"Changed the fortunes of whichever team he has played for" - Anil Kumble gives his verdict on IPL's two most underrated players
The 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins in less than two weeks, and fans from across the country are busy making predictions for their respective teams.
The defending champions Gujarat Titans take on the 4-time Champions Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31.
With the start of the season just around the corner, former players have had their say in the build-up to the tournament. In a recent video, the former India captain and its all-time leading wicket-taker, Anil Kumble, gave his verdict on the most underrated batsman and bowler in league history.
The former India coach chose two current Indian stars, Mayank Agarwal and Yuzvendra Chahal, as the most underrated players in IPL history. Chahal is joint third on the all-time wicket-takers list with an impressive 166 wickets from 131 matches. Agarwal enjoyed great success in the 2020 and 2021 seasons under the mentorship of Anil Kumble, as he breached the 400-run mark in each of the two seasons at an average of close to 40.
In a video with Jio Cinemas, Kumble said:
“That's a tough one. Underrated player. In recent past, I would Mayank Agarwal as an underrated player. From a bowling perspective, I don't think he gets as much credit, but what he has done, Yuzvendra Chahal has changed the fortunes of whichever team he has played for.”
Anil Kumble has a rich history with the IPL since its institution, having played for RCB from 2008 till 2010. He also captained the side to their first finals in 2009 and the semi-finals the following year.
Kumble was also a mentor for the side that reached the finals for the second time in three years in 2011 before moving to a similar role with the 2013 and 2015 title-winning Mumbai Indians team. He later coached the Punjab Kings from 2020 to 2022 and is currently the Director of Operations for the franchise.
Yuzvendra Chahal looks to go a step further with RR in IPL 2023.
The Rajasthan Royals had one of their best seasons in franchise history last year by reaching the finals. The franchise made several astute moves at the auction before the 2022 season by picking up the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, and Devdutt Padikal.
The franchise also appointed Sanju Samson as their captain last year and improved from 7th to 2nd on the points table from a year ago. They beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2 to advance to the finals and lost to the Gujarat Titans in the finals.
Yuzvendra Chahal, playing his first season with the franchise, impressed with the ball by winning the Purple Cap, grabbing 27 wickets in 17 matches. It was only the third time a duo from the same team won the Orange and Purple caps, with teammate Jos Buttler emerging victorious in the Orange Cap battle with a staggering 863 runs.
Chahal, who has been one of the stars of the IPL over the last 5 to 6 years, will look to play a similar role this season and take the side one step further in this edition of the IPL.
The wily leg spinner is currently part of the Indian ODI squad taking on the Aussies but has not played in the first two ODI's. The series heads to Chennai for the decider on Wednesday, March 22.