Akash Madhwal: The Unprecedented Bowling Sensation in IPL 2023 Eliminator
Rising from Obscurity
Akash Madhwal, the 29-year-old Mumbai Indians fast bowler, made history in the high-stakes IPL 2023 Eliminator match against Lucknow Super Giants. He is civil engineer turned cricketer, who had only played tennis ball cricket until a few years ago, was the first bowler ever to pick up a 5-wicket haul in the playoffs of the Indian Premier League.
Madhwal, who was Suryakumar Yadav’s replacement player in IPL 2022 for Mumbai Indians, started off as a death-over specialist, due to his knack for delivering lethal yorkers. His career took a positive turn when captain Rohit Sharma backed him to deliver with the new ball as well.
Turning the Tide
On May 24, 2023, Madhwal ran through the Lucknow Super Giants’ batting order as Mumbai Indians successfully defended 182 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. This was Madhwal’s maiden T20 5-wicket haul. He struck with the new ball, removing key Lucknow batters, including Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, and Prerak Mankad, thereby derailing Lucknow’s chase. His 5-wicket haul was completed with a fine yorker to Mohsin Khan, sealing Mumbai Indians’ passage to Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans.
Record-Breaking Performance
Madhwal’s performance in the Eliminator resulted in several historic achievements. His bowling figures of 5 for 5 are not only the best-ever figures in the knockout match of a franchise tournament but also the most economical 5-wicket haul in the history of the IPL. He surpassed Mohammad Sami’s record of 5 for 8 in PSL 2016 and Anil Kumble’s figures of 3.1-0-5-5 for RCB against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2009. This performance also made him the uncapped player with the best bowling figures in IPL history, going past Ankit Rajpoot’s 5 for 14 for Punjab Kings vs SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018.
For his spectacular five-wicket haul and conceding just five runs, Akash Madhwal receives the Player of the Match award 👌🏻👌🏻
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 24, 2023
Mumbai Indians register a comprehensive 81-run victory 👏🏻👏🏻
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/CVo5K1wG31#TATAIPL | #Eliminator | #LSGvMI pic.twitter.com/qy9ndLnKnA
Accolades from the Cricket World
Madhwal’s sensational performance drew immense praise and attention from the cricket fraternity. His 5/5 broke Jasprit Bumrah’s record of best bowling figures in IPL by a Mumbai Indians bowler. He was also applauded for equaling the record for the least runs conceded for a fifer, set by Anil Kumble, whose 5/5 came against Rajasthan Royals in 2009.
The best bowling figures in IPL history
| Rank | Player | Overs | Wickets | Runs | Average | Best Bowling Figures (BBI) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alzarri Joseph | 3.4 | 6 | 12 | 2.00 | 6/12 | 2019 |
| 2 | Sohail Tanvir | 4 | 6 | 14 | 2.33 | 6/14 | 2008 |
| 3 | Adam Zampa | 4 | 6 | 19 | 3.17 | 6/19 | 2016 |
| 4 | Anil Kumble | 3.1 | 5 | 5 | 1.00 | 5/5 | 2009 |
| 5 | Akash Madhwal | 3.3 | 5 | 5 | 1.00 | 5/5 | 2023 |
| 5 | Ishant Sharma | 3 | 5 | 12 | 2.40 | 5/12 | 2011 |
The best bowling figures in IPL for Mumbai Indians (MI) till 2023:
| Rank | Player | Overs | Wickets | Runs | Economy | Opposition | Match Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alzarri Joseph | 3.4 | 6 | 12 | 3.27 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 06-Apr-19 |
| 2 | Akash Madhwal | 3.3 | 5 | 5 | 1.42 | Lucknow Super Giants | 24-May-23 |
| 3 | Jasprit Bumrah | 4 | 5 | 10 | 2.5 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 09-May-22 |
| 4 | Lasith Malinga | 3.4 | 5 | 13 | 3.54 | Delhi Daredevils | 10-Apr-11 |
| 5 | Harbhajan Singh | 4 | 5 | 18 | 4.5 | Chennai Super Kings | 22-Apr-11 |
Best Bowling figures in IPL playoffs till 2023:
| Rank | Player | Best Bowling Figures (BBI) | Match | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akash Madhwal | 5/5 | MI vs LSG | Eliminator, 2023 |
| 2 | Doug Bollinger | 4/13 | CSK vs DC | Semi-Final, 2010 |
| 3 | Dhawal Kulkarni | 4/14 | GL vs RCB | Qualifier 1, 2016 |
| 4 | Jaspreet Bumrah | 4/14 | MI vs DC | Qualifier 1, 2020 |
IPL Stats and Future Predictions
Despite picking up only one wicket in his first three matches, Madhwal has taken 12 wickets in his last four matches in the IPL. He has an impressive tally of 13 wickets in seven matches in IPL 2023, with an economy rate of 7.771. His ability to adapt and improve quickly suggests a promising future.
In his career, he has played in First-class cricket (FC), List A, and Twenty20 (T20) matches. Here are his career averages:
| Format | Matches | Innings | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Best Bowling In Innings | Best Bowling In Match | Average | Economy Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC | 10 | 16 | 1026 | 579 | 12 | 3/33 | 5/65 | 48.25 | 3.38 |
| List A | 17 | 17 | 771 | 628 | 18 | 3/57 | 3/57 | 34.88 | 4.88 |
| T20 | 29 | 29 | 596 | 746 | 37 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 20.16 | 7.51 |
Madhwal’s recent performances in the IPL were highly impressive and garnered praise from his peers and other cricketing figures. Here are the tweets about his performance.
Rohit Sharma tweeted- Super Performance…
Super performance tonight.
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) May 24, 2023
Time for Ahmedabad now. 👊 pic.twitter.com/b8wDePZJdm
Virendra Sehwag tweeted – Akash Madhwal 5 wickets in the eliminator after the 4 he took in the last league game which was a do or die game . Such a delight to see newcomers doing well. This is the season where many of the experience guys have had a great season and many newcomers have made a big mark..
Akash Madhwal 5 wickets in the eliminator after the 4 he took in the last league game which was a do or die game . Such a delight to see newcomers doing well. This is the season where many of the experience guys have had a great season and many newcomers have made a big mark.… pic.twitter.com/ofZI0yk8af
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 24, 2023
Irfan pathan tweeted- Mi ek esi university hai jaha ki graduation Apko super star Banati hai. #Akashmadhwal @mipaltan
Mi ek esi university hai jaha ki graduation Apko super star Banati hai. #Akashmadhwal @mipaltan
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) May 24, 2023
Robin Aiyuda Uthappa-Akash Madhwal take a bow!! What a find from @mipaltan!! 👏🏾 Top class bowling in a high pressure game! Brilliantly batted from @CameronGreen_, @surya_14kumar & Wadhera and well bowled by Piyush & Jordan!! @imnaveenulhaq too good tonight!! #GTvMI will be an exciting contest!!
Akash Madhwal take a bow!! What a find from @mipaltan!! 👏🏾 Top class bowling in a high pressure game! Brilliantly batted from @CameronGreen_, @surya_14kumar & Wadhera and well bowled by Piyush & Jordan!! @imnaveenulhaq too good tonight!! #GTvMI will be an exciting contest!!
— Robin Aiyuda Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) May 24, 2023
Looking ahead, Madhwal is set to participate in the upcoming Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans. Given his recent form and the fact that he picked up 3 wickets in their previous meeting in IPL 2023, expectations are high for another stellar performance.