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OPINION: IPL success bodes well for Proteas’ World Cup ambitions
David Miller finished the competition as the sixth highest run scorer with 481 runs from 16 innings with a highest score of 94 not out.
Proteas pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada enjoyed a fantastic IPL campaign, finishing as the third highest wicket taker in the competition that came to an end over the past weekend. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
It was a sparkling IPL campaign for a number of Proteas players which bodes well for the South African team as they enter a crucial period ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia in October and November.
The Gujurat Titans were crowned champs in their debut season, with Proteas star David Miller playing a massive role in their success.
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Miller finished the competition as the sixth highest run scorer with 481 runs from 16 innings with a highest score of 94 not out, and the highest average of the tournament of 68.71 after he was not out in nine of his innings.
Arguably his finest performance came in the play-off for the final against the Rajasthan Royals where he clubbed 68 off 38 balls, including three sixes off the first three balls of the last over to take his side into the final, while also picking up the man-of-the-match award.
In the final Miller again played a pivotal role, smashing an unbeaten 32 off 19 balls to steer his side over the line, again against the Royals, to cap a superb tournament.
Highest scoring Protea
Quinton de Kock was the highest scoring Protea in the IPL, finishing third on the run scoring list with 508 runs in 15 innings at an average of 36.28, hitting three fifties and a century for the Lucknow Super Giants.
His finest moment came in their final pool match against the Kolkata Knight Riders where he hammered his way to the third highest ever score at the IPL, cracking an unbeaten 140 off just 70 balls, setting a host of records on the day.
Pace spearhead
Pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada enjoyed a fantastic IPL and finished as the third highest wicket taker in the competition with 23 scalps from 13 games, with a best effort of 4/33 against the Punjab Kings and ended the tournament with two four wicket hauls.
Had he played as many games as the two bowlers above him, Wanindu Hasaranga with 26 wickets in 16 games and Yuzvendra Chahal with 27 in 17, he could possibly have finished top of the charts.
Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis enjoyed a decent IPL, as well as Aiden Markram, who started off with a bang but didn’t finish as well.
Marco Jansen performed in spurts, while exciting young talent Dewald Brevis impressed in his first showing.
Former Proteas and Indian World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten also picked up an IPL winners medal as the batting consultant for the Gujurat Titans.
