"Hopefully, Dhoni plays him in the last game" - Parthiv Patel wishes to see Rajvardhan Hangargekar in the CSK playing XI against RR in IPL 2022
Former Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel feels that Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) final league stage encounter is the perfect opportunity for Rajvardhan Hangargekar to feature. The 2022 U-19 World Cup-winning member has failed to make a single appearance over the course of the season so far.
The young all-rounder was roped in by the defending champions for a price of ₹1.50 crore following a bidding war with the Mumbai Indians (MI). Hangargekar came into the auction on the back of a stellar individual World Cup campaign in the Caribbean. Hitting 140 kmph at times, he claimed five wickets and showcased his hitting ability as well.
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Expressing his disappointment at Hangargekar not getting a chance so far, Patel said on Cricbuzz:
"CSK will try everything to win this last match. They might try some new combinations. That will be something unpredictable. I wish to see Rajvardhan Hangargekar come in for Prashanth Solanki. I have been saying this from the first day. Hopefully, Dhoni plays him in the last game. I was disappointed with Fleming's statement regarding him. This is an ideal opportunity for the youngster if he is fit."
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming had said earlier during the season that the management did not wish to expose the youngster in such challenging circumstances. He also added that Hangargekar is heading in the right direction.
The four-time winners will play the last match of their campaign against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The contest will also be the final IPL 2022 game played at the Brabourne Stadium.
Opining that an extra pace bowler could be included for assurances at the high-scoring venue, former spinner Pragyan Ojha said during the same interaction:
"The pattern at the Brabourne shows that you can play with one extra fast bowler. It is a pretty high-scoring venue, so batters are usually not used up entirely. So far this season, the set batters have gone on to make big scores over there. Playing an extra bowler might give them a cushion."
The Brabourne Stadium has seen a slew of high-scoring encounters with CSK and RR having experienced it over the course of the season.
The detailed IPL 2022 schedule are available here.
"The extra game is very important" - Pragyan Ojha on the importance of CSK vs RR
While CSK's fate has been written, an array of possibilities lie ahead for the Sanju Samson-led side. A win in their final league stage match will give them second spot by virtue of their superior net run-rate.
Saying that the option of taking an alternate route to make it to the finals is an asset, Ojha said:
"After a certain stage, when a team realizes that it can qualify, their first glance is towards the top two spots. The extra game is very important. Teams do not wish to crumble under the pressure of important matches such as the qualifier and ruin 70-75 days of hard work."
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RR have made it to the top four on only four occasions, with the most recent one coming in 2018.