IPL 7: Three batsmen who reached three-figure mark this season

Zee Media Bureau/Chaitan Papnai

New Delhi: The way Kings XI Punjab`s Glenn Maxwell started off his campaign in Dubai-leg it seemed as if he would score the first ton of the season. But unluckily he missed his ton on more than three occasions, as he got out on 89, 95, 95, 90. This time around, to witness the first ton of the edition, the IPL followers had to wait till the 48th match of the league stage when Mumbai opener Lendl Simmons finally scored a hundred against Punjab, while chasing a total of 156 runs. The West Indian took 61 balls to complete his ton with the help of 14 boundaries and two sixes. His unbeaten knock gave his team a comprehensive win over Punjab. The second ton of the edition came from the bat of discarded Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who played a blinder of an innings in the virtual semi-final against Chennai Super Kings in the second qualifier. Viru showed glimpses of his former self by playing an entertaining knock and smashing 122 runs in 58 balls, as he collected 12 boundaries and eight sixes. Riding on the back of Viru`s knock, Punjab put up a mammoth total of 226 runs in front of CSK, which eventually proved too much for the Dhoni-led side. The third and last hundred came in the final of the tournament and surprisingly came from the bat of the KXIP wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha. The Bengal cricketer came to the crease when his team was reeling at 30 for two after 5.1 overs. But along with opener Manan Vohra he first stitched 129 runs for the third wicket and then went on to complete his hundred. Thanks to this hundred, he also became the first player to reach a thee-figure mark in the history of IPL. But unfortunately, his scintillating knock of 115 runs in 55 balls went in vain as Punjab eventually lost the final to KKR.