IPL 2022: Predicting 5 new death over batters this season
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is often credited with improving the two major weaknesses in India's white-ball teams - fast bowling and lower-order hitting.
Every year, a bevy of young pacers and hard-hitters are seen in action, challenging the best in the world and staking their claims for the next World Cup. Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Mavi, and the list goes on.
The IPL has given opportunities to star and fringe players from all top-drawer countries to expose themselves to different scenarios, high-pressure situations, learn from the best minds and improve in their games.
This year will be no different and below, we look at five possible players who could take IPL 2022 by storm with their performance in death overs.
#1 Tim David
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It was high time the Singapore-born and Australia-raised all-rounder Tim David got the IPL recognition he deserved. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) roped him in as a replacement player last season, but didn't give him more than a debut.
Mumbai Indians (MI) signed him for ₹8.25 crore after a ferocious bidding battle against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the mega auction last month. In the wings of the five-time champions, he's likely to get consistent game time and a favored batting spot.
In 41 Big Bash League (BBL), David has bludgeoned 606 runs, striking at 153.42. He hasn't played any first-class cricket, but from 89 T20s around the globe, he has struck about 2000 runs at 159.36 with an average of 33.87.
A bonafide pace-hitter, he can tonk the ball around the park and at will. His game is polished against spin and when on song, there are a few better finishers around at the moment. David will form a daunting pair with Kieron Pollard and if he maintains his shape, 2022 could herald a special relationship between him and the IPL.
#2 Mahipal Lomror
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Whether it's an unbeatable challenge or a significant opportunity, we'll only know after the season, but Mahipal Lomror is RCB's designated spin-hitting finisher in IPL 2022. The southpaw is just 22 but it seems like he has been doing the job for ages in domestic cricket, having hit almost 5000 runs already.
His strike rate of 119.87 from 11 IPL matches bellies his ability and is mostly a result of intermittent chances at the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Last season, he hit a match-winning 17-ball 43 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) to hand Rajasthan a crucial win. But he didn't get much backing and ended up playing just four matches.
RCB, due to restrictions in options, are likely to change that. Lomror hits the ball high and long and could play as a floater in the batting order to take on the spinners on India's dry and turning tracks. This, in a way, also makes him the perfect understudy for Glenn Maxwell. Consistent opportunities to bat with the Australian and Dinesh Karthik could bring out the best in the youngster in IPL 2022.
#3 Odean Smith
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It took only two innings - a 24 (20) and a 36 (18) against India in the recent ODI series - for Odean Smith to land a ₹6 crore deal with Punjab Kings at the IPL 2022 auction.
The knocks showed his ability to tonk spin and play crisply against high quality pace and were good enough to overshadow his three impressive wickets in the series. Overall in 10 T20Is, he has scored 53 runs at a strike rate of over 155.
Given PBKS' batting might in the top and middle order, he provides them with brilliant depth. Smith will have the role of giving crucial late flourishes that they have lacked in the last few years.
#4 Rajvardhan Hangargekar
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A distinguished member of the Class of '22, Rajvardhan Hangargekar couldn't have gone to a better place than Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to be a finisher.
New-ball bowling is his primary skill that can get him in CSK's first 11. But he's no coy with the bat. By the admission of his own U-19 teammates, he is among the fiercest hitters in India - a point that he proved by hitting three consecutive sixes on his way to a 17-ball 39 against Ireland U-19 in the World Cup.
He doesn't waste much time getting set, and his ability to hit sixes from the first ball is what sets him apart from not only his U-19 peers but also competition at CSK.
The all-rounder will bat alongside MS Dhoni, DJ Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja at the death, absorbing experience and exposure from the best. His IPL success is more of a matter of 'when' than 'if' and this could be the spark he needs to get going.
#5 James Neesham (Rajasthan Royals)
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Like many others on this list, Jimmy Neesham is an underrated death over batter.
In the last two years, he has struck at a strike rate of 181.42 in death overs in T20Is. In one of the most memorable knocks of the 2022 T20 World Cup, the all-rounder smashed an 11-ball 27 in the 17th and 18th overs, which included three sixes and a boundary, to win New Zealand the semi-final against England.
He didn't get adequate opportunities at Mumbai Indians who already had Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya to fill-in as all-rounders. This will change at Rajasthan Royals where he'll likely get a consistent run at No. 6, giving him the perfect chance to recreate international form in the IPL.