T20 history: Gowtham hits 56-ball 134, picks 8 wickets in jaw-dropping all-round show
Bengaluru : Krishnappa Gowtham produced a jaw-dropping all-round performance in the history of T20 cricket, smashing a 56-ball 134 and then picking an incredible 8/15 in the Karnataka Premier League here.
Playing for Ballari Tuskers in the Karnataka Premier League, the all-rounder smashed the fastest hundred in the tournament's history, in just 39 balls. His 134 was also the highest total with the bat in KPL. He also picked up an astonishing 8/15 in his four-over quota.
Gowtham also registered the most number of sixes in an innings in KPL, with 13 big hits to his name, as his side won by 70 runs under the VJD method.
Even though Gowtham's effort is better than Colin Ackermann, who registered figures of 7/18 in a Vitality Blast in England earlier this month, it will not be considered an official record in the books, as state T20 leagues are not given an official T20 status.
Instead, the matches are categorised as 'Other T20s'. After the match, the Karnataka player said: "I don't think I expected this, nor did anyone else out here. Thanks to everyone who turned up and supported us."
On being questioned which one he enjoyed more between batting and bowling, te cricketer came up with a witty reply: "Well, I enjoyed my girlfriend''s smile.
Gowtham had made a mark for Rajasthan Royals in 2018 IPL when he picked up 11 wickets and aggregated 126 runs at a strike rate of 196.87. However, in the recently-concluded edition of the IPL, Gowtham played only seven matches.
'It was dream day when everything fell in place':
Gowtham termed his all-round performace a "dream day when everything fell in place".
Gowtham, who plays first-class cricket for Karnataka and IPL for Rajasthan Royals, recently had a good India A tour of West Indies.
"I definitely didn't expect to play this kind of an innings. As a cricketer it is a dream day. And it is something we can't plan for, it just has to happen. It is something which we always work for.
Some days it does come off and I was fortunate enough that it happened yesterday. It was just one of those when you're in the zone and everything comes off," Gowtham told PTI during an interaction.
By his own admission, he never knew about the record. "I never knew about the record. I just enjoyed myself in the middle. I got a chance to bat higher up in the order and I planned to bat aggressively and things just fell in place," he added.
Gowtham further said he was in a good frame of mind and that things were falling into place. "Maybe you can say I am in a good frame of mind more than anything.
I am in a good space and a good frame of mind and things are falling into place," he said about his ton and eight-wicket haul. He also said he was delighted to be holding the purple cap, adding "it was something special. I have always been aiming to hold the purple cap. I am fortunate enough it has happened this season."
Before coming into this edition of the KPL, Gowtham was in fine fettle for India A against West Indies A in the Caribbean, picking 11 wickets in two games, including two five-fors.
He said the tour went off well and the ball was coming out well, adding that getting two five-fors helped the team win, which was more important than individual performance.
"It (the tour) went really well, the confidence is always there. It did come out well. I got a couple of five-fors, it helped the team win the trophy, that is more important to me than my individual performance," the Karnataka all-rounder added.
Asked how playing in the IPL had helped, Gowtham said when one rubs shoulders with the best players in the world, it helps one learn things and also develop one's own game.
"Playing in the IPL, definitely the confidence level always goes up and it is always high. It does give you confidence that you can change the game around. You get to play with the best in the world.
Yeah, definitely when you rub shoulders with them, you will obviously learn something from them and develop your game. It helps to a great extent," he added.