Visakhapatnam, April 1
Delhi Capitals (DC) and Australian star batter David Warner has tied with Chris Gayle for the most fifty-plus scores in the history of T20 cricket.
The veteran left-hander accomplished this feat during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Visakhapatnam.
In the match, Warner scored 52 off 35 balls, consisting of five fours and three sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 148.73.
Now in T20 cricket, both Gayle and Warner have 110 fifty-plus scores. Gayle is the highest run-getter in the format, with 14,562 runs in 463 games with 22 centuries and 88 fifties.
Warner is the fifth-highest run-getter in the shortest format, having amassed 12,195 runs in 373 matches, with eight centuries and 102 fifties.
At number three is Virat Kohli, the only Indian batter to have 100 or more scores of fifty-plus in T20s. He has scored 12,175 runs in 379 matches, with eight centuries and 93 fifties.
DC won the toss and opted to bat first. David Warner (52 in 35 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and a returning Prithvi Shaw (43 in 27 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) started off well with a 93-run opening partnership. Following their dismissal, DC lost their direction for a while until Rishabh Pant (51 in 32 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) scored some quick runs in the end to take the side to 191/5 in their 20 overs.
Matheesha Pathirana (3/31) was the pick of the bowlers for CSK.
In the run-chase of 192, Khaleel Ahmed (2/21) and Mukesh Kumar (3/21) troubled the CSK batters with their line and length and at one point, CSK was 75/3 in 10.2 overs. Useful knocks came from Ajinkya Rahane (45 in 30 balls, with five fours and two sixes), Daryl Mitchell (34 in 26 balls, with a four and two sixes) and MS Dhoni (37* in 16 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes), but DC secured a 20-run win, restricting the five-time champions to 171/6.
Khaleel got the 'Player of the Match' for his match-winning spell.
CSK is in the second spot with two wins and a loss, giving them four points. DC is in the seventh spot, with a win and two losses, giving them two points.