Team-wise one player who deserves a better team in IPL 2022

The upcoming 2022 edition of the IPL will not only be a clean slate event for the franchises but for the worthy players as well. With a minimal number of retentions allowed, again a huge chunk of players will have to go under the hammer and fetch fresh buyers.

Especially, for the deserving players, the 10-team affair brings up fresh dawn as there will be a sea of new opportunities to indulge upon. Maybe the new mega-auction event might eventually help transform their overall IPL careers.

Comprehensively, at present, there have been some meritorious set of players who so far have been mere bench warmers in the recent events of the IPL. They definitely do warrant a better IPL team. 

Hence in this list, let’s checkout team-wise one player who deserves a better team in IPL 2022: 

1. Piyush Chawla- Delhi Capitals

Piyush Chawla, who was recently bagged by MI in IPL 2021 auction, is yet to present himself in the MI’s blue and gold jersey. The veteran leg-spinner was expected to aid the premier leg-spinner Rahul Chahar but so far has been a mere bench warmer.

Even on in the sluggish wickets of Chennai, someone like Jayant Yadav’s off-spin had taken precedence that eventually has also resulted in a much-prolonged wait for Chawla.

Some even had speculated that Chawla might replace Rahul Chahar as MI’s primary leg-spinner merely because of Chahar’s inability to contain sufficient runs, but so far Piyush has been the secondary leggie in the team.

However, with the 32-year old being a much-worthy player, his leg-spin bowling might actually become a fair fit for Delhi Capitals. With Ravi Ashwin being their frontline spinner so far, the DC management will definitely look to restore his primary services for the next IPL.

Someone like Amit Mishra might hang his boots after the IPL 2021. Therefore, Chawla’s entry into the DC team will not only help the franchise bag a like-for-like replacement for Mishra but also again refurbish their spin bowling variety.

Also, with his experience of 164 matches, Piyush Chawla has a soothing economy of 7.87 along with a pile of 156 wickets in his IPL career. Not to forget, the long-serving spinner can also play some handy cameos with his bat.

Further, with IPL teams also predominantly looking to recruit young leg-spin sensations, Piyush’s overall proposition can be fetched by DC at a very reasonable price in the mega auction. Overall, with his infusion, both he and Ravi Ashwin can form a formidable pair for DC, especially on shoddy Indian pitches.

2. Mitchell Santner – Royal Challengers Bangalore

Mitchell Santner, who was merely fetched for INR 50 Lakhs by CSK, has collectively played only six matches for the franchise since IPL 2019. Although now the yellow army has got brimmed with a profusion of all-rounders, Santner was highly expected to play few more matches in the IPL 2020 especially when the team was not playing at its absolute best.

The 29-year old NZ all-rounder is not only well known for his slow economical left-arm orthodox bowling but also can tonk the ball at a fair distance. In fact, in his limited appearances for CSK, Santner had once won a game by hitting a six off the last ball of the match against Rajasthan and took two for 13 from four overs in the IPL final against Mumbai, including the prized scalp of Rohit Sharma.

Therefore, fairly deserving a lot more opportunities, the Kiwi all-rounder can attractively become a fruitful figure for a franchise like RCB. At present, the red-army in a true sense has found a match-winning combination in IPL 2021 especially with Glenn Maxwell turning out to be a commendable member of the side.

The team also seems to have solved its death bowling woes considering how solidly the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel have bowled at the end. However, the team’s lower-middle order still looks a bit grim as someone like Dan Christian hasn’t boomed yet with his bat.

Hence, specifically with players like ABD and Glenn Maxwell receiving an expected restoration for the 2022 edition, someone like Santner can be an exciting prospect who can take over the role of Dan Christian.

Overall with the Kiwi’s infusion, the team not only would require any compromise in their overall balance but also would allow skipper Kohli to have an overwhelming variety in terms of his spin bowling options.

3. Sam Billings – Sunrisers Hyderabad

Very recently, the DC team had signed Sam Billings for INR 2 Crores in IPL 2021 auction but the wicketkeeper-batsman is yet to make a debut for the franchise. Billings, as a T20 batsman, is a proper floater who can not only cast himself at the top but also can comfortably play a lower-order batter’s role.

However, since in the DC camp there’s already an overlap especially in the middle-order, Billings has mainly been warming the benches. In the 2022 edition of the IPL, the SRH team can aggressively look to bag someone like Sam Billings as there’s barely any commendable prospect in their middle-order whom they can look to retain.

Their possible retentions can be the likes of Warner, Bairstow, and even maybe Kane Williamson (including their RTM retentions) but the team direly will be looking to solve their middle-order batting woes. With barely any formidable overseas name in their current squad, who can vigorously produce some explosive batting in the middle-order, SRH would be aiming for scouting some lower middle-order specialist.

Sam Billings can become an engaging fit as the wicketkeeper-batsman can come in to bat as per the situation. Especially, with the likes of Warner, Bairstow/Williamson, and Rashid Khan being the three overseas players, Billings can come into the picture by starting his batting position from number five.

4. Lockie Ferguson- Punjab Kings

It was back in 2019 when Lockie Ferguson was first picked by KKR for INR 1.6 Crores, but he has merely played 10 games across two seasons for the franchise. Since the arrival of Pat Cummins, the NZ pacer has been a subservient option for KKR and is mainly known to warm the benches. The speedster has played few games alongside Pat Cummins in IPL 2020 but in the 2021 edition, Ferguson is yet to feature himself for KKR.

Now with the PBKS franchise facing some dreadful woes in terms of its overseas pace bowling, the franchise can look to target Lockie Ferguson in the 2022 mega auction. The team’s pacers, especially the likes of Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith have been the disappointing prospects for the franchise and are likely to face a discard after the end of 2021 IPL.

Even someone like Chris Jordan has also undergone an ordeal especially with his current economy rate exceeding beyond nine runs. Now someone like Lockie Ferguson, pricing-wise, can not only be easily bagged at an economical rate but also allows PBKS to fetch a reliable frontline seamer.

Apart from his raw pace, Ferguson is known for his deadly yorker and has some useful variations like the knuckleball and the cutters. Further, with his reputation of being a wicket-taker, Lockie can specifically bowl at any passage of the play.

Overall, rather than bagging a relative newbie pacer just like Jhye Richardson or Riley Meredith, PBKS can effortlessly aim for a quality pacer who can reliably yield some exemplary results.

5. Jason Roy- Mumbai Indians

After coming as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh in the current SRH camp, Jason Roy is in long due to play an IPL game since the year 2019. The cricketer, at present, is a vital cog of England’s white-ball batting lineup but when it comes to the IPL, his explosive batting is yet to be broached.

So far in the 2021 season, Roy has been a bench warmer who explicitly cherishes his England batting partner’s game (Jonny Bairstow) for the SRH. Roy’s aggressive batting might come under the radar of MI’s think tank for the 2022 auction as the MI team is well known to pair a flourishing overseas batter with skipper Rohit Sharma.

The franchise also has a history of bagging some explosive overseas openers in the past especially the likes of Dwayne Smith and Herschelle Gibbs and in case if they fail to fetch Quinton De Kock in the mega auction, Roy can be seen as procured.

Also, in many ways, since the MI think tank is popularly known to bring out the best from their players, Roy’s IPL career might reignite through this deal. Overall, the flat pitches of the Wankhede Stadium might also suit his eruptive gameplay.

6. Shreyas Gopal – Chennai Super Kings

Very recently in the first half of IPL 2021, Shreyas Gopal had completely lost his place from RR’s playing XI merely because of his mediocre bowling. The leg-spinner in his two games had not only gone wicketless but also overwhelmingly leaked runs at an economy of 12.50.

Hence with RR predominantly losing their confidence from Shreyas Gopal’s leg-spin, the cricketer then definitely will have to visit the 2022 mega auction. A franchise like CSK might eventually grab his services as the yellow army, as per their home conditions, does like to have two to three varieties of spinners at their disposal. 

Currently, the team has two leg-spin services of veteran Imran Tahir and Karn Sharma, but with even Karn Sharma off-late becoming grim, the management might discard him after the 2021 IPL.

Also, especially with the emergence of new leg-spin sensations like Ravi Bishnoi and Rahul Chahar along with Kuldeep Yadav, who assuredly will grab a new buyer, Gopal’s place does become subservient in the pecking order.

While others from the above-mentioned list will become hot commodities, someone like a Shreyas Gopal can be bagged by CSK at a minimal price.

Also, if there’s a prolonged presence of MS Dhoni in the IPL 2022, Gopal’s overall bowling can receive a major enhancement especially considering how MSD likes to bring out the best from his spinners.

7. Navdeep Saini – Kolkata Knight Riders

Off late, Navdeep Saini’s pace bowling has become extremely grotty especially with the pacer losing his place in India’s white-ball side. Before not having a great Australian white-ball tour, Saini had malfunctioned in IPL 2020 as he fetched only six wickets from his 13 games in that season.

Therefore, in the 2021 edition, Saini has shed out his place from RCB’s playing XI and has become a bench warmer. Now specifically a team like KKR might get allured to bag Navdeep Saini as their ace Indian pacer in the 2022 mega auction.

Currently, the KKR team has some crop of rookie Indian pacers who mainly have been topsy turvy when it comes to their performances for the franchise. Rather than further fostering the likes of Sandeep Warrier, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, or Shivam Mavi, the KKR think tank can procure a tall fast bowler like Navdeep Saini who also offers some raw pace.

While the above trio of pacers is still in the work-in-progress mode, Saini is majorly a finished proposition. Even the Eden Gardens’ bouncy pitch might suit Saini’s overall pace bowling and with him also being a wicket-taker, an attacking KKR captain in IPL 2022 can purely bring out the best from him.

8. Mandeep Singh – Rajasthan Royals

With the likes of Deepak Hooda and Shahrukh Khan becoming the frontline batters in the PBKS’s current lower middle-order, someone like Mandeep Singh is yet to play a game in the IPL 2021. At present, PBKS’s above two new recruits have been reasonable with their performances and might get an extension for the second half of IPL 2021 as well.

And if either one of them starts to shine then there’s a possibility that the PBKS management might make a buyback in the mega auction. However, with regards to Mandeep’s proposition, the 29-year old can become a fitting player in the RR team’s setup. Now predominantly, the RR’s overall batting order is highly fidgety as two of their best batters- Jos Buttler & Ben Stokes do keep juggling with their batting position.

Alongside them, RR’s lower-middle order which comprises of the likes Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewatia are merely lower-order specialists, who in recent times have also underperformed. Hence, with the RR team probably looking to retain the finest of batters like Stokes and Buttler, they must also look for a batsman that can play a floater’s role in the middle-order.

While the likes of Buttler, Stokes, and Sanju Samson can play their respective roles, someone like a Mandeep can come in and play as per the situation. Although he may not be a jazzy hitter of the ball, the cricketer with his canny gameplay can fetch boundaries even at the fag end.

His overall complete package not only allows him to play reliable cricket but also can even open the innings. All in all, with players like Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag having a bleak chance of getting retained, someone like Mandeep Singh can become RR’s multi-utility player to cope up with the team’s comprehensive balance.