A total of six players have either been stranded or been dismissed for 99 in the history of the Indian Premier League.
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For a batsman, getting to a century in the Indian Premier League is considered to be the most glorious feat. In a 20-over game, getting to three figures requires intense moments of consistent power and big-hitting. The Twenty20 format has produced few hundreds as compared to the ODI and Test formats. Thus, whenever a player gets to a hundred, it is a commendable feat.
But, when someone misses out on a hundred, the pain is huge. If an individual gets dismissed or stranded on 99, then the pain multiplies. A player who is dismissed on 99 or is unable to get to a century has a long period of regret. For many legendary players in the IPL, they don’t have that many centuries. There are some big players who have missed out on scoring a century in the IPL. Here is a list of some of the players who have been dismissed or stranded on 99.
The first instance of a player missing out on a Twenty20 hundred is Suresh Raina. During the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Raina came to bat in the No.3 position for Chennai Super Kings. Having come in the sxth over, Raina had time to get his eye in and then go for the aggressive strokes. He shared solid stands and took the attack to the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers. When he reached 85, the final over had begun. After hitting the first ball for a four bowled by Darren Sammy, Raina eyed a hundred. On 95 and with one ball to go, he needed a six for the magical ton. He whipped a full ball over deep extra cover but it did not go for six. In the end, he ended on 99 and the knock included 11 fours and three sixes. Chennai Super Kings went on to win the match by 77 runs.
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In that same edition, Virat Kohli was also in top form. In the match against Delhi Daredevils, the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper was in fine touch. He continuously attacked the Delhi Daredevils bowlers and shared a stand of 94 with AB de Villiers. Heading into the final over, Kohli was on 76 and Umesh Yadav was the bowler. He took a couple of the first ball. In the next fours balls, Virat Kohli blasted two fours and two sixes. Needing two runs off the final ball, Kohli tried to go for the second run but he was run-out. He was out for 99 off 52 balls and the knock included 10 fours and four sixes. Royal Challengers Bangalore won the match by four runs, with Jaydev Unadkat taking four wickets.
He has the most hundreds in the history of the IPL and T20 cricket. But, he also has the most number of 99s in the history of T20 cricket. Chris Gayle, the ultimate run-scoring machine in T20s, has had the misfortune of being both stranded and dismissed on 99 in the IPL. A rare feat like this can only be achieved by Chris Gayle. In the first instance against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gayle was playing for Punjab Kings. For close to a decade, Gayle was the ultimate hero for Royal Challengers Bangalore during their heydays.
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In the first instance in Mohali in IPL 2019, Chris Gayle had torn apart the RCB bowlers to all parts of the PCA stadium. He was on 90 when the final over began which was to be bowled by Mohammed Siraj. Gayle hit a four. Five runs were needed off the final ball. Siraj bowled a yorker and Gayle squeezed it out. It went for a four and not six as Gayle missed his century. His 99 off 64 balls included 10 fours and five sixes. But, Punjab Kings lost the match to RCB by a big margin.
The second instance against Rajasthan Royals was brutal but painful. He blasted six fours and eight sixes as the Royals bowlers bore the brunt. In the last over bowled by Jofra Archer, Gayle hammered a six and reached 99. With one run to get off three balls, it was almost certain that Gayle would reach the score. But, Archer bowled a perfect yorker, and Gayle was bowled for 99. Just like last year, Punjab Kings could not defend 186.
In the aftermath of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup triumph, Prithvi Shaw was a hot property in Indian cricket. He smashed a Test century on debut and shone in all matches. Having been picked by Delhi Capitals, Shaw was in fine form. Chasing 186, Delhi Capitals were cruising with Shaw in fine form. Needing 15 runs off 12 balls, Prithvi Shaw was on 99. He had hit 12 fours and three sixes to boost the Capitals. But, he top-edged a slog off Lockie Ferguson and was unlucky to miss out on his first IPL ton. Delhi Capitals squandered the chase and ended up with a tie. Luckily, Kagiso Rabada bowled a superb Super Over and Delhi Capitals won the match.
Mumbai Indians were in big trouble in their chase of 202 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. They were 78/4 when Ishan Kishan stepped into the field. But, in a sensational counter-attack, Ishan Kishan blasted two fours and nine sixes in a splendid exhibition of hitting. Needing 19 runs off the final over, Kishan blasted two consecutive sixes off Isuru Udana to get Mumbai Indians near the target. With five runs needed off two balls, Udana took his wicket and the youngster ended up on 99. Kieron Pollard tied the match but in the Super Over, Royal Challengers Bangalore emerged victorious.
On a competitive wicket in Ahmedabad, Mayank Agarwal was the difference as he played a superb knock. He held the Punjab Kings innings together as they made good progress. Mayank Agarwal was on 84 when the final over was bowled. After smashing a couple of fours, he needed a six to ensure that he got to his hundred. But, he only managed a four as he ended on 99 off 58 balls. His knock included eight fours and four sixes. However, Delhi Capitals made a spirited response and won the match easily thanks to Shikhar Dhawan’s fifty.
