LISTICLE
Follow Us582 T20s, 6970 runs and 631 wickets later, Dwayne Bravo is finally done with cricket. The 40-year-old all-rounder sustained a groin injury while playing in the Caribbean Premier League 2024 and decided to retire from all forms of cricket. Not many have achieved what Bravo has in the 20-over format.
Here, we look at some of the memorable moments from his T20 career.
Bravo shocks Bumrah and Co.
It was Chennai Super Kings’ comeback game following a two-year ban. The Men in Yellow were up against their arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians and were reduced to 118/8 in the 166-run chase. CSK looked down and out, but that’s when Bravo put on a show for the ages.
Chennai needed 47 runs in the final three overs, and Bravo whacked two sixes and a four off Mitchell McClenaghan in the 18th over. Then came Jasprit Bumrah, THE JASPRIT BUMRAH, but Bravo was having none of it. Even the ace paceman was hit for three sixes in the penultimate over, and the equation was down to 7 off 7.
Bravo got out to Bumrah in the final delivery of the over, but Kedar Jadhav, who was earlier retired hurt, came back and won the game for CSK. Bravo smoked three fours and seven sixes in his 30-ball 68. This was not only his second-highest score in the 20-over format but is also one of the best knocks played in the history of IPL.
Defends seven runs in final over against MSD
Bravo played a lot of cricket alongside MS Dhoni at CSK, so getting one over his teammate and close friend would have been fun. After West Indies amassed 245 in the first innings, thanks to Evin Lewis’ century, India got to 238/3 at the end of 19 overs.
KL Rahul was batting on 108 off 49, while MSD was on 40 off 21. All they needed was eight runs and India had two set batters in the middle, with one of them being one of the best finishers in the history of white-ball cricket.
However, Bravo delivered a masterclass, constantly changing his pace and length and conceded six runs off the first five balls. With two needed from one and MSD on strike, Bravo went for a slower delivery outside off, and Dhoni ended up edging it to short third man. The Men in Maroon emerged victorious by one run.
Last-ball six to win the game for CSK
Now, let’s go back to 2012. CSK were chasing a target of 159 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Nine runs were required from six deliveries, and Rajat Bhatia had the ball in hand.
The right-arm medium knocked over Dhoni on the second ball and gave away only four runs off the first five balls. With five needed to win, Bravo picked the leg-cutter, which ended up being a low full-toss, and tonked it over long-on for a six.
Take the flight back home, Mr. Pollard
Everyone remembers Bravo giving Kieron Pollard a send-off in the IPL 2012 Eliminator, right? Chennai were struggling to qualify for the playoffs and in the group stage, Pollard had told Bravo to book the flight back home.
CSK somehow managed to go through, and when they met Mumbai in the Eliminator, the Men in Yellow won the game by 38 runs. Bravo slammed 33* off 14 and claimed 2/10 in three overs, including the wicket of Pollard. And then, it was Bravo who told Pollard to get on a plane and go back to the Caribbean.
Five consecutive maximums off Joseph
Bravo, who was part of West Indies’ set-up when they won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016, showcased phenomenal hitting against Alzarri Joseph in the CPL 2018.
In the 19th over of the first innings, Bravo smashed Joseph for five sixes in a row. This was the third joint-most sixes he has hit in a T20 innings.
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