5 INDAN PLAYERS WHO COULD MAKE A COSMIC IMPACT IN IPL 2022
Here are five Indian players who can turn heads in this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL)
1. Shreyas Iyer
If confidence is an important ingredient for success, Shreyas has it at the current moment, having excelled in limited-overs and Test cricket for India in recent months. His batting in the first innings of the second Test against Sri Lanka was a masterclass in batting on a minefield of a pitch. Even though it was a Test match, he managed to play numerous aggressive strokes, repeatedly stepping down the pitch to trounce the ball.
Shreyas Iyer has been in and around the Indian team for a while and was the captain of the Delhi franchise until an injury prevented his participation in the first half of IPL 2022. The captaincy spell and the overall experience playing international cricket have added to his confidence as well. If he continues to combine it with his given ability, he will surely succeed for his new team, Kolkata Knight Riders.
2. M. Shahrukh Khan
One of the most volatile hitters of the cricket ball in the domestic circuit, Tamil Nadu’s Shahrukh Khan was expectedly purchased for a high sum of INR 9 crore in the IPL auction. Possessing strong shoulders for muscular hits, Shahrukh Khan can single-handedly change the nature of T20 contests.
His hitting abilities helped Tamil Nadu influence the domestic limited-overs tournaments this season – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His innings of 79 (unbeaten) against Karnataka in the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December 2021 and of 194 against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy in February 2022 showcases his astounding potential, and Punjab Kings will hope to make good use of it.
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad
A very inventive last season for Chennai Super Kings, Ruturaj Gaikwad has continued his good form with the bat in the 2021-22 domestic season. In both T20 and List A formats, he has been scoring a cartload of runs: in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he bagged 259 runs at an average of 51.80, and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored as many as 603 runs in just five matches (average: 150.75). His strike rates were amazing, too: 149.71 and 112.92. It won’t be a huge surprise if he picks up the orange cap for the second season in a row.
4. Shardul Thakur
A domestic toughie for Mumbai, Shardul Thakur’s asset has risen in the past year, thanks to his performances with bat and ball for India in Test matches. His fresh cameos with the bat in Australia and England were blusterous, and he continues to be among the wickets with his seam bowling. Delhi Capitals saw enough potential to purchase him for INR 10.75 crores.
He is someone somebody who could finish games and at the same time be among the wickets and is also able to strike on a regular basis.
5. Sarfaraz Khan
He may not be a very prominent player in the IPL, but Sarfaraz Khan will be someone to watch out for this season. That’s because, firstly, he will be smarting from his average run last season, and secondly, he has hit a purple patch in character in first-class cricket.
Smashing two centuries and two half-centuries in the five matches he has played from December 2021 to March 2022. His innings of 275 against Saurashtra, in particular, were phenomenal; they punctured the defending champion and nearly consigned it to a heavy defeat.