IPL 2022: From MS Dhoni to Hardik Pandya, players for whom 15th edition of league will be crucial – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

With India’s home season ending with emphatic victories over Sri Lanka, it’s time for cricket enthusiasts in the country to shift their attention to the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts in just two days’ time.

The latest edition of the cash-rich league begins with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on last year’s runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. The rematch of last year’s finalists will then be followed by another match-up between two finalists — those from the 2020 edition with Delhi Capitals taking on five-time winners Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium two blocks away from the Wankhede.

With the tournament returning to India once again after having to shift to the UAE due to a worsening COVID-19 crisis back home, the league stage will take place exclusively in Maharashtra with four venues — Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium, Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium and Pune’s MCA Stadium — set to host the games. The venues for the playoffs and the final are yet to be decided though.

As we build towards the 15th season, we take a look at some of the players for whom this year’s IPL is going to be crucial:

MS Dhoni

MSD has a thing for surprise announcements, and his decision to step down as captain and hand the baton over to Ravindra Jadeja just two days before the opening game against KKR took the cricketing fraternity, especially fans of the ‘Yellow Army’ by surprise.

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni. Sportzpics

Dhoni’s decision could be a hint at IPL 15 being his final season as a player. The former India captain had announced his international retirement on Independence Day, 2020, and has since focused his whole attention on CSK, leading them to a fourth title in IPL 2021.

If this indeed is Dhoni’s final season as a player, then the legendary wicketkeeper-batter will surely want to sign off on a high.

Virat Kohli

Like Dhoni, Kohli too will not be seen walking out at the toss this season, having stepped down from the role. Kohli had made the decision much earlier compared to MSD, with RCB’s defeat at the hands of KKR in last year’s Eliminator being his final game in charge of the Bangalore franchise.

Unlike Dhoni though, Kohli still has some years left in the IPL. With ‘Cheeku’ relieved of captaincy duties both in the IPL as well as in international cricket, the spotlight will fall almost entirely on his performance as a batter. And the lack of centuries on his part certainly has invited a lot of scrutiny from critics.

While there’s still a long way to go before the selectors even think of the D-word with regards to the star batter, Kohli has copped a fair bit of flak for what many consider to be an extended lean patch, which the former India skipper will hope to end this season. A solid run with the bat will also help him re-establish himself as India’s No 1 batter in the shortest format in a World Cup year.

Hardik Pandya

Though his importance in the Indian Premier League remains paramount given he’s been appointed captain of the Gujarat Titans franchise in their debut season, his stocks have taken a hit as far as international cricket’s concerned.

Pandya hasn’t quite been the force that he once used to be since undergoing a neck surgery. Barring an odd-over or two, the all-rounder’s bowling skills haven’t really been utilised, and Pandya’s form with the bat has also waned since the dizzying heights he had scaled during the 2020-21 season.

With the IPL also serving as a platform for players to impress selectors in the build-up to the T20 World Cup later this year, Pandya will want to re-establish himself as a force in the middle order while hoping to regain his bowling rhythm, body permitting that is.

Wriddhiman Saha

His days as an India wicketkeeper were pretty much over the moment he was left out of the squad for the Sri Lanka series, the decision of which didn’t go down too well with him. And his hopes of making another IPL appearance too took a hit after he failed to attract a bid in the early phases of the player auction in February, before eventually being picked up by Gujarat Titans for Rs 1.9 crore.

Saha should get a fair number of games under his belt this season given that he’s the only specialist Indian wicketkeeper in the side, with Matthew Wade likely to be played purely as a batter and a back-up keeper. Should he fail to get going with the bat though, Saha might just end up bidding goodbye to the IPL as well along with his international career.

Tim David

The Singaporean cricketer of Australian origin became the talk of the town after being snapped by up Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 8.25 crore in the player auction. Tim, whose father Rod hailed from Sydney, New South Wales before shifting base to Singapore with his family, had represented RCB in a solitary game last year and didn’t create much impact.

David however, enters this year’s edition on the back of blazing performances in the Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League as well as in the Pakistan Super League.

Singaporean all-rounder Tim David in action for Multan Sultans in PSL 7. AFP

The reason this IPL is crucial for David is the fact that he suddenly finds himself in the radar of the Australian selectors, given that he’s played domestic cricket in Australia all along and was part of the Western Australia setup before the state association decided not to renew his contract.

A strong performance in this IPL in addition to his exploits in other T20 leagues will force the George Bailey-led selection panel to set up and take notice, and perhaps fast-track his selection into the Aaron Finch-led team.

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