IPL 2021 had many moments that made the tournament more special and fans asking for more. Some most memorable moments from IPL 2021...
Du Plessis carries CSK to 4TH IPL title
Chennai Super Kings won their fourth Indian Premier League title defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs.
The main protagonist of that victory was opening batter Faf du Plessis, whose magnificent 86 off 59 balls helped CSK put on 192 for 3 in their 20 overs.
37-year-old Du Plessis, who got a reprieve in the third over when KKR wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik bungled an easy stumping chance, first got off to a flyer with Ruturaj Gaikwad (32 off 27 balls) before two fifty run stands with Robin Uthappa (31 off 15 balls) and later Moeen Ali (37 not out off 20 balls) put CSK in a good spot.
His innings, laced with seven fours and three sixes, proved a match-winning knock.
Du Plessis, who had a decent outing this IPL, finished as the second highest run-getter for CSK this season, with 633 runs from 16 innings only to be edged by Gaekwad who scored 635 runs to win the Orange Cap.
MSD hits winning runs in Qualifier 1
Mahendra Singh Dhoni didn't quite light up this IPL season, but gave his fans an innings to remember.
Dhoni showed a glimpse of his old self in Qualifier 1 against the Delhi Capitals. Chasing 172 for victory, DC looked down and out with Robin Uthappa and Ruturaj Gaekwad putting on a 110 run partnership quickly. At the halfway stage, CSK were in the driver's seat.
But a mini-collapse made the equation 25 off 11 balls before Dhoni came in and weaved his magic wand.
Needing 13 off the last over, Dhoni hit a square cut, got a bit of luck going his way and then pulled Delhi's best bowler Tom Curran for the most-celebrated T20 boundary in recent times. Before that, he dispatched Avesh Khan for a six over mid-wicket.
The 40 year old finished it in style -- his 18 not out off six balls saw the former champions home with 173 for 6 in 19.4 overs.
Sunil Narine's all-round show in Eliminator
Sunil Narine singlehandedly 'eliminated' the Royal Challengers with bowling figures of 4 for 21 to restrict RCB to a below-par 138 for 7 in the Eliminator.
Narine dismissed RCB's big three -- Virat Kohli, A B de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell -- to finish with impressive figures of 4 for 21 -- Srikar Bharat being the first of his victims.
After his impressive show with the ball, he followed it up with a quick-fire cameo with the bat.
Chasing 139, KKR stuttered a bit, before Narine produced a crucial 26 run knock off 15 balls as KKR got home with 2 balls to spare.
KKR's chase could have been dicey, but Narine just chanced his arms in the 12th over to muscle Dan Cristian for three sixes, which proved to be decisive in the end.
Harshal Patel's hat-trick
Mumbai Indians didn't have the best time after the resumption of the IPL in the UAE. They suffered their third consecutive defeat after a superb spell of bowling from RCB;s Harshal Patel who took a hat-trick and was the eventual Purple Cap holder, for most wickets in the season -- 32.
Mumbai were struggling on 105/5 in 16 overs, needing 61 from the last four overs, but with Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya no target was beyond them. Harshal finished off Mumbai's hopes with his hat-trick in the 17th over.
Hardik first miscued a big shot to Virat Kohli in the covers to perish for three. Pollard followed next ball as he walked across his stumps, missed the flick and was bowled for seven. Harshal bagged the first hat-trick of this year's IPL when he deceived Rahul Chahar with a slower ball to trap him leg before for a first-ball duck.
Harshal's spell helped RCB record a 54-run.
Karthik Tyagi's match-winning final over
Youngster Kartik Tyagi held pulled a rabbit out of his hat as he bowled a sensational last over win for his side when Rajasthan needed to defend four runs off the final over.
The unfathomable over allowed Rajasthan Royals to defeat Punjab Kings by two runs in their opening IPL 2021 UAE leg match in Dubai.
With four runs needed from the last over, and eight wickets in hand, Punjab Kings looked set for an easy victory. But the 20-year-old fast bowler came up with the perfect final over to help Royals snatch victory.
He started with a full toss which Aiden Markram drove to the fielder in the covers and then looked to flick the next ball, but got it off the inside half of the bat to fine leg for a single.
Tyagi gave the Royals a big boost when he had the dangerous Nicholas Pooran (32 from 22 balls) caught behind as the batsman tried to run the ball down to third man.
Two balls later, he had Deepak Hooda caught behind. Victory was still within Punjab's grasp with three needed off the last ball, but Tyagi produced an unplayable yorker that beat Fabian Allen
Ashwin-Morgan spat
Delhi Capitals bowler Ravichandran Ashwin and Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan were involved in a heated exchange after the former was dismissed by Tim Southee in the last over of Delhi's innings in the match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on September 28.
KKR was irked after Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant and Ashwin went for a second run off the last ball of the 19th over.
Many consider stealing a cheeky single when the ball thrown by the fielder ricochets off the batter against the guidelines of 'Fair Play.
It finally needed former KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik to intervene and stop the heated exchange between the players.
After Ashwin's dismissal, fast bowler Tim Southee had apparently rebuked the senior DC star by saying, 'That's what happens when you cheat.' Ashwin was then seen charging towards Morgan and Southee, prompting Karthik to intervene and douse
the fire.
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