Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 24 : New Zealand and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Devon Conway on Sunday hit his fourth-successive fifty-plus score in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
The left-hander accomplished this feat during his side's IPL 2023 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens.
In the match, Conway played a knock of 56 runs in 40 balls. His knock consisted of four boundaries and three sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 140. This was his fourth-straight fifty-plus score in IPL 2023, having scored 77* (against Sunrisers Hyderabad), 83 (against Royal Challengers Bangalore) and 50 (against Rajasthan Royals) in his previous three outings.
Thanks to this consistent run of scores, Conway has climbed to the second spot in the batting charts. In seven matches, he has scored 314 runs at an average of 52.33 and a strike rate of 143.37. He has scored four half-centuries in the tournament with the best score of 83. Only Faf du Plessis (RCB) is above him, with 405 runs in seven matches at an average of 67.50 with five fifties.
The batter with the most successive fifty-plus scores in a single edition of IPL is David Warner. He had smashed five fifty-plus scores in succession in the 2019 edition of the tournament, scoring 70* (vs Punjab Kings), 51 (vs Delhi Capitals), 50 (vs CSK), 67 (vs KKR) and 57 (vs CSK) back in 2019.
Jos Buttler had also scored five successive fifty-plus scores for Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 IPL. He scored 67 (vs DC), 51 (vs PBKS), 82 (vs PBKS), 95* (vs CSK) and 94* (vs MI) in that season.
Legendary India opener Virender Sehwag also scored five successive fifty-plus scores in IPL 2012, scoring 57, 87*, 73, 63 and 73 back in that season.
Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Faf Du Plessis, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson are some other batters who have posted four successive fifty-plus scores in IPL. Kishan did so across two different seasons, ending the 2021 season with two fifty-plus scores and starting the 2022 season with two fifty-plus scores.
Put to bat first by KKR, CSK posted a massive 235/4 in their 20 overs.
CSK started well with an opening stand of 73 runs between Ruturaj Gaikwad (35 in 20 balls with two fours and three sixes) and Devon Conway (56 off 40 balls with four boundaries and three sixes). Conway brought up his fourth successive IPL fifty.
After the dismissal of the openers, came an explosive 85 run stand for the third wicket in just 34 balls between Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube. Rahane continued his competitive cricket revival with an explosive knock of 71* in 29 balls with six fours and five sixes. Dube also smashed 50 in 21 balls, consisting of two fours and five sixes. Ravindra Jadeja (18 in eight balls) played a cameo at the end.
Kulwant Khejroliya (2/44 in three overs) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR. Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma took a wicket each.
In the chase of 236, KKR seemed doomed from the start. They were reeling at 70/4 in 8.2 overs. But a 65-run stand between Jason Roy (61 in 26 balls with five fours and five sixes) and Rinku Singh offered temporary hope to KKR.
Despite Rinku's knock of 53 in 33 balls with three fours and four sixes, KKR fell short of 49 runs of a win, finishing at 186/8 in 20 overs.
Maheesh Theekshana ended as the leading bowler for CSK with 2/32 in four overs. Tushar Deshpande also took 2/43 in his four overs. Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Singh and Mathisha Pathirana got a wicket each.
Rahane was given the 'Player of the Match' award for his match-winning knock.
With this win, CSK is at the top of the points table with five wins and two losses. They have a total of 10 points. KKR is in the eighth spot, having lost five of their seven games and winning only two. They have a total of four points.
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