We cherish the times when our favorite player goes all guns blazing, we jump from our seats and punch in the air passionately when our special team achieves victory. We enjoy their success as our own but it isn’t always the same. There are those memorable triumphs as well as the heart-wrenching defeats. For the players, there are times when every ball just hits the middle of the bat while sometimes despite trying so hard there is no connection whatsoever. Every player goes through such phases. Sometimes, it isn’t always because of the lack of form or touch but the factors like &#8211; the team they are in, the collective batting approach, the position of the player in the batting line-up, or just the team composition.

IPL 2022 has had many such cases where some players did not perform to their potential may be due to the poor utilization of their capabilities by their respective teams. Many players were asked to play way down the order and in doing so, they didn’t make the impact they were expected to have. While some players were benched longer than necessary, that didn’t help their teams either. Few of them simply did not get the assistance from their teammates because at times their batting collapsed, leaving their bowlers with nothing much to fight for. In hindsight, some teams could have used these players more efficiently to undo their shortcomings.

Here’s a list of ten players who could’ve been used better by other teams in IPL 2022:

1. Devon Conway by KKR

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-641229" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Devon-Conway2-1.jpg" alt="Devon Conway" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-641229" class="wp-caption-text">Devon Conway. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Many cricket fans were surprised to see Devon Conway benched after just one match. After the inaugural match between the Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, Conway was kept out of the playing XI and that did hurt Chennai, as the other opener &#8211; Ruturaj Gaikwad was searching for form in the initial three to four games and wasn’t that successful. CSK then went with the IPL veteran Robin Uthappa, he did contribute at the start but didn’t create a substantial impact.

The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/kkr-kolkata-knight-riders/">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> struggled with their team combination. They have made around 20 changes in their playing XI so far this season, though that has not led them to victories. Their opening pair started with Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer who did not perform the way he was expected. Then they moved from Ainkya Rahane to Aaron Finch but that change too couldn’t make things better either. They even tried Baba Indrajith and Venkatesh Iyer. In hindsight, if Devon Conway played for the Kolkata Knight Riders and if they were to remain committed with Conway as an opener that would have changed a whole lot in the KKR camp.

Devon Conway has scored a total of 236 runs in 6 matches in the IPL 2022 so far. Barring the first match, he has been the man that brought the Chennai Super Kings back in the scheme of things, but now the journey to playoffs is over after the loss against Mumbai Indians last week. Devon Conway could have made a significant difference if he had played with KKR, as they might have included him regularly in the playing XI.

2. Ajinkya Rahane by MI

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-620288" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ajinkya-Rahane.jpg" alt="Ajinkya Rahane" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-620288" class="wp-caption-text">Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Ajinkya Rahane has not been in the best of form in recent times as he was dropped from the Test squad for the home Test series against Sri Lanka. But he has excelled at the domestic circuit and was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2022. He had a great chance to make the most of this opportunity and show his intent to be back in the Indian squad. But unfortunately, he couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, scoring only 133 runs in seven matches with a poor average of 19 and a below-par strike rate of 103.90.

Speaking of the Mumbai Indians they are having their worst IPL season. The opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan was a downright failure. Their middle order was not solid enough to perform consistently either as they had inexperienced newcomers like Dewald Brevis and Tilak Verma along with the out-of-form Kieron Pollard. In retrospect, if Ajinkya were to play for MI as an opener alongside Ishan Kishan and Rohit were to bat in the middle order that would have made things go a little better for MI as well as for Ajinkya Rahane.

To make this speculation more substantial, Ajinkya Rahane is someone who knows his strengths and his limitations. Rahane alongside Ishan Kishan may have complemented each other a little better. Pollard’s lean patch and Hardik Pandya’s exit from MI made their middle-order fragile. The inclusion of Rohit Sharma in the middle order with Surya Kumar Yadav, Tim David, and Dewald Brevis could have solidified their overall batting line-up which in reality has looked pretty out of place.

3. Jonny Bairstow by KKR

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-629799" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jonny-Bairstow.jpg" alt="Jonny Bairstow" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-629799" class="wp-caption-text">Jonny Bairstow. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Every cricket fan knows what Jonny Bairstow is capable of in the shortest format of the game. He has proved time and again for England as well as the T20 franchises he’s been with. Bairstow is a quintessential T20 player that every franchise wants in their team. He can bat as an opener, middle-order batsman, and can keep wickets as well. He plays the seamers brilliantly and attacks the spinners from the outset.

In IPL 2022, he has made a total of 202 runs in nine matches so far for the Punjab Kings. He batted as a middle-order batsman but that tactic didn’t work as he got no time to settle in and failed to create a major impact while playing in the middle order. Punjab Kings already had the inform Liam Livingstone to handle the power-hitting and finishing business, hence Jonny’s batting position didn’t make much sense as well as any impact. Punjab did move him up to open the innings where he did well against RCB. But if Bairstow were to play for the KKR as an opener that would have helped him as well as the Kolkata Knight Riders to their benefit as KKR’s constant changes in the top-order have been futile.

Jonny Bairstow enjoys batting at the top and that is evident in his overall IPL stats. He scored impressively for his former franchise- Sunrisers Hyderabad. In his 37 IPL matches, he has scored 1240 runs with an average of 36.47 and a stunning strike rate of 141.71, and most of those runs are scored as an opener. KKR could have used him better and might have made their road ahead a little easier.

4. Mitchell Marsh by SRH

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-642682" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mitchell-Marsh2.jpg" alt="Mitchell Marsh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-642682" class="wp-caption-text">Mitchell Marsh. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

A lot has been said about the talent and capabilities of Mitchell Marsh for some years now. He has improved his game in the recent 18 months or so. He has been exceptional in the T20 format for Australia in the past couple of years. Marsh was the “Player of the Tournament” of the 2021 T20 world cup and contributed significantly with both, bat and ball. He is an all-rounder who can win games single-handedly and is certainly an asset in the franchise cricket sphere.

Mitchell Marsh currently plays for the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/dc-delhi-capitals/">Delhi Capitals</a> and bats at number 3. He is a player who enjoys freedom when batting and that doesn&#8217;t seem to be the case in the DC camp. After one of their dashing openers &#8211; David Warner or Prithvi Shaw departs he seems to bat with a lot on his head and that is not his natural game. He flourishes when he is given the license to attack and not when he is given a responsibility to build the innings. Mitchell Marsh has not been used as expected by the Delhi Capitals maybe because they aren’t very confident about their middle order.

Sunrisers Hyderabad is a team that could have used Marsh efficiently. They lack some firepower in their batting department. Even though Nicholas Pooran has been excellent with the bat, Marsh in their middle order might have added some depth and power to their batting line-up. Marsh might have played the role that they expected from Washington Sundar but Sundar met with an injury and missed some matches too. Marsh has been with the SRH set-up in the past and that might have added to Marsh’s and SRH’s advantage.

5. Marcus Stoinis by GT

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-626338" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Marcus-Stoinis.jpg" alt="Marcus Stoinis" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-626338" class="wp-caption-text">Marcus Stoinis. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Marcus Stoinis is a T20 star player. His demand is quite high in the T20 franchise circuit, obviously due to his all-around abilities. He is a match-winner as he bats with brutal power and bowls in crucial moments of play. Stoinis is a player whom every franchise would be happy to take on their side. He has shown his capabilities in international cricket as well as in the franchise cricket leagues.

One of the most surprising events of the IPL 2022 has been the underutilization of Marcus Stoinis by the Lucknow Super Giants. Since their first match, he has been asked to bat in the middle order i.e. at number 6th and 7th position. Lucknow Super Giants are at the second position in the points table but that does not mean they have used their resource like Marcus Stoinis to full potential. He has scored a total of 147 runs in nine innings with an average of 21 and a healthy strike rate of 151.54.

In retrospect, the Gujarat Titans might have utilized him better than LSG. Gujarat Titans have been criticized for their lack of batting depth but the inclusion of Marcus Stoinis would have completed the puzzle for GT. The responsibility of finishing the innings has been performed pretty decently by Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan but in the upper-middle order, Stoinis would have made a huge difference. He is someone who can bat at the top of the order as well. Stoinis has been exceptional at number 3 for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.

6. Tim David by RR

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-639989" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Tim-David.jpg" alt="Tim David" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-639989" class="wp-caption-text">Tim David. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Tim David’s late entry in the playing XI of MI may heal them and their fans to some degree, but the damage has been done. Mumbai Indians are out of the tournament and have nothing left to fight for in IPL 2022, but to play for pride. The five-time trophy lifters are having a forgettable season. They are at the bottom of the points table with just three wins from 12 games. The one mistake they committed among many this year was excluding Tim David from almost all their matches.

Tim David has been an excellent player in the T20 franchise cricket all around the world. His numbers also substantiate his capabilities. He has scored a total of 558 runs in 14 matches with an outstanding average of 46.50 and a prolific strike rate of 158.52 in the T20I. He has shown in his latest outings for MI with knocks of 44* runs off 21 balls against GT and 20* runs off nine balls against RR.

Speculating alternate possibilities, Tim David would have blossomed in the Rajasthan Royals setup. The reason is they are short of a lower-order power-hitting option after <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shimron-hetmyer-becomes-father-for-first-time-shares-adorable-post/">Shimron Hetmyer</a>. Ashwin has managed that responsibility so far but if Tim David would have batted in that position for the Rajasthan Royals, this RR team would have been the best in the tournament by a long margin. Tim David would have got more opportunities with RR than MI, as the Royals may have used him in the way they utilized Tewatia in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

7. Arshdeep Singh by MI

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-634484" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Arshdeep-Singh-celebration.jpg" alt="Arshdeep Singh celebration" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-634484" class="wp-caption-text">Arshdeep Singh celebration (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

IPL 2022 has been a revelation. The number of young talented players that coming this season is just unprecedented as well as exciting. To name a few, Mohsin Khan, Umran Malik, Kuldeep Sen, etc. but the one player who has impressed not only with his wicket-taking ability but also with his tight bowling, composure, and simplicity has been Arshdeep Singh. Very few players possess the quality of being both &#8211; wicket-taking and economical and that is what makes Arshdeep different from the rest of the newbies.

He has been very beneficial for the Punjab Kings, taking ten wickets in 13 matches as yet. The wicket column might not justify his capabilities but he has been very economical in the death overs consistently. His ability to deceive the opponents with a slower ball and yorker has been very lethal. His bowling economy rate in IPL 2022 is just 7.82 and is bowling quicker than before. Punjab might have benefitted themselves with Arshdeep’s bowling but one team that might have extracted his potential or benefited more would have been the Mumbai Indians.

Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, no one has made a significant impact with bowling for the Mumbai Indians. If Arshdeep Singh had played for MI, he would have added a lot more dismissals in his kitty. As the opposition doesn’t bother to attack Bumrah, Arshdeep would have been the target and that may have helped Arshdeep to clinch more wickets with his cerebral bowling approach. Mumbai Indians and Arshdeep Singh might have complemented each other well in hindsight.

8. Shardul Thakur by CSK

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-627021" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shardul-Thakur-in-DC-camp.jpg" alt="Shardul Thakur in DC camp" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-627021" class="wp-caption-text">Shardul Thakur in DC camp (Photo Source: Delhi Capitals)</figcaption>

The title he has been bestowed by the fans is &#8211; ‘Lord Shardul Thakur’. It may seem a little early in his short career but it has been truly justified by Shardul. He has been a game-changer for India as well as his former franchise &#8211; Chennai Super Kings. He changes the course of things with his partnership-breaking abilities, his clever use of the knuckleball, slower balls, and handy cameos while batting. Shardul Thakur is a complete package that every franchise wishes for.

Shardul Thakur was bagged by the Delhi Capitals for a huge price tag of Rs.10.75 crores ahead of the IPL 2022. He has picked nine wickets in 12 matches so far for DC with an expensive economy of 9.79. Shardul Thakur played his best under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In the 2021 season, Shardul clinched 21 wickets in 16 matches with a decent economy of 8.80. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/csk-chennai-super-kings/">Chennai Super Kings</a> might have used Shardul’s services to great effect in the absence of Deepak Chahar.

Chennai Super Kings managed to stay in the tournament by winning a few games recently with Dhoni coming back at the helm but they have missed the playoffs train anyway. They were greatly affected by Deepak Chahar’s exit due to the injury. Mukesh Choudhary has done pretty well but they lacked that power and experience in their bowling attack. Shardul Thakur might have been the man to CSK’s rescue this season in hindsight. Dhoni would have used him better than the way he is being utilized by the Delhi Capitals this season.

9. Rahul Chahar by MI

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-621419" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Chahar.jpg" alt="Rahul Chahar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-621419" class="wp-caption-text">Rahul Chahar. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Rahul Chahar has been a consistent performer in the IPL arena. He doesn’t spin a lot but bowls quicker and attacks the stumps which makes him a wicket-taking option. He has got the googly and the slider in his armory. As leg spinners are always in the business in the T20 format, so has Rahul Chahar. He is with the Punjab Kings this season and has picked 14 wickets in 13 matches with a decent economy of 7.71.

Although he has been excellent for the Punjab Kings, he would have been significantly impactful with his former franchise &#8211; <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/mi-mumbai-indians/?page=1">Mumbai Indians</a>. Chahar was used in crucial moments when he was playing for MI. He was utilized in the powerplay very successfully by Rohit Sharma. He also benefited from his fellow bowler &#8211; Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah’s economical figures helped Chahar, as batters looked to take him on which helped Chahar pick crucial wickets.

There’s one thing to take wickets but bowling with impact is a different scenario. The way Chahar’s services are being used by Punjab Kings is not very impactful. He may have taken wickets for them but their inconsistent batting performance hasn’t provided bowlers like Chahar the cushion to experiment. Rahul Chahar would have been very beneficial for his previous franchise &#8211; Mumbai Indians as they lack a key spinner. Chahar could have also proved an able partner for Bumrah and his bowling numbers might have been better if he were with MI.

10. Alzarri Joseph by PBKS

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-632731" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Alzarri-Joseph.jpg" alt="Alzarri Joseph" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-632731" class="wp-caption-text">Alzarri Joseph. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

The young West Indian has been pretty impressive in his IPL career. He might not have attracted much limelight but he has been a strong component of every franchise he has ever been with. In the 2019 season, he made a dream debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad with figures of 6/12 playing for the Mumbai Indians. Since then, he has been a regular member of the West Indies setup. He was picked by the Gujarat Titans for Rs.2.40 crores ahead of the IPL 2022.

In this year’s IPL he has clinched seven wickets in eight games as yet. Gujarat Titans are in the league of their own, sitting on the top of the points table, and are the first team to have qualified for the playoffs. The likes of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hardik-pandya-has-performed-his-leadership-role-to-the-perfection-mohammed-shami/">Mohammad Shami</a>, Lockie Ferguson, and Rashid Khan have been brilliant in the bowling department. Alzarri Joseph has been excellent too, but the way he might have been utilized by Punjab Kings would have improved his numbers as well as helped the Punjab Kings to their advantage.

If he were to play in place of Sandeep Sharma for the Punjab Kings, that may have increased their wicket-taking chances in the powerplay overs. Sandeep has not been very effective this season. Punjab Kings have not used the powerplay to great effect while bowling. Arshdeep Singh has been economical at the death, but upfront he has not contributed in the wickets column. Alzarri might have been the third player alongside Rabada and Arshdeep to make a lethal pace trio.

Devon Conway was benched by CSK after just one match.

IPL 2022: 10 Players who could’ve been used better by other teams

Some players in IPL 2022 couldn't perform to their potential due to the poor utilization of their capabilities by their respective teams.