Ignored: Five deserving players who did not get a single chance to play in the Indian T20 League 2022
Rajvardhan Hangarekar-Mohammad Nabi-Lungi Ngidi (Image Source: BCCI/IPL)
The Indian T20 League has been the biggest stage for cricketing talents in the nation and across the globe. The tournament sees the assimilation of some of the biggest superstars in the game. But sometimes the presence of big names within the squad leads to talented players missing out on opportunities. Also, the fact that the teams look to strike a balance as per their strategy leads to some deserving players being ignored. Here we take a look at five players who deserved a chance to showcase their talents but didn’t get a chance in the Indian T20 League 2022.
Yash Dhull -Delhi: Yash Dhull showcased his batting prowess in the latest edition of the U-19 World Cup. He scored 229 runs in four matches in the tournament at an average of 76.33. He followed it up with a brilliant show in the domestic circuit of Indian cricket. He scored 479 runs in 3 matches at an average of 119.8. This prompted Delhi to buy him for a price of INR 50 Lakhs ahead of the 15th edition of the Indian T20 League. The glimpses that he has shown of his batting talents made him deserving of a chance in the tournament. But unfortunately, he did not get his debut in this edition of the cash-rich league.
Mohammad Nabi-Kolkata: The Afghan player, Mohammad Nabi is a very handy off-spin bowler and lower middle-order batter. He was bought by Kolkata for a price of INR 1 Cr in the mega auction for the Indian T20 League 2022. In his T20I career, he has scored runs at a strike rate of 142.2 and has also picked up 74 wickets from 88 matches. Kolkata tried many a player in the lower middle order who could finish the game for them but none of the options worked out. Playing Nabi would have been a great option for the franchise as he could also have bowled a few overs for the team.
Ishan Porel- Punjab: Ishan Porel has been the spearhead of the Bengal team in the domestic arena for the past couple of seasons. In the T20 format of the game, he has picked up 30 wickets in 23 matches at an average of 17.9 and has conceded runs at the rate of 6.71 runs per over. He was picked up by the Punjab team in the mega auction for the Indian T20 League 2022. Punjab’s bowling had a few great stars in the tournament like Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada. But the team management did not give Porel a chance even when the other pacers barring Arshdeep and Rabada failed to impress.
Benny Howell-Punjab: Benny Howell has an impressive T20 career under his belt. He has played 150 T20 matches in his career, where he has scored at a strike rate of 130.9. Howell has been very handy with the ball also, picking up 153 wickets while conceding runs at the rate of 7.16 runs per over. He could have been a great all-round option for the Punjab team which they did not utilize.
Rajvardhan Hangrekar-Chennai: Rajvardhan Hangarekar is seen as a bright prospect in Indian cricket. He impressed everybody with his all-round show in the 2022 U-19 World Cup. Hangarekar provided India with some strong finishes in the tournament and also looked like a handy pace bowler. He can hit the cricket ball long and can simultaneously clock 140+ kmph while bowling. While Chennai was having a dismal run in the tournament, they could have opted for Hangarekar for a few matches.
