IPL 2022: 5 players who have come up with excellent performances against their former teams
The Indian Premier League (IPL), being a franchise cricket tournament, sees players constantly shifting teams. The framework of the T20 league is such that if a cricketer doesn't consistently perform for one team, he is released, after which another franchise gets the opportunity to try him out.
With this constant chopping and changing, cricketers often end up playing against their former franchises. This is a common phenomenon every year following the auction. This season too, there have already been a number of instances of players taking on their former IPL teams.
The frequency is likely to be greater than usual in IPL 2022 since there was a mega auction in February. Each franchise could only retain a maximum of four players, which meant teams had to build their squads literally from scratch.
IPL 2022: Players who have excelled against former franchises
A little over two weeks into IPL 2022, a number of players have already made an impression against their former franchises. We pick five such performances.
#1 Shivam Dube (95* for CSK vs RCB)
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting all-rounder slammed a brilliant 95* off 46 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 22nd IPL 2022 match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The left-handed batter hit five fours and eight sixes as CSK posted 216 for four while batting first. Dube was named the Player of the Match as Chennai registered their first win of the season.
The 28-year-old was part of the RCB franchise for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He scored 40 runs in four matches in 2019 and 129 runs in 11 games in 2020, while also picking up four wickets with his medium pace. After being released by Bangalore, he was purchased by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) last year. But the Royals decided against retaining Dube, who was roped in by CSK for ₹4 crore at the mega auction in February this year.
#2 Robin Uthappa (88 for CSK vs RCB)
In the same match where Dube hammered an unbeaten 95, Robin Uthappa scored an equally dazzling 88 off 50 balls. The veteran batter smacked four fours and nine sixes during his splendid knock and featured in a 165-run third-wicket stand with Dube. Uthappa joined the CSK franchise last season. He played a few crucial knocks towards the end of the edition and has carried his good form into IPL 2022 as well.
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While Uthappa has tasted most of his IPL success with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he was part of RCB back in 2009 and 2010. The 36-year-old had a poor run in 2009, managing only 175 runs from 15 matches with a solitary fifty. He did better in 2010, scoring 374 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 171.55 with three half-centuries to his name.
#3 Kuldeep Yadav (4/35 for DC vs KKR)
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was named player of the match for his figures of four for 35, representing the Delhi Capitals (DC) against KKR in match number 19 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Kolkata were set a massive 216-run target for victory, but folded up for 171. Kuldeep had KKR leader Shreyas Iyer, who is incidentally a former Delhi captain, stumped for 54. He then picked up three wickets in one over, sending back Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine and Umesh Yadav as Kolkata hurtled towards defeat.
The 27-year-old spinner had a long association with KKR in the IPL. He was part of the franchise from 2014 to 2021. Kuldeep, however, enjoyed only two decent seasons in Kolakata colors. He claimed 12 wickets from 11 games in 2017 and 17 scalps in 16 matches in 2018.
He was available for the first half of the 2021 season but did not get a chance as Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine were preferred. He had to leave the bio-bubble during the UAE leg after suffering a knee injury.
#4 Jos Buttler (100 for RR vs MI)
RR star Jos Buttler clobbered 100 off 68 balls against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ninth match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The England batter was in complete control of his innings as he took the MI bowlers to the cleaners, clubbing 11 fours and five sixes en route to his second IPL ton. Buttler was named player of the match as RR posted 193 for eight batting first before restricting Mumbai to 170 for eight.
The 31-year-old dashing keeper-batter represented Mumbai for two seasons – in 2016 and 2017. The Englishman had average returns during his two-year spell with MI. He contributed 255 runs from 14 games in 2016 and 272 runs from 10 matches in 2017.
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#5 Yuzvendra Chahal (2/15 for RR vs RCB)
RCB’s decision to not retain seasoned leggie Yuzvendra Chahal ahead of the auction surprised many, more so since the franchise retained only three players. Chahal also rubbished reports that him and the franchise could not come to common ground on the monetary part. According to the spinner, he was not even asked whether he wanted to be retained.
In the wake of the somewhat explosive revelations, there was added excitement when Chahal turned out for his new franchise Rajasthan against Bangalore in match number 13 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The leg-spinner had a big impact against his former team even though RCB won by four wickets. With Rajasthan defending 170, Chahal dismissed Faf du Plessis and David Willey, finishing with excellent figures of two for 15. Dinesh Karthik’s 23-ball 44*, however, lifted Bangalore to victory.
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Chahal, 31, claimed 139 wickets for RCB. He was part of the franchise from 2014 to 2021. He is the current IPL Purple Cap 2022 holder, having picked up 11 wickets in four games at a strike rate of 8.72 and a brilliant economy of 6.50.