IPL 2023: Kagiso Rabada scripts history, becomes fastest to 100 wickets in tournament

The Indian Premier League season 16 is underway and the fans have got some breathtaking cricketing action to enjoy in the first few weeks of the competition. The Match 18 between Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans was no different as fans got to see a marvellous return of Mohit Sharma to the T20 extravaganza after three years.

However, in the second innings, it was the South African speedster Kagiso Rabada who stole the limelight as he became the fastest bowler to pick up 100 wickets in IPL history in terms of balls taken. The right-arm fast bowler dismissed Wriddhiman Saha in the fifth over of the second innings and achieved the milestone in 1438 balls leaving behind Lasith Malinga who had achieved the feat in 1622 balls.

The 27-year-old played his 64^th IPL match. He has picked up 100 wickets at an average of over 20 with six four-wicket hauls to his name. Rabada won the Purple Cap in the 2020 season of the tournament picking up 30 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 18.26.

Coming back to the match, after being put in to bat first by Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya, Punjab got off to the worst possible start as Mohammed Shami dismissed Prabhsimran Singh on just the second ball of the innings. Punjab further lost the big wicket of the Orange Cap holder Shikhar Dhawan who was dismissed for just 8.

Some valuable contributions from Matthew Short (36 off 24), Jitesh Sharma (25 off 23), Sam Curran (22 off 22) and Shahrukh Khan (22 off 9) helped Punjab reach a total of 153/8 in the first innings. Mohit Sharma was the pick of the bowlers for GT as he picked up 2/18 in four overs on his return to IPL after three years.

In the second innings, GT got off to an incredible start as openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill added 48 runs for the first wicket in 28 balls. After Saha’s dismissal by Rabada, Gill continued his innings and went on to score 67 off 49 balls, leaving his side on the verge of victory with six needed from four balls. 

After some tense moments, Rahul Tewatia once again did the finishing job for GT by scoring a boundary on the second last ball of the match and took his side home with one ball to spare. As a result, Gujarat won the match by six wickets and Mohit Sharma was awarded Player of the Match for his sensational comeback.