Cricket Xtra: Early IPL outcasts making most of their opportunity

Ajit Vijaykumar 18:51 01/05/2017
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  • Kane Williamson. Image - @IPL/Twitter.

    It’s difficult to get things right at the first go. In the IPL, most teams take some time to get their line-up sorted. This season, some players who were expected to take the tournament by storm haven’t done so – like Tymal Mills, for one – while there are quite a few who had to wait for their opportunity and when they did, made the most of it.

    Here we look at players who proved their class in the ongoing IPL after being made to wait.

    The player on top of that list has to be New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson.

    The right-handed batsman didn’t play for the Sunrisers until their sixth game of the season. And when he did, he made 89 from 51 deliveries against a strong Delhi Daredevils pace attack. No fuss.

    Since then, the 26-year-old has made 204 runs from four games with two fifties. Which makes us wonder what he was doing on the bench. A similarly strange selection decision was made by the Delhi Daredevils management. They paid $750,000 for the services of South African quick Kasigo Rabada but couldn’t make space for him in the first five games of the campaign. After making his IPL bow against Mumbai Indians, Rabada has emerged as the most economical pacer for the Daredevils, picking up three wickets in as many games with an economy rate of 7.24.

    Australian pace bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile has been hostile in the five matches that he has played for Kolkata Knight Riders. He has picked up 11 wickets in that span and troubled all batsmen with his pace and reverse swing. He didn’t get a look-in until the fifth game for Kolkata and has been superb since.

    Then we have Imran Tahir. The South African leg-spinner is the best bowler in international cricket in the shortest format. However, he wasn’t even picked during the auction at the start of the year. Had it not been for an injury to Pune’s Mitchell Marsh, Tahir might not have played this year’s IPL. But he did and in nine matches, has 13 wickets to his name at an economy of a tick over eight.

    It is evident such issues crop up when it comes to international names since each team can only field four such players in their playing XI. But some of the names mentioned above were almost guaranteed to deliver and therefore their absence was perplexing.

    Williamson is among the most versatile batsmen in the world across all formats or conditions and can be expected to score runs when half asleep. Similarly, Rabada has enjoyed immense success in the subcontinent in limited overs cricket and is the form pacer in the world at the moment. No surprise then when they made an impact immediately.

    Tahir’s case was surprising from the outset and you have to question the wisdom of team managements as no one thought him worthy of a place in their squads. As far as selection in the playing XI is concerned, there are various factors in play.

    For the Daredevils, it was difficult to have Rabada, Pat Cummins and Chris Morris together from the start as that would have meant benching either Angelo Mathews or Sam Billings. Hyderabad gave Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi a go before Williamson. Nabi is a dependable T20 player but the fact is very few can do what Williamson can day in, day out.

    The franchises must be relieved they got it right the second time around before the business end of the tournament kicked in. Well, at least most teams. Even the raw talent of a Rabada is unlikely to save the Delhi Daredevils’ campaign this time.

    IS BATTING GETTING TOUGHER?

    The first three matches of the IPL saw scores of 207 for 4, 172, 184 for 8, 187 for 3, 183 for 4 and 184 for no loss. They pointed to the possibility of a high scoring tournament.

    But things have moved in a different direction since. Totals of 131, 142 and 157 have been defended by Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune respectively.

    Teams have bowled out for less than 100 three times already in the tournament, which is more than the tally of the 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 editions.

    There can be various reasons behind it. Probably bowlers have become that much smarter or batsmen have become a tad too adventurous. But one important factor in all of this is pitches. The IPL is being held after a hectic and mega domestic season for the Indian team and there is a possibility the wickets are not that fresh.

    Many matches remain to be played this season and given the struggles with the bat of teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils, there is a possibility of more low scores being registered. It’s not ideal for any tournament, let alone the IPL. But this season it is getting tougher for the batsmen.

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