NEWSPlayers Who Hit a Hundred Against Their Former Franchises
Apr. 18 2024, Published 5:33 a.m. ET
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is full of surprises, and players grabbing the headlines against their former franchise makes the league more exciting. There have been many instances of players scoring a big knock against a franchise for whom once they plied their trade.
Such players grab more attention and become even more popular on an online cricket betting site, where fans place their bets, hoping the players will turn the heat on their former employers. This blog will look at five instances where players troubled their former franchises.
5 Players Who Scored a Hundred against Their Former Franchise
Plenty of overseas players have registered a hundred against their former franchises. The likes of Shane Watson, Chris Gayle, and Jos Buttler have punished those franchises who had let them go. Those knocks would have pleased cricket fans and betting enthusiasts who would have predicted them to score big on an IPL betting platform.
Here are five instances when players destroyed their former employers in IPL:
Shane Watson vs Rajasthan Royals (IPL 2018):
Shane Watson, who played at Rajasthan Royals until 2015, switched to CSK in 2018 in Pune. Then, he hit a century against his former team, which inflicted a huge loss and rattled the Royals fans. Watson's scintillating ton of 106 runs came off just 57 balls. It helped CSK power to 204/5. The Yellow outfit clinched a 64-run win.
Wriddhiman Saha vs KKR (IPL 2014):
In the big IPL finale, Saha played the innings of his life for Punjab Kings, then known as Kings XI Punjab. He made his way to 115* off just 55 balls against former side KKR. The Mohali-based team was reduced to 30/2, but Saha, a KKR loyalist between 2008 and 2010, powered his team to 199/4. However, the wicket-keeper batter's monumental effort was in vain as KKR won the match and their second IPL title.
Chris Gayle vs KKR (IPL 2011):
Chris Gayle was another player KKR let go in the auction and returned to trouble the franchise later. The mighty Jamaican batter chose to take revenge at the iconic Eden Gardens. KKR batted first and posted a stiff 171/5. Gayle responded to the challenge, scoring 102 off 55 balls. He smashed ten fours and seven sixes as RCB made a statement, winning the match by nine wickets.
Heinrich Klaasen vs RCB (IPL 2023):
Heinrich Klaasen played only three games for RCB in 2019, scoring nine runs. The RCB management let him go in the next season. The South African would have to wait four years to show RCB his capabilities. In 2023, Klaasen, turning up for Sunrisers Hyderabad, scored a fighting 104 off 51 balls. Though the Sunrisers lost the match, the South African proved the RCB management and his detractors wrong.
Jos Buttler vs MI (IPL 2022):
When Mumbai Indians won their third IPL title in 2017 in a thrilling finish, Jos Buttler's wild celebration video celebration went viral. But he had moved on when he hit a fantastic century in 2022 against them. The Englishman became a key player at Royals, smashing 863 runs in the 2022 edition. That same season, he smashed 100 off 68 balls against his former team. The knock inflicted a 23-run loss on his former employers, who must have been rankled because they had let him go before the 2018 auction.
