IPL 2012: Men who reached the three-figure mark : 25 May 25 2012- Murali Vijay 113 off 58 balls (15*4s, 4*6s) vs Delhi

6 centuries this season so far...

The Indian Premier League 2012 has witnessed 6 centuries so far, three of which came from the willow of Indian batsmen.

Rajasthan Royals cricketer Ajinkya Rahane began the tournament on a very confident note and few days after missing his maiden IPL ton by 2 runs, the 23-year-old finally scored one against the Delhi Daredevils. Kevin Pietersen also scored his maiden IPL ton as he single-handedly won the match for his side against the Deccan Chargers. Rohit Sharma also reached the three figure mark on a slow Eden Gardens wicket.

While Chris Gayle reached his third IPL ton, David Warner and Murali Vijay scored their second. Vijay became the only Indian cricketer in IPL history to hold the record. Let’s have a look at the blistering knocks that thoroughly entertained the crowd in IPL 2012:-

15 Apr 2012- Ajinkya Rahane 103 off 60 balls (124s, 56s) vs Bangalore

On a previous occasion, the right-handed missed his maiden IPL ton by 2 runs. This time he made sure that he went on to get the three figure mark. Rahane who has been extremely impressive in IPL 2012, hit six boundaries in an over bowled by Sreenath Aravind, and it was also the over from where Rajasthan innings accelerated with extreme pace. Towards the end, Rahane was more comfortable clearing the boundaries. He carried the bat throughout the innings and maintained his grip over the orange cap.

19 Apr 2012- Kevin Pietersen 103off 64 balls (64s, 9*6s) vs Hyderabad

He has been pretty consistent for his national team for quite some time and Kevin Pietersen continued his good show in the Indian Premier League as well. The formidable Daredevils batting line-up was yet to be tested and even though wickets fell at the other end, Pietersen continued to shimmy down the track and play his natural game. The right-hander, who is so delightful to watch, single-handedly won the game for Delhi who for the first time were under pressure in IPL 2012.

10 May 2012- David Warner 109* off 54 balls (104s 76s) vs DC

Yes it was true. Dave Warner could not be a part of the Daredevils from the first match as he was playing a Test match series against the West Indies. For all those who wondered if he would be able to mould himself into the shorter version, this match had the answer.

Dehi skipper Sehwag had scored five consecutive half-centuries before this one and Deccan Chargers got rid of the big fish off the second ball of the innings. But little did they know that it was the only moment they could enjoy in the match. Naman Ojha was promoted up the order and Warner along with him shared an unbeaten 189-run stand for the second wicket and a stiff chase of 187 runs looked like a cakewalk as Delhi surpassed the total in just 16.4 overs.

It was Warner’s second ton in IPL and he became the third player after Gilchrist and Gayle to do so in the cash rich tourney.

12 May 2012- Rohit Sharma 109* off 60 balls (124s, 56s) vs Kolkata

Extremely talented Rohit Sharma once again proved why he is such a fantastic player in shorter format of the game. After Mumbai Indians lost Tendulkar early in the innings, Sharma joined Herschelle Gibbs to stabilize the innings. On a slow track where a batsman of Gibbs’s stature was struggling to score runs, Sharma smashed Kolkata bowlers all across the ground and he hit boundaries and sixes at will. He along with Hershelle Gibbs added 167 runs for the second wicket as Mumbai managed to reach a huge total of 182.

17 May 2012- Chris Gayle 128* off 62 balls (74s, 136s) vs Delhi

Having secured a berth for the playoffs, Delhi Daredevils rested regular skipper Virender Sehwag and Morne Morkel. It was a must-win game for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Jamaican chose the perfect occasion to score his first ton of this season.

Chris Gayle and Kohli added an unbeaten 204 run stand for the second wicket as they posted a mammoth total of 215 runs. Chris Gayle began the innings by playing a maiden from Umesh Yadav, and had scored just one run from the first nine deliveries he faced. But like he has done on numerous occasions in IPL 2012, Gayle accelerated within no time and he literally made a mockery of the Morkel-less Delhi attack. From 1 off 9, Gayle went on to score his third IPL ton from just 53 balls and scored 28 runs from the next 9 balls.

25 May 25 2012- Murali Vijay 113 off 58 balls (154s, 46s) vs Delhi

Delhi Daredevils committed a blunder by resting Morne Morkel in a very crucial match. Murali Vijay made the most of this decision as he fired from the word go! He had a bad season and he rose to the occasion in the big match and made his team management proud with his second IPL ton. He became the first Indian ever to have two IPL tons by his name.

He was run-out off the last ball of the innings followed by a standing ovation by the Chepauk crowd and his team-mates.

by Suyash Srivastava