[ad_1]
- Rabada goes to battle with the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, with four to six games remaining to challenge Bravo’s milestone.
- He’s also only looking for six more wickets to become the most productive SA bowler in a single IPL tournament.
- The Proteas spearhead recently became the fastest to 50 terrains in the history of the competition (exit 27).
The goal is increasingly realistic: Kagiso rabada He resumes on Saturday his quest to become the greatest home receiver of all time during a single season in the Indian Premier League.
The South African fast bowling champion is currently in 21 scalps leading in the 2020 tournament, having played all 10 matches for the high-level capitals of Delhi so far.
He has a five-wicket cushion over the closest challenger, Mohammed Shami (16 for Kings XI Punjab) and returns to service, unless he has an unlikely rotational break or suffers a sudden injury, when the Capitals play the Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi Saturday (12:00 hours SA).
Considering that he has yet to run out of ground in a single outing at the event hosted by the UAE, there will be high expectations that he will be busy again in that regard.
More hits against the Knight Riders would tantalize him closer to Dwayne Bravo, the West Indian who holds the milestone for the best single-IPL ground count: 32 in the 2013 tournament for Chennai Super Kings.
Next, with 28 each, are Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians, 2011) and James Faulkner (Rajasthan Royals, 2013).
If he maintains a regular presence in the Capitals lineup, Rabada has four free-for-all games remaining in total (after this weekend’s fight, they are against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Oct. 27, Mumbai Indians on Oct. 31, and Royal Challengers Bangalore on November 2) plus possibly two knockout matches to reach or overshadow the Bravo milestone.
He’s averaging a fraction over two wickets per game, so simply staying at that level for six more games, if the Capitals can stretch it that far, would take him to around 33 wickets – enough to set a shiny new IPL milestone.
The 25-year-old has a better analysis in IPL 2020 of 4/24 against RCB.
Even more realistic for Rabada than his pursuit of Bravo’s record is his prospect of becoming South Africa’s best wicket taker in a single IPL.
That milestone is held by Imran Tahir, the Pakistani-born Proteas leg spinner, who won 26 for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2019 campaign, but almost unbelievably yet to play a match in the follow-up edition.
In second place along with 25 are Rabada himself (last year’s IPL, 12 outings) and Morne Morkel (Delhi Daredevils, 2012).
The Johannesburg-born strike bowler is already averaging better than last year (currently 14.33, compared to 14.72 then) and also has a higher economy rate (7.58, versus 7.82).
Recently, he earned another distinction for being the fastest 50-wicket pitcher in the IPL, out of 27 games, five fewer than previous record holder Sunil Narine.
Rabada got there firing his former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis from CSK for 58 last Saturday.
* Follow our editor-in-chief on Twitter: @RobHouwing
[ad_2]
