IPL 2022: 5 most underrated players in IPL history
The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) is all set to get underway on March 26, with the final to be held on May 29. The league stages of the T20 competition will be held entirely in Maharashtra across four IPL venues - the Wankhede Stadium, the DY Patil Stadium, the Brabourne Stadium and the MCA International Stadium.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently released the IPL 2022 schedule. The tournament will kick-off with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on last year’s runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. A total of 70 matches will be played in the group stage followed by four IPL playoff games, the schedule for which will be announced later.
5 players who deserve better credit for their IPL performances
The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle are renowned for their IPL exploits. At the same time, there are a few other cricketers who have impressive records in the T20 league but have never been considered superstars. In this feature, we look at five of the most underrated players in IPL history.
#1 Amit Mishra
A veteran leg-spinner who went unsold at the IPL 2022 auction last month, Amit Mishra is at No.3 on the list of all-time leading wicket-takers in the tournament. In 154 matches, he has claimed 166 scalps at an average of 23.97 and an economy rate of 7.35. Mishra has four four-wicket hauls and a fifer to his credit in the T20 league.
The 39-year-old is the leading wicket-taker among Indian bowlers in the IPL. Only Lasith Malinga (170) and Dwayne Bravo (167) have claimed more scalps than Mishra in the history of the tournament. The experienced leg-spinner also holds the record for having claimed the most hat-tricks in the IPL - three.
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Mishra has been part of the Delhi Capitals (DC) squad for the last few seasons. He bamboozled Punjab with figures of 4/11 in three overs during an IPL 2016 encounter. The leggie featured in only four matches last season but came up with a terrific performance of 4 for 24 to bowl DC to victory against the Mumbai Indians.
#2 Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane has had a horror run in Test cricket over the last couple of years, resulting in his axing from the squad for the ongoing Sri Lanka series. He has struggled in the IPL as well in recent editions. Rahane managed only 113 runs from nine matches in 2020 and 8 runs from two innings last year. In the history of the IPL, though, he has been one of the most prominent batters.
For someone not looked at as a T20 player, he has a terrific record. The 33-year-old has played 151 matches, scoring 3941 runs at an average of 31.52 and a strike rate of 121.33. He has two hundreds and 28 half-centuries to his name in the tournament. At his peak, Rahane was among the most consistent batters in the IPL. He had a wonderful run for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2012 season, smashing 560 runs, including one hundred and three fifties.
Rahane scored over 500 runs in the 2015 edition as well, striking four fifties and maintaining a strike rate in excess of 130. The right-hander’s second IPL ton came in the 2019 edition when he smacked an unbeaten 105 off 63 balls for RR against Delhi. Despite his poor recent form, he was picked by KKR for ₹1 crore at the mega auction.
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#3 Dwayne Smith
A typically swashbuckling former West Indies batter, consistency was never Dwayne Smith’s forte. He liked to throw his bat at almost everything and his knocks in his international career can basically be summed up as all or nothing. He adopted similar tactics in the IPL as well and despite his consistency again suffering, he ended his career in the T20 league with rather impressive numbers.
Smith played 91 IPL games and hammered 2385 runs at a strike rate of 135 with 17 fifties. He also chipped in with his medium pace, claiming 26 wickets at a strike rate of under 21. The 38-year-old represented Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as well as the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League.
His best of 87* came off only 58 balls as MI chased down 163 against Rajasthan in IPL 2012 with all 10 wickets in hand. Smith clobbered 10 fours and three sixes and featured in an unbroken partnership with Sachin Tendulkar (58* off 51), who was content playing second fiddle.
#4 Albie Morkel
Former South African all-rounder Albie Morkel was a key figure in CSK’s success during their initial years in the T20 league. Morkel could open the bowling and get crucial early scalps with his smart medium pace. He was also a clean striker of the cricket ball and could clear the field with ease.
Morkel represented CSK from 2008 to 2013 and chipped in with a number of crucial contributions. He claimed 17 wickets in 13 matches in the inaugural edition of the T20 league in addition to scoring 241 runs at a strike rate of 147.85. In 2012, he smashed 28 runs off an over from Virat Kohli as CSK pulled off an incredible win against RCB.
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The 40-year-old later played for RCB and Delhi but could not achieve the same level of success as he did with CSK. Still, he ended his career with 85 scalps and 974 runs (batting strike rate 141.98) in 91 matches. In his last IPL season, in 2015, he struck an unbeaten 73 off 55 for Delhi against his former franchise CSK, albeit in a losing cause.
#5 Sandeep Sharma
Pacer Sandeep Sharma goes about his task in a rather unassuming manner. He just runs in and bowls and quietly walks away after doing his job. This is why, amid all the glitz and glamor of the IPL, his performances have gone relatively unnoticed. The 28-year-old pacer has an excellent record in the T20 league. In 99 matches, he has picked up 112 wickets at an average of 25.43 and an economy rate of 7.77.
Sharma made his IPL debut for Punjab in 2013, picking up eight wickets in four matches. He was regularly amongst the wickets in subsequent seasons, claiming 15 in 2016 and 17 in 2017. In an IPL 2017 encounter against RCB in Bengaluru, he came up with a stunning performance, dismissing Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to finish with figures of 3 for 22.
The pacer is known for his accuracy and is able to keep the best of batters under check if he gets his line and length right. He was purchased by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018 and was able to replicate his good form for his new franchise as well. Sharma had a rare off-season in IPL 2021, managing only three wickets in seven matches. Having been picked by Punjab again at the auction, Sharma will be keen to get back into a wicket-taking rhythm.