IPL 2023: Top 10 batting performances from group stage

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

The group stage of the Indian Premier League 2023 has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Till the last ball of the last match, spectators were on the edge of their seats. It shows the competitive nature of the franchises and the way they delivered this time. The fight for one place in the last group matchday was exceptional.

This time, along with veterans of the game we saw glimpses of India’s future, players who have the ability to dominate in the years to come. The likes of Rinku Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and many more have impressed immensely. If you name one franchise, there will be a certain number of individuals who rose to the occasion. Most importantly, the uncapped players utilized the stage set for them fully.

Altogether, the batting masterclass produced this season has been extraordinary. From proper cricketing shots to power hitting, from swashbuckling starts to nail-biting finishes. As the group stage matches have come to an end, we’ve put together top batting masterclasses that need to be appreciated.

10. Shimron Hetmyer 56* vs GT

Shimron Hetmyer. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Caribbean middle-order batter Shimron Hetmyer has come really better this time. He showed glimpses last year, but this season he grabbed those opportunities. One of his finest this season came during his unbeaten knock against Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium. Chasing 178, Rajasthan Royals were struggling to get their innings going.

Partnering with skipper Sanju Samson, Hetmyer constructed his innings brilliantly. The Windies batter kept the momentum even after the skipper’s dismissal. The 20-run-over against Alzarri Joseph minimized the asking rate. But the way he played Rashid Khan in the eighteenth over sealed the deal for RR.

The hard-hitting middle-order batter has been donning the finisher’s hat quite successfully. He has instilled fear in the bowler’s eyes and his strong bottom hand comes into play whenever they slot the ball away from him. Hetmyer, in this match against GT, delivered one of his best knocks for RR to take them home.

9. Nicolas Pooran 62 vs RCB

Nicholas Pooran. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Nicolas Pooran has had his best IPL season with the bat this time. And his innings at Chinnaswamy Stadium this year was pure batting madness. Pooran came to bat in a tricky situation when Lucknow Supergiants were struggling at 99 for 4 chasing 213 runs. But, from the second ball itself, he made his intentions very clear when he smashed Karn Sharma for a humungous six.

Looking at the dimensions of the ground, he picked his spots and played accordingly. The Windies batter again took on Sharma over the square of the wicket for back-to-back sixes. But Pooran had set a different plan for Wayne Parnell’s over as he targeted the leg side and collected 15 off four balls. Though he got out much earlier, but he got LSG close to the target.

By the time he left the ground, Lucknow needed 24 off the last three. During the course of this innings, Pooran registered this season’s fastest half-century which was later broken by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Pooran continued this fiery form the entire season and now the onus is upon him to deliver in the knockout stage as well.

8. Shardul Thakur 68 vs RCB

Shardul Thakur. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

One of the most surprising names anyone could find in this chart is of Shardul Thakur. A mediocre season by his standard, Shardul Thakur rose to the occasion in his own style. And this knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he hit 68 off 29 including nine fours and three sixes, has to be his personal best of this season.

The Palghar-born all-rounder came to the crease when Kolkata Knight Riders were struggling at 89 for 5. The hat-trick ball he faced was nowhere close to what things were to come later that innings. Shardul displayed fearless batting when he powerfully struck some and missed a few. He capitalized on the poor deliveries that were bowled at him to the fullest and his 103-run partnership with Rinku Singh changed the dynamics for KKR.

Shardul is a natural hitter of the ball, although he wouldn’t have liked the way this season went for him. He would like to turn the tide in the upcoming season or for India in the upcoming matches as Shardul is someone who thrives on confidence.

7. Ajinkya Rahane 71* vs KKR

Ajinkya Rahane Batting (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Ajinkya Rahane has been a true revelation in this year’s IPL. The sought-after cricketer who’s a well-known figure in red-ball cricket made a surprise entry in this year’s top batting performances. The Mumbai-batter was bought by Chennai Super Kings, and the franchise brought out the best out of him. He not only featured but also presented a different version of his game in front of the audience.

In the match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he appeared in a different avatar while coming to bat at number three, when the stage was set by the openers. He got the time to settle in as Shivam Dube was hitting the ball out of the park but Rahane’s back-to-back sixes against Umesh Yadav were pure class.

Even in the penultimate he took on KKR’s best bowler of this season- Varun Chakravarthy- for 19 runs in an over. His commanding innings helped CSK to post 235 runs on the board. But off late, he’s been struggling with his form and hasn’t crossed 25 run mark since that batting storm. He still has a chance to thump his territory of batting masterclass in T20s.

6. Rashid Khan 79* vs MI

Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: IPL)

Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan is a true global T20 superstar. It may be his first appearance in any top batting performance chart, but he surely will appear more and more. Chasing a huge total of 219 runs, Gujarat Titans were nowhere close to the target at a point in time, and their loss was almost confirmed. But this man kept their hopes alive.

Rashid being more than a handy batter came to the crease when GT were on 103/7. Grown in confidence, Rashid started hitting proper T20 shots and was getting runs flowing. From Chris Jordan to Cameron Green to Kumar Kartikeya, he took on all the MI bowlers. In total, he hit 10 sixes, which is this season’s highest number of sixes by a batter in one innings.

After a four-wicket haul in the first innings, to come and play such kind of fiery innings in the second half was a commendable effort. He stood up on the team’s hopes. He has spending a good amount of time batting in the nets, but Rashid the bowler is more crucial for the team going forward

5. Marcus Stoinis 89* vs MI

Marcus Stoinis (Photo Source: Twitter)

Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has stood up for his franchise Lucknow Supergiants time and again. In the absence of KL Rahul, he’s playing the role of senior pro in the team. Against Mumbai Indians, he reacted according to the situation, and then unleashed his batting prowess in the second half of the innings to post a fighting total.

Along with stand-in skipper Krunal Pandya, he stitched a much-needed partnership. On a tricky surface at Ekana Stadium, Stoinis showed his character, but post the seventh over, he transformed into a different beast. LSG added 54 runs in the next three overs, wherein Stoinis alone scored 44 runs.

The 24-run over against Chris Jordan shifted the momentum. It got carried forward to the next over when Stoinis tonked Behrendoorf for two biggies into the stands. Eventually, he helped LSG to put on a competitive score against a strong batting line-up like Mumbai Indians. Stoinis posted his personal best at the IPL and is still going strong into the playoffs.

4. Virat Kohli 101* vs GT

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’ applies significantly to this knock of Virat Kohli against Gujrat Titans in their do-or-die match. Virat produced back-to-back hundreds this season, but this one is more special. RCB batter first in the rain-affected game. They were going all guns blazing up to the eighth over mark, when RCB started to lose wickets. Virat, being the senior pro of the team, held one end firmly. He took a little risk and let Michael Bracewell take those chances in the middle phase of the innings.

Kohli went after Yash Dayal, scoring 31 runs off 15 deliveries that Yash bowled. Virat, who’s more vulnerable against spin than pace, tackled the spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed to his best. The West Delhi boy was going at a decent strike rate till the sixteenth over, but changed gears to increase the run scoring. He understood it wasn’t easy for new batters to go from ball one, so Virat took the initiative of being the finisher.

The highest run-getter in IPL continued his superb form when he completed his seventh IPL century. Kohli delivered yet another crucial knock for the Bangalore franchise. When the likes of du Plessis, Maxwell failed, Kohli rose to the occasion. During the course of this innings, the mighty right-handed batter breached the 600-run mark in the ongoing IPL.  

3. Shubman Gill 104* vs RCB

Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Shubman Gill is making the bat talk in this year’s IPL. The Indian batter has been in the form of his life across formats. He was scoring runs in previous IPL seasons as well but this time he has taken his level one notch higher. Gill used to fail while converting his knocks into big scores, but this time he unlocked his full potential and currently is a contender to win the IPL 2023 Orange Cap.

His 104* knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore was the perfect end to the gala party of group-stage matches. Chasing a total of 198, Gill had a watchable start unlike his partner Wriddhiman Saha. For Gujarat Titans, it was like another match, but for RCB it was a must-win game, and Gill spoiled the party for them. His partnership with Vijay Shankar was a match-turning one, as they went on close to the target convincingly.

He worked on hitting slot balls for maximums and it came quite well. Especially this season, Gill showed authority over the bowlers and dictated the terms. His exquisite shots into the stands were cheered by the spectators. And by the end of the group stage, Indian fans can easily say the future is in safe hands.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal 124 vs MI

Yashasvi Jaiswal Century (Photo Source : BCCI/IPL)

IPL 2023 has been the breakthrough season for Mumbai’s Yashasvi Jaiswal. The youngster has been with Rajasthan Royals for some seasons now, and this time he delivered his personal best. The southpaw has improved his range hitting and therefore is getting positive results. He has played quite a few impactful knocks in the IPL but his century against Mumbai Indians stands out.

Jaiswal’s smacking sixes against Cameron Green and Jofra Archer indicated something special to come that night. He spared no bowlers and to demolish such kind of attack at their home was exceptional. Yashasvi kept himself calm when wickets were falling apart at the other end. He held the innings and played at 200 SR to take the score above 200. Truly, that night he played like a lone warrior at his very own Wankhede Stadium.

In an innings where most of the batters failed to cross the 20-run mark, he played a gem of an innings scoring 124 against mighty MI. He has matured himself into a calm composed cricketer showing temperament. Although, his team failed to qualify for the playoffs, his valiant efforts throughout the season was appreciated.

1. Suryakumar Yadav 103* vs GT

Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

In this day and age, any list of top T20 batting performances excluding Suryakumar Yadav is unimaginable, considering he’s playing that series/tournament. SKY, as he’s fondly called, plays the shots all he can play. Others can try to emulate but more often than not they fail to replicate. A T20 genius, he scored his first IPL ton against defending champion Gujarat Titans at Wankhede Stadium.

In that match, Suryakumar started with orthodox shots all along the ground. He constructed his innings in such a way that at the end of the seventh over he was on 53 off 34 balls. But within the next three overs, he breached the three-figure mark with ease. Along with debutant Vishnu Vinod, he displayed a batting masterclass against Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, and other GT bowlers.

He hit one incredible six off Shami’s bowling which will be etched into cricket fans’ memories forever. This innings of Suryakumar deservedly tops the chart of this season’s best batting performances. He decorated the innings with traditional shots and his century played an instrumental role to fetch two crucial points for Mumbai Indians.