CRICKET
5 most iconic cricket moments of 2023
2023 saw many iconic moments in the cricketing calendar. The year started well with some bilateral series. Then there were some Test series in the lead-up to the WTC final in 2023. The first major series of the year was the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023, which was won by the home side. What followed was a mega event like the IPL 2023, which was full of memorable moments that are cherished by the fans even today.
WTC Final 2023 had its moments and Australia won its maiden mace by beating India in the final. To cap it off, Australia retained the Ashes urn by ending the tour of England with a 2-2 tie. In the lead-up to the ODI World Cup 2023, several series were played. The biggest of them was the Asia Cup 2023 where the top sides from Asia took part in the huge event. India won it in some style.
ODI World Cup 2023 was nothing less than a spectacle. The tournament saw the best players in the world taking part in the tournament to entertain the fans across the globe. The big tournament witnessed many great moments and some of them became iconic instantly. Most of the iconic moments from the year were from the ODI World Cup 2023, which was great for the sport and the format.
As 2023 has come to an end, it is time to look at the 4 most iconic moments in cricket in the year.
5. Rinku Singh hits 5 sixes in a row
Rinku Singh (Source: X)
It was the match between Gujarat Titans and KKR in the IPL 2023. The match was in a difficult situation for the visiting side, as KKR needed 28 runs in the last 5 balls. Rinku Singh was on strike and needed to hit at least 4 sixes in an over to win the match. Even by today’s standards, it is a difficult ask from the batters.
The commentators were sure of the winners. As Rinku hit the first two sixes in the over, the commentator said on air, “Good efforts but would sadly end in the losing cause”. Rinku did not just prove the commentator wrong but also proved everyone who believed it to be impossible wrong. Rinku hit 5 sixes in a row and won the match for KKR.
4. Glenn Maxwell pulling off a heist against Afghanistan
Glenn Maxwell (Source: X)
Chasing a total of 292 runs, Australia was reduced to 96/7. Glenn Maxwell was the set batter who was joined by Pat Cummins. With196 runs more to chase and just 3 wickets in hand, is nearly impossible even by today’s standards. What Maxwell pulled off with the help of Cummins at the other end was insane.
When Maxwell started to get close to the target after scoring a fabulous hundred, he started suffering from cramps and could not run. Hence, he started scoring all the runs just through the boundaries. He pulled off a spectacular chase by scoring an unbeaten 201. To date, it is the only instance of a batter scoring 200 or more runs while chasing in ODIs.
3. Pat Cummins and Australia silencing India in the ODI World Cup final 2023
Pat Cummins (Source: X)
Everyone regarded India as the firm favourite to win the ODI WC final in 2023. Even the Australian team felt the same. When asked about their chances before the match, the Australian captain said that it would be a huge pressure for them but added that nothing is more satisfying in sports than silencing a home crowd, a statement which is now iconic.
Boy did Cummins and his co-live to the words. On the big day, Cummins got the big wicket of Virat Kohli in the final who was almost the last hope for the home side. the wicket of the star batter silenced the home crowd. From then, the whole match was dominated by the home side and the visiting side silenced the crowd forever.
2. Virat Kohli scoring record 50th ODI ton
Virat Kohli (Source: X)
Virat Kohli was in phenomenal form in 2023. The star batter scored 2 hundred and 2 fifties in Tests and shined through in ODIs by scoring 6 hundred and 9 fifties. Virat was the leading run scorer and the Player of the Tournament in the ODI World Cup 2023. In the big tournament, Virat broke so many records and helped India to dominate the tournament till the final of the tournament.
Virat set the record for the most runs in a single edition of the World Cup. But a bigger record was created in the match against New Zealand in the semifinal, where he became the first-ever batter to score his 50th ton in ODIs. In front of his idol and the batter with 49 ODI hundreds, Sachin Tendulkar, the 35-year-old broke the record to set the new one.
1. MS Dhoni hugging Ravindra Jadeja after winning the IPL final 2023
MS Dhoni (Source: X)
It was the moment of year without a doubt. MS Dhoni has achieved so much in his career. The IPL 2023 was touted to be his last appearance in cricket. It was emotional for the fans of Dhoni throughout the season, who turned up in huge numbers and made all the CSK matches as home matches. It was so brilliant to watch.
When it all came down to 9 runs in 2 balls, Ravindra Jadeja was the last hope. As a matter of irony, CSK fans who were criticizing Jadeja throughout the season for his slow batting, prayed for him to pull off the heist. And the Southpaw did not disappoint and chased down the target. An emotional Dhoni hugged Jadeja which became iconic instantly.