Benchwarmers of the IPL - Five players who need to get on to the park

The IPL has almost reached its halfway stage and so far it has delivered on what it has promised. But this is the point where it starts to get tedious – almost all the teams would have played each other once and, for every early bird who got its act together in the first part of the season, there would be a booby trap close to each new worm they encounter.

Which is why it makes sense to infuse “new” blood into the game at this point of time. By “new”, I mean high profile players who are yet to make the starting line-up in this year’s IPL. Many of the teams are carrying players who are on the wrong side of 35, and two months of playing, travelling and doing everything else required to keep the franchise in the news takes a lot out at that age. Also, for teams who have got off to a slow start, it makes sense to try new combinations and see what clicks. This articles takes a look at the potential game-changers of the second month of the IPL.

Shaun Marsh

Success in the IPL often leads to an India cap. And sometimes it works for foreign players too. Marsh was one of the major reasons why the Kings XI made it to the final four in the first seasons and despite the team’s flailing performances over the next few seasons, Marsh has always been one of the major contributors. Given the talent he has, it’s surprising that he hasn’t been able to nail down a full-time place in the Australian top four, given the scarcity of choices.

But Marsh has been in form recently – he was the top scorer of the Big Bash League. Add to that the misfortunes of Gilchrist, who is as out of touch as a cellphone from the nineties. Marsh’s injury probably would have reduced the selection headaches for the team but word is in the air that he is fit and raring to go. The Punjab batting has been bolstered so far by their local talent and the youthful exuberance of David Miller. If you include Marsh in the mix, it just starts to get that little bit more intimidating.

Brendon McCullum

He has the highest number of Twenty20 centuries after Chris Gayle, including two in international matches. He used to hold the record for the highest score in a Twenty20 innings till not very long ago. He is the captain of his national and a more-than-adept wicket-keeper. So why hasn’t Brendon McCullum played so far this year?

It is a question KKR has failed to answer as they slip further out of reach of the crown they had held for the past one year. Kallis has lost his golden touch with the bat and Yusuf Pathan and Manoj Tiwary have been misfiring more frequently than an Indian constable’s rifle. Gambhir has lacked support most of the time – when he falls, KKR goes into decline. Morgan has done reasonably well to hold onto his place but it’s time KKR got in McCullum for Kallis or even Senanayake. Neither has performed extraordinarily and both have been pretty much one-dimensional – Kallis has cut down a lot on his bowling. Hence, it makes sense for KKR to place their money on the big-hitting prowess of the Kiwi skipper.

Jean Paul Duminy

In their initial years when Mumbai was not as starry as they are now, Jean Paul Duminy used to be a key player in the mix – he bats in the middle order, is electric in the field and can bowl more than quite a bit. But then came along Pollard and it was clear that Mumbai didn’t require his services any more.

Since then, Duminy has been a good yet inconspicuous performer for the Deccan Chargers – he has scored at a strike of over 120 in his 19 games for the side. His steady off-spin has on, more than one occasion, supplemented the spin bowling duties of Amit Mishra.

In the revamped Sunrisers side though, Duminy is yet to get an opportunity. Which is odd considering that neither of the trio of Sangakkara or White or de Kock have got a substantial amount of runs yet. They started off the season hitting above the mark they were expected to but their campaign is slowly flagging. It could just require an injection of Duminy’s undiminishing energy to bring it back to life.

Zaheer Khan

Less than two quarters of a year ago, Zaheer Khan was leading the Indian pace bowling attack. Now, he does not even merit a place in the Royal Challengers line-up ahead of the likes of Vinay Kumar and R.P. Singh. The closest he got to something related to cricket in recent times was when he opened his new lounge named TOSS. Of course, you have to see who his replacement was – none other than the Rajinikanth of the cricketing world.

Before we get into any more Sir Ravindra Jadeja jokes, let us address the issue on hand. Zaheer is approaching 35 and his body is showing the signs of the toil he has put in on the dry dead Indian pitches over the years. It is to his credit that he has transformed from an out-and-out speedster to someone who uses brains – a rarity in most fast bowlers.

While the longer formats of the game might be too expending for Zak, I believe he can still work wonders in the shortest format. Death bowlers are as common as one-horned rhinos in India and not many would disagree that Zaheer is the one of the crème de la crème practitioners of the art in recent times. Bangalore have had issues with their bowling at the end – two ties are a testimony to this fact. Although this fact has been papered over by the awesomeness of Chris Gayle and the brilliance of Virat Kohli on home surfaces, it is bound to crop up in away matches which would support the opposition’s team balance. Unadkat has been steady but expensive and the wily guiles of Zaheer would make the Challengers pace battery even more challenging on the pace friendly pitches up north.

Shadab Jakati

Back in 2008, nobody would have told you that Shadab Jakati would one day be a permanent fixture in the Super Kings team. In 2013, people who follow the IPL find it hard to comprehend that Jakati hasn’t played for Chennai so far.

Jakati was one of the bits-and-pieces all-rounders who are strewed all across the Indian domestic teams when he was signed up by Chennai for the inaugural IPL. Playing for Goa probably helped him get a greater chance to perform and prove his credentials. Nevertheless, Jakati held his own that season and was one of the key performers on the bowler friendly South African pitches the next year. In 2010, when most would agree that the Super Kings had their weakest attack on the park, Jakati and Doug Bollinger formed an effective yet inconspicuous spin-pace duo that would dismantle sides in tandem.

Ravindra Jadeja’s entry into the team in 2012 put Jakati’s place in the team under serious threat. Jadeja was as good a bowler and a much better batsman. Besides, he was Indian and had cost 2 million dollars. But for Dhoni, who had other plans in mind. Ashwin, Jadeja and Jakati formed a potent three pronged spin trio, bolstering the weaker pace attack of Morkel and Bravo as Chennai turned their campaign around on its head.

So far, the Super Kings have had a smoother start to their campaign but their bowling attack has been tested in the death overs. The pitches will become slower as the season progresses and the likes of Mohit Sharma and Ankit Rajpoot may be found wanting in their efforts to adopt to surfaces across the country. Ashwin and Jadeja have taken 16 wickets in 8 wickets so far but they might just need that extra support in the form of Jakati, in matches to come.