IPL 2022: 3 SA players who had a good season
South African players have been sensational in the IPL over the years. Be it AB de Villiers' breathtaking efforts, Albie Morkel's all-round skills or Dale Steyn's impeccable bowling spells, the Proteas have always left their mark on the Indian Premier League.
This time around, quite a few South Africans were picked up at the IPL mega auction. Regulars such as Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis continued the good performances that they had over the years for their previous franchises.
Some experienced veterans such as David Miller redeemed themselves after years. While younger players like Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen and Dewald Brevis did well in their first full season in the tournament.
We take a look at the top 3 South Africans in this edition of the IPL.
#3 Aiden Markram
🏽Markram Naidu Uttaake Maaro 👊🏽
@AidzMarkram
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Markram was signed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹2.6 crores at the IPL mega-auction. However, he made his IPL debut with the Punjab Kings, playing six matches last season.
He had a great 2022 season, scoring 381 runs in 12 innings at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 139 with three half-centuries to his name. These numbers are even more impressive when you take into account that he batted at No. 4 throughout the course of the tournament. This is generally a difficult role to crack for an inexperienced player in this league.
Markram's best performance came against the Kolkata Knight Riders when he scored 68* (36) in a 176 run-chase. He walked in to bat when SRH lost the early wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Kane Williamson. Markram's partnership with Tripathi (71) took the side home comfortably against a good KKR bowling attack.
#2 Quinton de Kock
South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock was released by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL mega-auction. He was signed by the Lucknow Super Giants for ₹6.75 crores at the event.
He opened the batting with captain KL Rahul and had another great tournament in the Indian Premier League. He scored 508 runs in 15 innings at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 149. This was de Kock's best season strike rate since 2016.
De Kock's best knock of the season was also the highest individual score of IPL 2022 - 140* (70) vs the Kolkata Knight Riders. He decimated KKR spinners Narine and Chakravarthy. The Proteas' acceleration in the final overs was also a treat to watch, as he scored 80 runs off his last 26 deliveries.
#1 David Miller
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David Miller went unsold in the first round of the IPL mega-auction. He was later picked up by Gujarat Titans for ₹3 crores after they won a bidding war against his former team Rajasthan Royals. Few expected Miller to have the type of season he would eventually go on to have.
Miller scored 481 runs in 16 innings at an average of 68 and a strike rate of 143. He absolutely nailed the finisher role for the first-time title-holders. This was also his best season since 2014 on a personal level.
Miller stepped up for Gujarat in both Qualifier 1 and the final with vital contributions in both their victories. However, his best performance of the season came against the Chennai Super Kings.
Miller rescued the team from a top-order collapse with a belligerent 94* (50). He came in to bat when GT were 48/4 and managed to successfully chase down the total of 176 runs.
Special Mention: Dewald Brevis
Brevis scored 161 runs in seven innings at an average of 23 and a strike rate of 142. Although these numbers might not look the best at face value, one has to consider that the youngster was playing his first season in conditions alien to him.
He scored 49 (25) against the Punjab Kings, batting at No. 3 while chasing 199 against a good bowling unit. The youngster took apart Rahul Chahar for four consecutive sixes during the course of this innings.