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Kagiso Rabada celebrates firing David Warner. (Photo: IPL – Twitter)
The dice are probably still loaded against him … but Kagiso rabada the opportunity has been given to equal or improve the record of the most terrains in a single Indian Premier League season.
Taking four for 29 for the win Capitals of Delhi In qualifying against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the highly consistent South African pacemaker simultaneously secured one last chance, in Tuesday’s Dubai final (4pm South Africa time) against the Mumbai Indians at the milestone.
Rabada moved to 29 tournament scalps, beating Mumbai bowler Jasprit Bumrah himself (27) in the process and now looking at the tournament record of 32 set by Dwayne Bravo for Chennai Super Kings in 2013.
He was behind Bumrah by a wicket in the race for the purple cap this year at the start of his fourth and final on (the 19) towards Sunday’s climax, but three wickets in the space of three legal deliveries – denied a Hat – a trick opportunity down a width in the middle – saw him overcome his Indian international rival.
Previously, Rabada had had the satisfaction of taking down Sunrisers captain and longtime Australian adversary David Warner with a beautiful yorker for two; the left-handed starter could only deflect the ball towards the stumps of his pads as he desperately tried to keep it out.
Bumrah now needs three more wickets than Rabada gets when they block the horns in the masterpiece (Mumbai are the defending champions) if he is to outshine the Johannesburg-born competitor for the tournament grounds.
But the Proteas favorite should also take something else into account: a repeat of his “four for” in the final would see him overcome Bravo’s all-time record that has been held for about seven years.
Rabada is already assured by now of being the Delhi franchise independent record holder for a single IPL – he had shared the previous milestone (25) with compatriot Morne Morkel.
The current SA spearhead had scored 25 in last season’s campaign, while Morkel got his account, when the team was still Delhi Daredevils, in 2012.
Rabada’s colleague at Proteas, Anrich Nortje, did not hit a wicket in Sunday’s qualifier, but is still in fifth place for most wickets in the 2020 event (20) and can sneak higher on the play teacher.
Between them, the destructive-paced pair has accounted for 49 capitals pitches this season, so one more in the final brings them into a shared “half century.”
* Follow our editor-in-chief on Twitter: @RobHouwing
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