#3 Yash Thakur (LSG vs GT)
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) found themselves in a precarious position early on in the season when they had to defend a modest target of 163 runs against Gujarat Titans (GT). The situation was further exacerbated by the sudden injury of pace sensation Mayank Yadav.
However, young gun Yash Thakur stepped up to the challenge, delivering the first five-wicket haul of the season and propelling LSG to a resounding victory. Thakur’s scalps included the crucial wicket of GT skipper Shubman Gill, followed by the vital double-wicket haul of Vijay Shankar and Rashid Khan in the same over. He completed his fifer by dismissing the dangerous duo of Rahul Tewatia and Noor Ahmed, earning a well-deserved Player of the Match award.
#4 Jasprit Bumrah (MI vs RCB)
Despite a flurry of runs conceded across the tournament, Jasprit Bumrah continued to impress with his economical bowling and consistent wicket-taking abilities. One of his most impactful performances came early in the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
In his opening over, Bumrah sent the in-form Virat Kohli packing. He then returned in the death overs to dismiss a well-set Faf du Plessis, effectively derailing RCB’s batting momentum. Bumrah went on to pick up three more wickets, restricting RCB to a below-par total which Mumbai Indians (MI) chased down with ease. Notably, his last two overs yielded only 14 runs while fetching him four crucial wickets.
#5 Sandeep Sharma (RR vs MI)
Sandeep Sharma’s experience shone through in a scintillating display against Mumbai Indians in their second encounter of the season. He showcased his swing-bowling mastery by dismissing both Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav – two of MI’s most prolific batsmen – in his very first two overs.
Sandeep Sharma returned in the death overs to dismantle MI’s lower order, picking up the wickets of a well-set Tilak Varma, the dangerous Tim David, and Gerald Coetzee to complete his first-ever five-wicket haul in the IPL. Sharma conceded a mere 3 runs in his final over, the 20th of the innings, while bagging three crucial wickets to secure a memorable victory for RR.
