Top 5 knocks of Sachin Tendulkar in IPL

3. 74 (44) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK), 2012

Ahead of the 2012 IPL, Tendulkar handed over the MI captaincy to Harbhajan Singh. With this move, it was speculated that the veteran will bat freely in the IPL edition. Compared to the previous two seasons, he failed to be much dominant against bowlers this time but delivered some exquisite match-winning innings for his side.

In one of the crucial matches of the tournament against the arch-rivals CSK, he exuded confidence with his bat and helped Mumbai to grab a two-wicket victory in the last-ball thriller. At the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai hosted CSK in the 49th match of the competition. Harbhajan Singh, the MI captain, won the toss and elected to bowl first. 

Riding on their batters’ magnificent show, CSK accumulated a decent total of 173/8 at the end of their innings. To pull off the target, MI were banking on their key batters Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma to turn up against the CSK bowlers.

Utilising his experience and skills, the veteran gave a solid start to his team along with Rohit Sharma, after the early wicket of James Franklin. With a young Rohit, Tendulkar stitched a 126-run partnership that played a vital role in MI’s triumph on the last delivery of the game.