Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel shut down an online troll with his trademark calm confidence after a social media post questioned his IPL record. Parthiv, who broke into international cricket in 2003, later went on to play 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and two T20Is for India, compiling 1,706 runs across formats. In the IPL, he appeared in 139 matches and scored 2,848 runs. These days, he is equally known for his sharp commentary and thoughtful cricket analysis, but one X user claimed that the 41-year-old never received a Player of the Match award during his IPL career. The assertion didn’t last long—Parthiv promptly corrected it himself.
The controversy began when a user invited fans to name a player who had played 13 IPL seasons without winning a Player of the Match award, and tagged Parthiv in the process. Responding to the challenge, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper-batter posted a screenshot of his IPL statistics showing that he had, in fact, won the award on five occasions. He accompanied the reply with a playful “Sorry to disappoint!!” message, effectively ending the debate in a single stroke.
Parthiv’s IPL journey has seen him wear multiple franchise colours over the years, including Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, along with stints at Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Deccan Chargers, teams that are no longer part of the league. With his playing days behind him, Parthiv is now coaching in the IPL setup—he currently works as the batting coach of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2026.
Gujarat Titans, captained by Shubman Gill, have made a strong start in the current season, winning five of their first nine matches. Their most recent success came on Thursday against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. After the win, Gill highlighted the importance of the bowling job, especially in limiting the opposition’s total, and also pointed to the team’s fielding as a key difference-maker on the night.
“Feels very satisfying, you know, on a wicket like this, restricting a team like them under 160 was a tremendous job by the bowlers. (reason for the win tonight?) I think our fielding was one of the things, it’s something I think at phases, we haven’t fielded that well in the game. And I think today was one of those days, everyone came together,” Gill said following the match.
Gujarat Titans will now turn their attention to their next assignment against Punjab Kings on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
