IPL15 has been a mixed bag so far for India’s frontline T20 players and hopefuls aiming to make the cut for the World Cup to be played in Australia later this year. In batting, top order majors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have had a very disappointing time in the first three weeks of the tournament. Both have been step-in-step with low scores. In six matches each, Rohit has a paltry aggregate of 114 runs. Kohli does not fare much better with 119. The fortunes of their respective sides, however, has been in stark contrast. Mumbai Indians have yet to win a match while RCB currently third placed on equal on points with Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, lagging narrowly behind on net run rate.
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Among top order frontrunners, K L Rahul has shone brightly for Lucknow. His century on Saturday against Mumbai Indians was brilliant and drove another nail in the coffin of the 5-times former champions. Shreyas Iyer, captaining KKR, has yet to hit his straps, squandering some good starts. Not so Surya Kumar Yadav who has been the only MI batsman to emerge with credit, batting brilliantly and consistently, but failing to win matches because of no support.
A clutch of openers, young and old have compelled attention.Shubhman Gill and Prithvi Shaw, under-19 teammates but both in India’s reject list for international cricket currently, have been shaping their team’s fortunes. Tall and elegant Gill has been in sublime form for Gujarat Giants. Shaw, no less talented but mercurial, has hit a couple of blazing half centuries for Delhi Capitals in intimidating fashion.
Veteran Robin Uthappa, who many thought was a needless pick by CSK, has in fact become their most productive batsman this season, turning the clock back, playing with panache and superb stroke selection. Shikhar Dhawan, not of the same vintage as Uthappa, is the other `oldie’ opener to impress. He’s notching up good scores for Punjab to prove that all talk of his being `finished’ are grossly exaggerated.
Among wicket-keeper-batsmen, first choice Rishabh Pant and long time challenger Sanju Samson (both also captaining their respective franchise) have lived up to billing if not quite creating waves. Not so Ishan Kishan, who earned the highest purse in the mega auction but has been struggling, adding to Mumbai’s woes. The one to have truly shaken things up dramatically is Dinesh Karthik who has not only salvaged RCB from defeat in at least a couple of matches with his ebullient strokeplay but staked a strong claim for a recall to the national team.
Karthik’s sizzling half century against DC on Saturday has perhaps been the innings of the tournament yet. He has so far scored 197 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 209.57. Nobody has performed better as a `finisher’ this season. With his keeping still top class too he’s sent a strong signal that he still has the zest, appetite and skills to compete at the highest level.
Bowlers by and large seem to have performed better than batsmen so far. After a poor start, pace ace Jasprit Bumrah has hit top form, bowling with splendid control and skill though he hasn’t been able to turn things around for Bumrah with the batting and fellow bowlers flopping.
Mohamed Shami and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar from the old guard have lived up to expectation, picking up wickets regularly, making match winning impact. Mohamed Siraj, however, has been profligate, leaking runs consistently. Among T20 specialists, Harshal Patel and T Natarajan have reiterated their value. Natarjan, returning after a longish while, has been on the penny with trademark yorkers in death overs. As a left-arm, he also adds variety to the attack. Avesh Khan, playing for Lucknow Super Giants this season, has been in terrific form again like last year. He’s got the skills and temeperament to bowl at the start and on the slog overs which is a major plus point. Khaleel Ahmed, who moved from SRH to the Capitals in the auction, is another young fast bowler who will have kept the minders of Indian cricket interested.
In spin bowling, the success of Kuldeep Yadav (Delhi) and Yuzvendra Chahal (Rajasthan) spells good news for their them personally, their franchises, as well as Indian cricket. `KulCha’ as the duo is popularly known, was a regular fixture in white ball cricket for the country before both fell on hard times. Wrist spin is considered imperative in all formats now, more so in T20, and return of `Kulcha’ augurs well for the country. So far this season Kuldeep and Chahal are the leading lights. But they have serious competition from quality young bowlers like Ravi Bishnoi and Rahul Chahar to the mix which which can only improve the standards even further.
The biggest story of IPL15 so far from the point of view of the T20 World Cup is the resurgence of Hardik Pandya. His all-round skills have propelled Gujarat Titans to four wins from five matches and put the new team on top of the points table currently.
Pandya is currently no.3 in run aggregate, behind Jos Butler and K L Rahul, but way ahead of other leading batsmen in the tournament, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer.
In bowling too, Pandya has played a significant role in Titans maintaining a winning momentum for three weeks. He has only four wickets to show so far, but these wickets were important in influencing the outcome of matches. More importantly, he’s bowled his full quota of overs in all matches, bending his back and bowling at full tilt.
This is an impressive turnround for Hardik which should gladden the hearts of not just Gujarat Titan fans, but also India’s selectors, chief coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma.
Pandya was an integral member of the Indian team in all formats till a back injury laid him low. The injury took a while to treat, followed by prolonged spells in rehab which put his international career under a cloud. Inability to bowl reduced his value as an all-rounder virtually by half, and by the time the T20 World Cup finished last year, his not bowling in the tournament – barring a couple of innocuous overs – became the subject of controversy and criticism.
Pandya’s place in the Indian team was running out of time. With the T20 World Cup looming on the horizon, selectors were looking for players to include in the squad, but had shifted their gaze away from Pandya. This IPL has come as a lifeline for him.
Shifting away from formidable Mumbai Indians, where he had been a star player, to a new team put Pandya under pressure to re-establish his credentials. Being made Captain of Gujarat Titans added to the onus, but the responsibility also appears to have given him more purpose and motivation to succeed.
He has just the skills needed to give the team balance, depth and heft: technically Sound batter comfortable in any position, strong finisher, extremely skilful bowling resource with new ball or old, and brilliant fielder.
A fully fit and in-form Hardik Pandya would be a godsend for the Indian team and among the first to be included into the T20 World Cup squad though the competition for places is now intense.
But Pandya – as indeed a host of others mentioned here — will have to last the remainder IPL in the same manner that they have played so far to silence cynics and convince decision makers in Indian cricket that they are worth picking.-
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