5 IPL stats that are TRUE but sound FAKE | Fourth one is shocking
Think you know the IPL? These 5 stats will make you look twice. From Avesh Khan out-striking Liam Livingstone to the shocking reason Ishant Sharma has never won a 'Player of the Match' in 13 seasons, discover the "glitches" in the IPL record books before the 2026 season kicks off!
Avesh Khan’s IPL strike rate is higher than Liam Livingstone's
An impossible stat to read at first, but it’s true. While Liam Livingstone remains amongst the hardest hitters of the cricket ball, his IPL-career strike rate is lower than Avesh Khan, a frontline bowler, who bats at number 10 or 11. Contrary to Liam’s IPL strike rate, which is 162.92, Avesh’s is 169.23, thanks to his cameos and lucky bat swings.
Piyush Chawla didn’t bowl a single no-ball for 386 overs straight
Considering that bowlers often overstep in this format to push for more, given how fast-paced it is, Indian leg-spin veteran Piyush Chawla’s discipline needs to be applauded. Chawla once bowled 386 overs, which is 2316-plus balls, across seasons without overstepping.
Virat Kohli has never been part of an IPL auction
Considering the position he holds in Indian Cricket and the IPL, it's hard to accept that Virat Kohli has never been part of an IPL auction to date. With the 19th edition set to commence on March 28, it’s important to know that Kohli was picked as a draft player by RCB from the Under-19 category in 2008 for just $30,000. RCB has retained Kohli ahead of each auction since.
Ishant Sharma played 13 seasons without a single 'Player of the Match' award
Despite being a veteran of over 100 IPL games and a frontline pacer for teams like KKR, SRH, and DC, Ishant Sharma has never won the Player of the Match award. The lanky quick has picked up over 80 wickets, but in every game where he performed well, someone else—usually a batter or a fellow bowler with a slightly better haul—took away the credit.
Bhuvneshwar is the only Indian pacer with more IPL wickets than Bumrah
While Bumrah is widely considered the best in the world, India’s ‘swing king’, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, still leads the race for the most wickets by an Indian in IPL. The right-arm seamer currently has 198 wickets, while Bumrah—who recently became Mumbai Indians' all-time leader—sits at 183.
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