IPL 2024: Rating Opening Pairs after the first game of each team

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has returned with its 17th edition and is delivering amazing action to avid cricket supporters. The league has lived upto its reputation of delivering intriguing matches to cricket fans with some amazing contests. It’s just the beginning as the tournament will be played until May 26 and in the upcoming weeks, fans might witness some incredible action. After six days of the T20 extravaganza, fans have got to watch some incredible batting shows. Abhishek Porel’s jaw-dropping innings against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali and Andre Russell’s blazing knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the iconic Eden Gardens on the first Saturday of the tournament made the weekend cheerful for fans. Opening batting has always been an important aspect for teams in the league. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who have won five trophies, have proven with their success in 2011 2018, and 2023 how a disciplined opening pair can deliver impactful results to a side. In the ongoing competition, seven matches have been played so far and it’s time to rate the opening pairs of all sides after their first games. Here are ratings of all opening pairs following the first matches of every team 10. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan- 5/10 Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. (Source -IPL) Rohit Sharma looked out of rhythm for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the last two seasons. After getting stripped of Mumbai’s captaincy, the veteran went out to play his first game against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the distinguished Narendra Modi Stadium. Following an average target of 169, MI fell six runs short but Rohit displayed a fighting spirit with his 43-run innings that came in just 29 deliveries. On the other hand, Rohit’s opening partner Ishan Kishan began his 2024 IPL with a four-ball duck and pushed Mumbai under pressure. In the first over of the chase, Azmatullah Omarzai got the left-handed batter caught at the hands of Wriddhiman Saha. 9. Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow- 5/10 Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow. (Source -Twitter/X) Shikhar Dhawan formed an opening pair with England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow in the 2024 IPL. Against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Mullanpur, both veterans came out for Punjab to chase 175. Ishant Sharma cleaned up Shikhar in his second over of the innings and delivered the first breakthrough to his side. Bairstow, who returned to the league after missing the previous season due to an injury, got run out at the non-striker’s end due to Ishant’s fielding effort. Dhawan scored 22 off 16 while Bairstow hit nine off just three. However, despite both openers’ early dismissals, Punjab succeeded in chasing down the target in 19.2 overs, riding on Sam Curran’s 63 off 47 and Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten 38 off 21. 8. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler- 5.5/10 Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler. (Source -IPL) Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) started their 2024 IPL campaign at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. On their home ground, the Royals played an aggressive brand of cricket and satiated their supporters with a comfortable 20-run victory. Winning the toss, RR skipper Sanju Samson elected to bat first. Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal went out into the middle to open the innings. England’s white-ball skipper failed to be effective as he lost his wicket on his score of 11 off nine against Naveen-ul-Haq. Jaiswal produced some fine strokes from his bat but couldn’t play a huge knock. Mohsin Khan got the southpaw caught at the hands of Krunal Pandya. Following both opener’s dismissals, Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag played magnificent innings from their bats and helped RR post 193 runs on the board. 7. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine- 6/10 Phil Salt and Sunil Narine. (Source -IPL) In the third 2024 IPL contest, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hosted SRH at Eden Gardens. At the iconic venue, fans saw a tough fight between both former IPL champions and got value for their money. Batting first, Kolkata erected a massive score of 208 on the board, riding on their star player Andre Russell’s unbeaten 64 off 25 and opener Phil Salt’s 54 off 40. Salt, who was playing his maiden game for KKR, showcased his batting mettle in the crunch situation. Along with the English player, Sunil Narine came out to open the innings but the latter got run out after scoring two. Following Narine, Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana also returned to the pavilion early. In the difficult situation, Salt held his nerves and completed his fifty off 38 deliveries. 6. Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul- 6/10 Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul. (Source -IPL) LSG faced a 20-run defeat in their maiden 2024 IPL game against RR in Jaipur. Chasing a massive target of 194, Lucknow could amass only 173 runs. Their opening pair Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul were expected to do wonders with their bats to make the chase successful but Trent Boult got the better of the former in the first over and handed a huge blow to the visitors. De Kock returned to the dugout after scoring only four runs but skipper Rahul stood at the crease and watched the cheap dismissals of Devdutt Padikkal and Ayush Badoni as well. He stitched crucial partnerships with Deepak Hooda and Nicholas Pooran before losing his wicket to Sandeep Sharma in the 17th over. Rahul departed after scoring 58 off 44 and following his wicket, Nicholas Pooran, who scored an excellent half-century, didn’t get enough support from the other end which led to Lucknow’s loss. 5. Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha- 7/10 Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha. (Source -Twitter/X) Shubman Gill made his captaincy debut, guiding GT to a six-run win over MI. Luck didn’t favour him as his counterpart Hardik Pandya emerged victorious at the toss and elected to bowl first. Gill along with Wriddhiman Saha gave a confident start to the team but the latter was stunned by Jasprit Bumrah, who picked him up with a superb yorker in the fourth over of the contest. The skipper also played some fine strokes from his bat but couldn’t make it big as the veteran Piyush Chawla got him caught at the hands of Rohit Sharma at the long-on. Gill walked back to the dugout in the eighth over, after hitting 31 off 22, with three fours and a maximum. 4. Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli- 7/10 Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli. (Source -Twitter/X) In the inaugural contest between CSK and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the visiting side failed to save a total of 173 and started their tournament with a six-wicket defeat. At the toss, Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis won against Ruturaj Gaikwad and chose to bat first. Du Plessis along with Virat Kohli opened the innings and looked attacking with his bat. In the fifth over, Mustafizur Rahman trapped him with the assistance of Rachin Ravindra, who was deployed at deep point. The Challengers skipper lost his wicket after notching up 35 runs with eight fours. Following Du Plessis, Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell returned to the dugout without scoring any runs. Kohli stood at the crease for a long time but looked under pressure due to the loss of early wickets. His job was to show nerves of steel and escape the team from the crisis but he also failed to handle the pressure and became Rahman’s third victim. His contribution was only 21 runs after facing 20 balls. 3. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh- 7/10 David Warner and Mitchell Marsh. (Source -Twitter/X) David Warner and Mitchell Marsh were seen opening for DC against PBKS in Mohali. Bowling first after losing the toss, Punjab put Delhi to bat first and witnessed a shaky start as Marsh stood at the crease for a few minutes and scored a rapid 20 off just 12 with four boundaries (two maximums and two fours). After his compatriot’s departure, Warner’s responsibility was to stand in the middle and play a fine innings for the Capitals. However, he failed to handle the Harshal Patel challenge in the eighth over of the contest and handed a simple catch to Jitesh Sharma, who was standing behind the stumps. The star Australia opener ended his innings with a score of 29 off 21. 2. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra- 8/10 Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra. (Source -Twitter/X) In CSK’s previous year’s title triumph, their openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad played an instrumental role. Both players contributed more than 1250 runs jointly to Chennai in the season. This year, Conway won’t show up in the first phase of the competition, and replacing him, Rachin Ravindra has been supporting captain Gaikwad as an opener. In the inaugural game against RCB, the Super Kings tasted a convincing six-wicket win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and kicked off their title defence with confidence. Chasing 174, Ravindra showcased his fierce side with his 37-run innings off just 15 balls while Gaikwad put up an ordinary show with his run-a-ball 15. Ravindra’s excellent start helped Chennai get the better of the visitors. 1. Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma- 9/10 Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma. (Source -IPL) Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma struggled to be among the runs in the previous season for SRH. Both players have started the 2024 season remarkably with a marvellous 60-run opening stand off just 5.3 overs against KKR at Eden Gardens. In the intriguing game, the Orange Army fell four runs short while chasing 209 but one of the positives that happened for the visitors was Agarwal and Sharma’s impactful partnership. Mayank scored a rapid 32 off 21 with five boundaries (four fours and a maximum) while Abhishek also flexed his muscles and struck a fine 32 off just 19.

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IPL 2024: Rating Opening Pairs after the first game of each team

Check out the opening pairs' ratings after their first games of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).

7. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine- 6/10

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