai last year. Their total is the second lowest in the history of Twenty20, next only to Titans’ 47 against Eagles at Centurion in 2004.
— Bangalore Royal Challengers’ 75-run triumph is their biggest by runs margin in the IPL.
— Rajasthan Royals’ defeat by 75 runs is their first in three IPL games against Bangalore Royal Challengers.
rounak