Kamal Ghorui
Virat Kohli appeared completely locked into Urvil Patel’s breathtaking innings for Chennai Super Kings against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, with a clip from broadcaster Star Sports showing the RCB superstar watching the carnage unfold from the dugout ahead of Bengaluru’s clash against Mumbai Indians in Raipur. The timing of the moment quickly grabbed attention because Urvil was in the middle of producing one of the most explosive knocks ever seen in IPL history. The CSK batter smashed the joint-fastest fifty in IPL history, racing to the landmark in just 13 balls and equalling Yashasvi Jaiswal’s iconic record from 2023. Urvil unleashed complete mayhem during Chennai’s chase of 204 at Chepauk and instantly became the talking point across the cricketing world. After Sanju Samson fell for a rapid 28, Urvil walked in and changed the momentum within minutes. He hammered Avesh Khan for three consecutive sixes before tearing apart Digvesh Singh Rathi with another brutal over filled with boundaries and towering maximums. By the time the powerplay ended, LSG were completely under pressure. Urvil became the first batter in IPL history to smash six sixes within the first eight balls of an innings. He stormed to 41 not out off just eight deliveries, creating a brand-new IPL record for the highest score after the first eight balls of an innings. The right-hander eventually blasted 65 off only 23 balls, smashing eight sixes and two fours before falling to Shahbaz Ahmed. One of the most emotional moments of the evening came immediately after Urvil reached his fifty. The youngster pulled out a note from his pocket with the message: “This is for you, Papa,” dedicating the milestone to his father. While Urvil’s innings stole the headlines, Chennai still had work left in the chase after a late fightback from LSG. Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored the innings with 42 before Shivam Dube finished the match in style with two sixes in the final over as CSK secured a five-wicket win with four balls remaining. Earlier, LSG had piled up 203/8 thanks largely to Josh Inglis’s sensational 85 off 33 balls, including the fastest IPL fifty ever recorded at Chepauk. But despite their explosive start, the visitors lost momentum in the middle overs as Jamie Overton picked up three wickets for Chennai.
