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Spell against CSK gave me worldwide recognition: Pakistan pacer recalls IPL 2008 heroics

IPL: Ahead of the start of IPL 2022, an Ex-Pakistan pacer recalled his heroics while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season of the league. The 2008 IPL was the only edition in which Pakistan players were allowed to participate. RR won the tournament by beating Chennai Super Kings in the final.

TN Sports Desk

Updated Mar 26, 2022, 08:22 IST

The Pakistan pacer claimed his spell against CSK in IPL 2008 changed his life |Courtesy-BCCI/IPL

The 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL) will always be fondly remembered for not just being the inaugural edition of the tournament but also the only one where cricketers from Pakistan were allowed to participate. One of them was left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir, who took the tournament by storm playing for the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

In fact, with a tally of 22 wickets in just 11 games, he won the purple cap(most wickets in the tournament). The shining moment of Tanvir's glorious season was a sensational spell against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur which saw him take six wickets and concede just 14 runs.

In a recent interaction, Tanvir called that spell as one performance that gave him worldwide recognition. “The spell against CSK was one of the best spells I have ever bowled. I was bowling well in IPL before that, but it won't be wrong if I say the spell against Chennai gave me worldwide recognition,” said Tanvir on a Sports Yaari documentary.

Speaking about his incredible spell, Tanvir explained, "Seamers get help early on in Jaipur. The ball was moving around. I dismissed Parthiv Patel and Stephen Fleming leg-before, the ball was certainly doing a bit. In the second spell, my slower ones were quite effective.

" I still remember I had taken five wickets while conceding only three runs before Makhaya Ntini came in and scored 10 runs against me. But yes, I feel very proud of that spell and it remains a lifetime memory for me."

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Tanvir inspired RR to the title under the captaincy of late Shane Warne. In fact, Tanvir scored the winning runs in a nail-biting final against MS Dhoni-led CSK at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium. After making a phenomenal start to his career, the left-armer has not played for Pakistan in any format since 2014 however he is a regular starter in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Tanvir's spell held the record for the best figures by a bowler in an IPL match for 10 years before Windies pacer Alzarri Joseph broke the record by bowling a spell of 6/12 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL.

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