The Indian Premier League has expanded to 10 teams since the 2022 edition. This translates to more opportunities for newer players and similarly, more demand for the ones that have been consistently performing at the biggest stage of cricket. The players who play regularly for the Indian Cricket team are usually the ones to grab the big bucks. More money for a player translates to more expectations from the franchise and fans alike. Here are five players who failed to make an impact in this edition of the IPL in 2022.
1. Virat Kohli (RCB)
The ex-Indian Captain and now ex RCB captain, Virat Kohli was expected to do big things this IPL as his load from captaincy was taken over by Faf Du Plessis. Kohli stepped down from captaincy after IPL 2021 to give himself some space which he thought necessary and manage his workload. Kohli scored 341 runs from the 16 innings he played at a sluggish strike rate of 115.99. His average was also below par as it was a mere 2273. Apart from two good innings where he scored two 50s, Kohli struggled to find runs off his bat this season. Kohli would hope to come back stronger the next season as he failed to make an impact this season.
2. Rohit Sharma (MI)
Rohit Sharma has had a terrific run as captain for the Indian Team having 12 wins on the trot in T20Is. His run in the IPL this season has been a stark contrast to this. With an average of 19.14, this has been his least ever average after an IPL season. This was also the first time ever Rohit failed to score a 50 in an IPL season. Scoring a meager 268 runs at a strike rate of 120.18. Sharma failed to convert any sort of start he got into a big 50+ score. His team Mumbai Indians also found the wooden spoon for the first time ever in the history of the tournament and they too failed to make an impact like their captain.
3. Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)
Being CSKs premier pre-auction retention for a hefty sum of 16Cr, Ravindra Jadeja hasn’t been able to fire in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League as per their expectations. His performance as compared to the last season was very stale as he managed to pick up only 5 wickets with a bowling average and economy of 49.60 and 7.52, both more than his previous season which had exceptional numbers of 26.61 and 7.06 respectively with 13 wickets to his name. The same can be said for his batting where he scored 116 runs this season as opposed to 227 in 2021. His batting strike rate and average too took a dip from 145.51 and 75.66 to 118.37 and 19.33 respectively. Added to this, he was given the captaincy for CSK which was too much of a burden for him. Midseason captaincy changes were made and MS Dhoni was handed back the reigns. All in all, Jadeja will focus to get back in 2023 with better performances as he remains one of the key players in the CSK setup.
4. Shardul Thakur (DC)
The ex CSK player Shardul Thakur was bought by the Delhi Capitals for a price of 10.25 Cr. Known to have the knack of picking up regular wickets and being handy with the bat in the lower order, Thakur did not live up to his price tag as he picked up 15 wickets in 14 games at an expensive economy rate of 9.79, barring one 4 wicket haul. With these subpar numbers, Thakur failed to make an impact consistently in IPL 2022.
5. Mohammed Siraj (RCB)
Being the third retention for the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a price of 7Cr, Siraj had a forgettable outing in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. Having played 15 games, Siraj only picked 9 wickets at a 10+ bowling economy and 57.11 bowling average. Siraj also broke the record for the maximum number of sixes conceded in an IPL season by a single bowler conceding 31 sixes.
