3 fringe Indian team players who have played great knocks in IPL 2023
The latest edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) has already seen some incredible games and sensational individual performances.
The league has always been a fantastic stage for young players to rub shoulders with the best in the world. However, it has also proved to be a potential opportunity provider for some established players to make a comeback into the Indian team.
The IPL often dishes out young talents by giving them the limelight, but it also shows that some of the players who were seemingly written off are not done just yet. Veterans and seemingly out-of-favor players often spring surprises to remind the world of the immense talent they possess.
On that note, let's take a look at three such performances from fringe Indian players that showed just what they are capable of at their very best:
#3 Venkatesh Iyer (KKR) | 83 vs GT, Match 13
Tell the world , Venkatesh Iyer is back!!!!!! https://t.co/N6p9rNhPIt
Hardik Pandya was out of the Indian setup for quite some time and that made the Men in Blue hand an India cap to Venkatesh Iyer. The all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh took the second half of IPL 2021 by storm through his sensational performances, taking the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the final.
He was retained by the franchise ahead of Shubman Gill, a decision many fans have questioned to date. After a not-so-impressive IPL 2022 season, the pressure on Iyer to deliver seemed to be quite high and he was dropped from the national team too.
However, he recently produced a sensational performance against the Gujarat Titans (GT) and has started the IPL 2023 season with a bang. The opener scored 83 runs off just 40 balls and when he was at the crease, it seemed like KKR would cruise to the daunting 205-run target.
Iyer played some absolutely mind-boggling shots which gave a glimpse of the brilliant levels he can reach when on song. If he starts bowling regularly and picks up some handy wickets in this IPL season, he could once again pop up on the Indian team's radar.
#2 Ajinkya Rahane (CSK) | 61 vs MI, Match 12
Great tabadtod stuff by @ajinkyarahane88 . Innings of this IPL so far.
Rahane not giving any bahane to not have him in the team. Rompa cūppar stuff….. #CSKvMI https://t.co/Y7leuVuPId
Quite a few eyebrows were raised when the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) signed Ajinkya Rahane for just INR 50 lakhs in the IPL 2023 auction. With the acquisition of Ben Stokes and the presence of Moeen Ali, it seemed difficult to see how CSK would use Rahane's experience.
However, not many would have foreseen the way Rahane smashed the Mumbai Indians (MI) to all parts of the ground in his side's second game. With both Stokes and Ali unavailable, Rahane batted at No. 3 and showed how well he knows the Wankhede pitch as a local lad.
The veteran right-hander smashed 61 runs off just 26 balls to set up a comfortable win for Chennai. Even CSK fans were pleasantly surprised to see such an incredible knock from Rahane 2.0.
Having been dropped from the Indian team across formats, the former Test vice-captain still believes that he can make a comeback. His innings against MI showed just why that is the case.
#1 Vijay Shankar (GT) | 63* vs KKR, Match 13
Vijay Shankar smashed 41* runs in the last 11 balls in 19th & 20th over.
Absolute Magnificent. 🥵❤️
#GTvKKR
https://t.co/KDEN6cY6da
Vijay Shankar badly needed to resurrect his reputation as a quality Indian batter heading into IPL 2023. After a couple of handy knocks, the all-rounder exploded against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
In Hardik Pandya's absence, Shankar smashed 63 runs off just 24 balls, remaining unbeaten until the end. He registered four boundaries and five sixes, displaying his ability to be explosive towards the backend of the innings.
Shankar has been on the receiving end of some harsh scrutiny after the way he was fast-tracked into the Indian team for the 2019 ODI World Cup. Although his performances for India might not have been as consistent, part of the criticism that he faced was due to the way he was preferred over Ambati Rayudu.
If Shankar continues to play such knocks consistently, in addition to his ability to bowl when needed and pick up wickets, he may once again come into the national reckoning.