Jacques Kallis: Decoding his top match-winning IPL knocks
Arguably the greatest all-rounder to have graced the game, Jacques Kallis was a force for South Africa on the cricket field. He put up several notable performances across all three formats in international cricket. The Proteas legend also made a significant mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders. Let's revisit his best IPL knocks.
89* versus KXIP, 2010
Kallis starred in RCB's successful chase of 204 runs against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the 2010 game in Bengaluru. Opening the batting, he attacked the bowlers from the outset as KXIP bowlers had nowhere to hide. Kallis scored an unbeaten 89 off just 55 balls as RCB crossed the line with seven balls to spare.
66* versus MI, 2010
Another Jacques Kallis special in the 2010 IPL came against Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium. RCB were asked to chase down 152 on a challenging surface. They were off to a fine start with Kallis adding 85 runs with Manish Pandey for the opening wicket. The former returned unbeaten on 66 off 55 balls as RCB accomplished the target in 19.1 overs.
53 versus DC, 2011
Kallis scored a valiant fifty for KKR in the IPL 2011 clash against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers at the Eden Gardens. Though he was watchful on the tricky surface, he kept finding the odd boundaries. He ended up scoring 53 off 45 balls as the Knight Riders posted 163/4 and subsequently won the duel by nine runs.
72 versus MI, 2014
KKR were off to a poor start against MI in the 2014 IPL opener as Gautam Gambhir departed for a duck. Nevertheless, Kallis stood up for KKR as he added 131 runs with Manish Pandey for the second wicket. The former stepped on the gas after getting settled and ended up scoring a 46-ball 72. KKR posted 163/5 before restricting MI to 122/7.
