In an unforgettable evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Gujarat Titans’ Mohit Sharma etched his name into the Indian Premier League (IPL) record books for all the wrong reasons. The experienced pacer endured a disastrous outing, conceding a staggering 73 runs in just four overs, setting an unwanted record as the most expensive bowler in tournament history.
Sharma’s abysmal performance surpassed the previous mark of 70 runs conceded by Basil Thampi for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018. Ironically, Sharma is known for his miserly spells in the death overs, but on this occasion, his variations proved ineffective against a rampant Delhi Capitals batting lineup.
Delhi’s captain, Rishabh Pant, was the chief tormentor, unleashing a sensational assault on Sharma’s bowling. Pant smashed four sixes and a boundary in the final over, taking his tally to seven maximums and three boundaries against the hapless pacer. The small boundaries of the Arun Jaitley Stadium compounded Sharma’s misery, as his slower deliveries were dispatched into the stands with ease.
Sharma’s expensive spell came at a crucial juncture, as Delhi posted an imposing 97 runs in their last five overs. This total is the second-highest in the said period in an innings in IPL history. The Gujarat Titans’ captain, Shubman Gill, attempted to stem the flow of runs by introducing spin in the penultimate over, but Sai Kishore conceded 22 runs, including two sixes and as many boundaries, to Tristan Stubbs.
Delhi’s innings was propelled by a solid opening partnership between Jake Fraster-McGurk and Shai Hope, but the introduction of Axar Patel at number three proved to be a game-changer. The all-rounder smashed a superb 66, forming a 113-run partnership with Pant. The innings was rounded off by Stubbs, who played a perfect finisher’s role, taking Delhi to a daunting total of 224.
Sharma’s struggles continued in IPL 2024, having conceded at 10.35 per over with only 10 wickets in 9 matches so far. This is a significant departure from his impressive performance last season, where he picked up 27 wickets in 14 matches at a remarkable economy rate of 8 for the Gujarat Titans.
