Chennai Super Kings legend Dwayne Bravo is celebrating his 41st birthday today, October 7. Often regarded as the ‘King’ of T20 cricket, the West Indies all-rounder established himself as one of the greatest players to compete in the IPL. A hard-hitting batter with decent pace as a fast bowler, Bravo was a major asset for any team he played in.
Having spent nearly the entirety of his career in the franchise tournament at CSK, Bravo won the IPL crown four times. He played 161 matches scoring 1560 runs and taking 183 wickets. On his special day, let’s take a look at some of his memorable performances under MS Dhoni’s leadership at CSK.
Shocked Mumbai Indians after CSK’s Two-Year Ban
In CSK’s return stint after the two-year ban, the MS Dhoni-led side were facing their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. They were reduced to 118/8 in a 166-run chase. Dwayne Bravo stepped up to put up a knock for the ages. With CSK needing 47 runs in the final 18 deliveries, Bravo hit Jasprit Bumrah for three sixes in the penultimate over, leading CSK to a victory.
Last-ball six to beat Kolkata Knight Riders
In 2012, CSK were chasing a total of 159 against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. They needed nine runs from six deliveries to win the game. The pressure was high as Rajat Bhatia gave away only four runs off the first five balls. On the final delivery, Bhatia sent a leg-cutter towards Bravo that ended up being a low full-toss delivery. The CSK all-rounder smashed it over long-on for a six to win the game for CSK.
First player to take 30 wickets in the IPL
Dwayne Bravo was a bowling phenomenon for CSK in the 2013 IPL. In the 18 matches he played in the campaign, Bravo racked up 32 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95. The impressive tally saw him become the first bowler in the franchise tournament’s history to surpass the 30-wicket mark. Over eight years later, Harshal Patel matched the record for the highest wicket tally in a single IPL season with 32 scalps in the 2021 edition.
Kieron Pollard gets a jaw-dropping send-off
Dwayne Bravo broke the internet after giving his West Indies compatriot Kieron Pollard a ‘flight’ send-off in the IPL 2012 Eliminator. Bravo had slammed a 14-ball 33 in the game before putting up figures of 2/10 during Mumbai’s chase.
Gets CSK a breakthrough in his last legs in 2021
In one of his final memorable performances, Dwayne Bravo lived up to MS Dhoni’s expectations as he broke the 100-run partnership in the match before finishing with figures of 3/24. His impressive spell also won him the Player of the Match award.
Dwayne Bravo’s Coaching Career In The IPL
Dwayne Bravo retired from the IPL in 2022 as a player. Only a season later he joined the CSK camp as a bowling coach. The move proved successful for the muti-time champions as they went on to add a fifth crown in the 2023 IPL season. After a couple of years at CSK, Bravo left his ex-team’s camp to join KKR as the 2024 IPL winners’ new mentor. He will now be looking to guide the reigning champions to more success in the upcoming years.
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