IPL 2022: New team, fresh role and lighting the spark | Cricket

ROLE CLARITY

It’s not so much the case of their being neglected by their past teams, but more about getting better role clarity in their new sides, which is key to success in T20 cricket. Barring Dinesh Karthik—he went for ₹5.5 crore to Royal Challengers Bangalore—the others were bargain buys at the auction. Having bought them for cheaper sums than what they had commanded, the new teams have been able to identify roles better suited to the player’s strengths.

Karthik, who has a far superior strike rate in the slog overs (179—overall 130), came in to bat in the last three overs in the RCB-Punjab Kings match and hit a 14-ball 32, which had several cheeky shots and three sixes. For Kolkata Knight Riders, when made captain, he would bat in the middle-overs to little success. Later, when he switched to being a finisher, his abilities remained underutilised under the shadow of Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan.

Take the most recent examples of Glenn Maxwell and Harshal Patel for RCB. Maxwell was labelled an IPL flop until he found a batting spot alongside Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Last year was his breakthrough season when he justified every bit of the ₹14.25 crore RCB spent on him. Patel’s dipping slower balls and purple cap-winning performances in 2021 earned him an India berth. But his previous efforts for Delhi Capitals were modest as the team failed to identify his death overs bowling prowess—or because they had the area covered.

To stress the point, it’s not KKR’s fault alone that Karthik didn’t prosper. The team make-up also didn’t allow Karthik to fulfil his potential. Take Umesh Yadav and Ajinkya Rahane. Both have found instant success with KKR this year, after having had very little game time with Delhi Capitals. Yadav’s T20 effectiveness may be limited to his effectiveness with the new ball, but he can be a game-changer in that role. In the win over Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium last week, he bowled through the powerplay, delivering a searching spell at rapid speeds and finishing with figures of 4-0-20-2. Rahane too got little playing time in the power-packed DC batting line-up. But this year could be different. KKR have released Shubman Gill and Aaron Finch, who took up an overseas player’s spot. The seasoned batter could well find more chances in his preferred opening role, after he began with a fluent 44 against CSK.

NEW VIGOUR

For Kuldeep, a move away from KKR was inevitable. The decline in his bowling form seemed to have led to some expensive outings for the team while it also affected his confidence in international cricket. In his first match for DC, with his bowling on the mend, the left-arm wrist spinner returned a highly impressive 4-0-18-3 against Mumbai Indians, which included the wicket of India captain Rohit Sharma.

“He was struggling in IPL as his place was not secured for KKR,” spin partner Axar Patel said after the win. “But he feels that surety of playing after coming over here (DC). If you know your place is secured, and not that you have to perform in two matches otherwise you will be sacked from the team, then you can give your best.”

Leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin has remained under the shadow of his namesake in IPL. He may have made an impression in 2016 for Rising Pune Supergiants but had to compete with R Ashwin for a spot. He then hopped from team to team—DC to RCB to Punjab Kings, but none gave him a long rope. Now with MI not managing any big spin buys in the auction, Ashwin might have just found the right franchise. He made a good first impression against DC with the use of his fast googlies.

Pacer Thampi, after enduring four poor seasons of limited game time and expensive bowling spells, signalled a return to form for MI, playing the enforcer by bouncing out DC’s Prithvi Shaw and Rovman Powell on Sunday. With Jofra Archer not available this year, Thampi could play regularly and exhibit his hit-the-deck spells, perhaps even go back to his specialty—yorkers in the death overs.