IPL 2022: 3 players who have been surprise heroes so far
The 15th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is up and running in Maharastra, with the 10 teams delivering some classic encounters already. The new season has come around with its fair share of surprises, most notably with the two most successful teams in the history of the tournament yet to win a game.
While defending champions Chennai Super Kings are languishing at the bottom end of the table along with the Mumbai Indians, the Gujarat Titans have been vastly impressive in their debut season. The Hardik Pandya-led side is yet to lose a game this season.
The IPL offers a terrific platform for players to make their mark on the biggest stage, with millions of cricket-crazy fans tuning in to watch every game. Amongst the top-quality players in the ranks, there have always been some surprise packages in the tournament that shine on the big stage.
On that note, let's take a look at three players who have been surprise packages in this year's IPL thus far.
#1 Ayush Badoni
The 22-year old from Delhi has been one of the standout rookies in this year's IPL season. Picked up at the auction by the Lucknow Super Giants for a base price of ₹20 lakh, Ayush Badoni has caught everyone's attention in his five appearances so far.
Coming into the limelight after his unbeaten knock of 54 in the first game, the middle-order batter was calmly personified in his debut game. Scoring 107 runs in five matches at an average of 35.67 and a strike rate of 148.61, Lucknow's very own 'Baby AB' has been one of the surprise heroes for his side this IPL season.
The all-rounder can also be a handy option with his off-breaks. With Deepak Hooda in the squad, that's not an option that KL Rahul has exploited yet. However, with the pitches expected to get slower, perhaps Badoni could have a role to play as an extra bowling option as well.
#2 Umesh Yadav
The Kolkata Knight Riders struck gold when they signed Umesh Yadav late in the IPL auction at his base price of ₹2 crore. The experienced pacer has been in rollicking form in his second stint with KKR, spearheading their bowling attack with the new ball.
With 10 wickets in five matches and an average of 13.20, Umesh has been cranking it up this season. The 34-year has been a phenom in the powerplays, scalping wickets at will.
More impressively, his economy rate in this edition of the IPL is just a mere 6.60, which is exceptional considering the fact that he bowls most of his overs with the field restrictions. The Vidarbha pacer will hope to stay fit throughout the season and keep his excellent run going, which has been a joy to watch.
#3 Kuldeep Yadav
Another Yadav on the list is the left-arm chinaman, Kuldeep Yadav. After warming the bench for a couple of seasons at the Kolkata Knight Riders, Kuldeep is back with a bang for his new franchise. The Delhi Capitals acquired his services at the auction for ₹2 crores, which seems like a steal so far.
The Uttar Pradesh cricketer had a couple of torrid years, struggling to find his rhythm and best form. It turns out that a consistent run of games with a new franchise and a wicketkeeper-captain constantly providing encouragement from behind the stumps is all the support the 27-year old needed to find his groove.
Kuldeep has taken 10 wickets in the four IPL matches he has played thus far, averaging 11.60 with a strike rate of just 9.40 (the second-best in the tournament after Yuzvendra Chahal).
The renaissance of India's two best wrist-spinners is an encouraging sign, not just for their respective franchises but also for the Indian Cricket Team.