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From oblivion to the IPL centre stage
Mostly newcomers, they have made a big, early impression this IPL.
The beauty of the Indian Premier league lies in the platform it provides to unfancied players. History is replete with examples of good showing in IPL unlocking greater fortunes for players. There is similar promise this year too.
HT profiles a few players who got noticed in IPL’s first week.
Ayush Badoni (Age 22, Lucknow Super Giants)
IPL 2022 matches: 2. Performance: 54 off 41b vs GT, 19* off 9b vs CSK.
The road to the Delhi state side hasn’t been smooth for the 22-year-old middle-order batter but Badoni—picked Lucknow Super Giants at a base price of ₹20 lakh—has proved he belongs to IPL in both the games he has played so far. On debut, with LSG struggling at 29/4, captain KL Rahul sent Badoni above the experienced Krunal Pandya. Badoni shared an 87-run partnership with Deepak Hooda (55) to help LSG reach a fighting total of 158/6. Though LSG stumbled to a five-wicket defeat, Badoni’s innings of 54 (4 fours, 3 sixes) was a big positive as it came on a pitch which tested every batter’s technique.
Against Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, he again held his nerve to finish off, chasing a massive target of 211, with two sixes in a nine-ball 19 not out.
“He's baby AB (he shares his initials with AB de Villiers). He has been phenomenal from the first day. For a little boy, he packs a punch and plays 360 degrees, so happy for him as he grabbed the opportunity. It was not ideal for him to walk out with us four down but he did well under pressure and hopefully, he can continue doing that," Rahul said after the first game.
Abhinav Manohar (Age 27, Gujarat Titans)
IPL 2022 matches: 1. Performance: 15* off 7b vs LSG.
Manohar came to bat right at the end of Gujarat Titans’ chase against LSG, with 20 needed off the last two overs. But in the execution of the few shots he played, there was enough evidence of the quality of his game. The situation was a test of his temperament as well. Manohar collected a boundary off Dushmantha Chameera in the 19th over to ease the pressure on Rahul Tewatia. It didn’t look like he was playing his first game on a big stage. With 11 needed off the last over, the Karnataka batter struck two back-to-back fours off in-form pacer Avesh Khan to take the game away from Lucknow Super Giants.
His bat speed and the perfect position he got into playing his strokes showed Manohar is a finished product. Titans sure had done their homework before spending ₹2.6 crore on him. “Manohar is someone to look at with the talent he has. He is someone you are going to hear about in the future,” Titans captain Hardik Pandya said. After a long wait to earn his Karnataka debut, Manohar made the IPL scouts sit up and take notice in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. In the pre-quarterfinal against Saurashtra, chasing a 146-run target, Karnataka had slipped to 34/3 before Manohar powered his side home with an unbeaten 49-ball 70. He was the top-scorer of the side in the final defeat to Tamil Nadu.
Lalit Yadav (Age 25, Delhi Capitals)
IPL 2022 matches: 1. Performance: 48* off 38b vs MI.
Lalit Yadav is a well-known name in Delhi cricket. Now, the rest of the country too is starting to notice his talent. In their opening game against Mumbai Indians at Brabourne Stadium, Capitals looked down and out at 72/5 after 9.4 overs in a chase of 178. But coming out to bat at No 5, Yadav took the game out of MI’s grasp with an unbeaten 48 (38 balls) by building partnerships with Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel.
Part of the Delhi Capitals franchise since 2020, Yadav is coming into this season’s IPL on the back of solid displays in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored a scintillating 177 in Delhi’s opening Ranji match against Tamil Nadu this season. His IPL strike-rate is 104.50 but in local T20 circuits, he is known for his destructive ability, having achieved the feat of hitting six sixes in an over twice. In the T20 league, the all-rounder is starting to gather pace, having scored 118 runs in eight matches. He is a handy off-spinner, having taken four wickets in six games he has got a chance to bowl in.
Sheldon Jackson (Age 35, Kolkata Knight Riders)
IPL 2022 matches: 2. Performance: 1 stumping vs CSK. 3 catches/1stumping vs RCB.
It’s a surprise that an established first-class cricketer like Sheldon Jackson hasn’t played IPL regularly. Coming into 2022, he had played only four IPL matches for KKR, in the 2017 season. The Saurashtra player is a proven performer in the domestic circuit and his batting is expected to come good during the tournament. But it’s his keeping skills which have caught the attention of everyone, with none other than Sachin Tendulkar lavishing praise on him. After Jackson's dismissal Chennai Super Kings' Robin Uthappa, Tendulkar tweeted: “That was an outstanding stumping. @ShelJackson27’s speed reminded me of @msdhoni. Lightning fast!!," wrote Tendulkar.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said this is a golden opportunity for him to make a mark in IPL, advising Jackson not to risk injury and wear a helmet while keeping. "Dear #SheldonJackson please wear a helmet when u keeping to spinners ! You are a very talented player and have a golden opportunity after a long time be safe !!! And all the best, " said Yuvraj. Jackson boosted his credentials with a stunning catch in KKR’s second game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, diving full length to his right to pouch an inside edge off Sherfane Rutherford off Tim Southee’s bowling.
Tilak Varma (Age 19, Mumbai Indians)
IPL 2022 matches: 1. Performance: 22 off 15b vs DC.
Varma briefly sparkled in the opening game against Delhi Capitals, playing some attractive shots before being caught at third man for a 15-ball 22. A lot is expected of the 19-year-old youngster from Hyderabad.
Akash Deep (Age 25, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
IPL 2022 matches: 2. Performance: 1/38 vs PBKS. 3/45 vs KKR
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Akash Deep made his mark in their last game against Kolkata Knight Riders. In his three-wicket haul, the Bengal pacer surprised opener Venkatesh Iyer with extra bounce to get him caught and bowled before accounting for the dangerous Nitish Rana.
* Matches till Thursday (March 30) considered.
