IPL 2022: 3 teams with inexperienced middle orders
We're now into the business end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and the action is heating up and how. Two IPL teams - Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - are out of playoff contention, while debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) have qualified.
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The tournament has thrown quite a few factors into the spotlight. With the addition of two new teams, the talent pool has had to diversify, leading to an evident loophole in just about every team.
One of the biggest factors that drives the success of a T20 outfit is a strong middle order. Batting up top is considered to be a delight for a batter, not just because he gets to face maximum deliveries but also due to the advantage of cashing in on the brand new ball.
The middle order of a number of teams, however, has been put to the sword throughout this season. More so, considering the tiring pitches and the quality of spin that has been thrown by the opposition.
On that note, we look at three times that have fielded an inexperienced middle order during IPL 2022.
#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) needed their top order to do bulk of their heavy-lifting ahead of IPL 2022. While Abhishek Sharma has been a revelation and Rahul Tripathi has been as reliable as ever, skipper Kane Williamson's forgettable season has left its middle order with plenty to do.
While Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran bring in international flavors at No. 4 and 5, they are yet to establish themselves as bona fide match-winners in the IPL. While both have been consistent thus far, Markram came into the tournament with only six IPL games under his belt. This was also his first full season, having partaken in the 2021 edition as a replacement player.
Pooran, too, came into IPL 2022, having played just 33 games in the league and he hasn't had the best of seasons. Abdul Samad was dropped after just two games, throwing young Shashank Singh into the mix. It took the Chattisgarh all-rounder six matches to finally have a hit out with the bat.
A number of players have occupied the No. 7 spot for SRH in IPL 2022, right from Marco Jansen to Romario Shepherd. Neither has played too many games in India, while Washington Sundar has had a more prominent role with the ball over the years, as opposed to a batter.
#2 Delhi Capitals
The Delhi Capitals (DC) are another outfit that saw a rejig ahead of IPL 2022 as far as their batting core is concerned. Having lost Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Shimron Hetmyer, the entry of David Warner and Mitchell Marsh certainly bolstered the lineup.
However, with Warner unavailable for the first couple of games and Marsh missing out on a few more due to injury, the lack of experience in their middle order started to surface. Rovman Powell took his time to ease himself into the tournament, having made his debut this season, while a lot of faith and responsibility has also been shown in Lalit Yadav.
Lalit was instrumental in sealing a thrilling chase against the Mumbai Indians earlier this season, doing so in the company of Axar Patel. While Axar's batting has grown in stature this season, Lalit has often struggled to get his tempo going.
Shardul Thakur, too, has found himself batting at No. 7 and while his batting exploits are well known, the fact that he came into IPL 2022 with more wickets than runs tells a story with regards to his batting experience.
Ripal Patel has been tried at times without being backed much either, while Powell has found the going tough against spin. All of this has left skipper Rishabh Pant with far too much to do at times. So much so that for the first nine games of their campaign, Warner and Prithvi Shaw were DC's sole half-centurions.
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#3 Mumbai Indians (MI)
IPL 2022 has been a strange season for many reasons, with one of them being Mumbai Indians languishing in the lower trenches of the IPL point table. MI are out of reckoning for the playoffs and while their toothless bowling attack has been cited as a major reason, their batting hasn't impressed in large proportions either.
With the Pandya brothers moving on and Kieron Pollard enduring a wretched season, the likes of South African prodigy Dewald Brevis have had far too much to do. Brevis has often batted at No. 3 this season ahead of Suryakumar Yadav, but a mere nine T20 games is all he had under his kitty prior to the season.
MI splurged the big bucks on Tim David at the IPL 2022 auction but he could add just two games to his debut last season before being benched. He has made an impact since making a comeback but remains fairly young at this level. As do the likes of Ramandeep Singh and Hrithik Shokeen, who've also found themselves in the deep end of the pool when given opportunities.
That leaves Tilak Varma and while he's arguably been the find of the season across franchises, he is a newbie to the IPL. That he has shown maturity beyond his age is a sign of great things to come from his end. However, IPL 2022 happens to be his debut season and the absence of Suryakumar in the initial stages left him and his fellow inexperienced batters with too much to do.