Rohit Sharma has struggled for form in IPL 2022
Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has become one of the premier cricketing events in the world. It has not only served as a proving ground for upcoming stars, but has also allowed some of the biggest names in world cricket to showcase their talents.
The IPL has been instrumental in shaping the playing careers of a number of cricketers. Each year unearths hidden gems, while the national careers of more established players are shaped by their performance in the IPL.
The first half of the 2022 IPL season is in the books and the race to make the playoffs is as close as ever. While many of the usual suspects have been instrumental in bringing success to their respective franchises, some big names have struggled to make an impact.
Here is a look at the 5 biggest disappointments of the first half of IPL 2022:
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has dominated the Indian cricket landscape in the post-Sachin Tendulkar era. His numbers across all formats have been nothing short of tremendous. It should come as no surprise then that he has been one of the best batsmen in the last few IPL seasons. However, this year is proving to be a different story.
Kohli has managed a paltry 119 runs in his eight innings so far at an average of 17 with 0 half-centuries. Kohli finds himself at arguably the lowest point of his IPL career after two consecutive first-ball ducks in his last two innings. Every player goes through a rough patch at some point in their career, but in Kohli’s case he seems to be going through a prolonged slump.
The manner of Kohli’s dismissals will also be a cause of concern for the player. Old weaknesses have resurfaced in this year’s IPL, as evidenced by a number of dismissals to deliveries just outside the off-stump line.
When Kohli stepped down as captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the hope was that he would be able to play with more freedom, but that is yet to materialize.
RCB have done well this year considering the form of their batting mainstay. They are a definite contender for the crown and find themselves just outside the top four, but if the franchise is to win its first title, they will be hoping that Kohli rediscovers his form sooner rather than later.
2. Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians‘ (MI) success in the IPL would not have been possible without the able leadership of their captain Rohit Sharma. The opener is widely regarded as one of the best batters in white-ball cricket, and when MI reunited him with opening partner Ishan Kishan at the IPL Auction, they would have been hoping for a lot more than eight defeats in eight games.
Sharma has struggled mightily this year to provide MI with the kind of starts they have been looking for. He has managed only 153 runs in eight innings and is yet to score a 50. His strike rate too is below his career strike rate and has not been able to inspire the team on the captaincy front.
Sharma has gotten off to starts in a few innings, but seems to be finding ways to throw them away this season. He has been subdued in his play and is yet to show the aggression that has made him so deadly.
MI’s problems are far more reaching than just the form of their captain and now find themselves playing the remainder of the IPL season just for pride. Hopefully with the pressure off, Sharma can get back to his best ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Chennai Super King’s (CSK) run to the 2021 IPL title was defined by the brilliant partnerships between their opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad edged du Plessis to the Orange Cap by two runs.
CSK decided to retain Gaikwad ahead of this year’s auction for a price of INR 6 crore while letting go of du Plessis and so far the move has not paid dividends.
Some regression was to be expected on Gaikwad’s part after such a phenomenal season considering his age and relative inexperience. CSK would still be expecting better results than 138 runs in eight innings as he has been found severely lacking this year.
Gaikwad’s 2022 IPL got off to a disastrous start with scores of 0,1 and 1 in his first three innings and that has set the tone for his underwhelming season. Gaikwad has struggled for consistency and the fluent stroke-making that was on full display last year has disappeared.
Gaikwad showed glimpses of what he is capable of when he scored 73 off 48 against Gujarat Titans (GT), but that has been the only performance of note for the opener this season.
With CSK on the brink of elimination from playoff contention, now would be as good a time as any for Gaikwad to replicate last year’s performances.
4. Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins has been one of the best bowlers in world cricket over the last 12 months. Cummins came into the IPL on the back of brilliant performances against England in the Ashes and in the series against Pakistan. Coupled with his pinch-hitting abilities, Cummins was one of the players to watch for IPL 2022.
The NIR 7.25 crores paid by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to retain his services was considered a bargain deal. So far in this year’s IPL, Cummins has played a mere four games and KKR are yet to receive the returns on their investment that they would have envisaged.
The Australian Test captain got off to a flying start in the tournament when he smashed a 14-ball 50 to lead KKR to victory over MI. His next three innings saw him score a total of only seven runs. For Cummins, the real issues, however, have been on the bowling front.
Given his pedigree and form for Australia, KKR would have been expecting Cummins to be their lead bowler by taking wickets up front and controlling things in the death overs. He has been unable to deliver for the side, having picked up only four wickets this season while sporting an economy of 12.
The lengths have been consistently wrong from the fast bowler and it came as little surprise when KKR dropped Cummins for their last game against GT. After a brilliant start, KKR have lost four straight games and if they are to turn their season around, Cummins will need to do better with the ball.
5. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has been one of the IPL’s greatest success stories. He was able to break into the Indian national team on the back of his brilliant IPL showings and quickly established himself as one of the world’s premier fast bowlers. His unerring accuracy at the death and knack for taking wickets at key moments has been integral to MI’s success in the IPL.
By his usual high standards, Bumrah has had somewhat of a sub-par year. He has managed to pick up only five wickets in eight matches after not picking up less than 15 wickets in any season since 2016. His economy rate is still a very good 7.55, but it is still his highest since 2016.
Bumrah has not delivered with his usual accuracy and as a result has not found much success in his stock wicket-taking delivery. He has also not been utilized effectively by MI this season and has rarely had the opportunity to bowl with the new ball. Combined with batsmen being a lot more circumspect with him, one can see why Bumrah’s numbers are down.
The best players find ways to stamp their authority on games even when their usual avenues to success are blocked and in this regard Bumrah has been found a bit lacking this year. Most bowlers in the league would gladly take Bumrah’s statistics, but once a high bar has been set, anything less will simply not do.
