IPL 2022 has already thrown up plenty of surprises in its first quarter. The two new franchises, Lucknow Super Giants and the Gujarat Titans, have gotten off to a strong start. The heavyweights, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, are currently at the bottom of the IPL 2022 points table.
So far in the competition, we’ve witnessed several outstanding individual performances. Several of the players who somewhat struggled in 2021 have already made headlines this season with match-winning efforts. In this article, we take a look at 3 players who didn’t perform well in IPL 2021 but are doing great this season:
3 players who underperformed in IPL 2021 are doing great this season
#3 Shivam Dube
The young all-rounder was roped in by Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2021 auction for INR 4.4 crores. He scored 230 runs in nine matches. However, his strike rate as a middle-order batter was questioned. Especially the 31-ball 35 run knock against Mumbai Indians (RR).
Many cited that his batting ahead of David Miller and Riyan Parag was one of the reasons behind RR’s downfall last season. With the ball also, Dube couldn’t contribute much in the tournament. He conceded 49 runs and went wicketless in the 5 overs he bowled.
However, the all-rounder has come out all guns blazing in IPL 2022 after being signed by Chennai Super Kings. Before the season, he had scored a solitary IPL fifty. After donning the Yellow jersey, Dube already has two more half-centuries to his name.
Dube’s unbeaten knock of 95 runs against RCB helped Chennai register their first win of IPL 2022. Against Lucknow Super Giants, he scored 49 runs off 30 balls. He scored a quickfire fifty against Punjab Kings as well. Shivam Dube is currently second in the race for Orange Cap. In 5 innings, he has made 207 runs with a 50+ average and 175+ strike rate.
#2 Liam Livingstone
The 28-year-old hard-hitter Liam Livingstone was bought by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2021 auction. The power hitter was expected to be the X-Factor for the Rajasthan franchise. However, he couldn’t capitalise on the five chances which he got in the season. He scored just 42 runs at run-a-ball.
However, due to the improvement in his international performances and his experience of playing in multiple T20 leagues, franchises broke the bank for him in IPL 2022 auctions. He became the most expensive overseas player of the auction as Punjab Kings bought him for INR 11.5 crores.
Livingstone has done justice to the price tag so far. In five matches, he has smashed 164 runs at a strike rate of 185. He went ballistic against CSK and scored 60 runs off 32 balls. His knock included 5 fours and 5 sixes. He also contributed with the ball by dismissing Shivam Dube and Dwayne Bravo. Against Gujarat Titans, he bettered his performance and smashed 64 runs off 27 balls.
#1 Dinesh Karthik
Former KKR captain Dinesh Karthik scored 223 runs in 17 matches. The strike rate of 130 was subpar for a finisher. In the IPL 2022 auctions, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) acquired him for INR 5.5 crores and the 36-year-old has been on song.
Karthik has started the season with a bang. He has batted in 5 innings so far and has been unbeaten in four of them and has scored at a rate of 218.33. Karthik’s calmness as a finisher has impressed everyone.
Against KKR, he made unbeaten 14 runs off 7 balls in a low-scoring match. RCB were chasing 170 runs against RR. At one stage, they looked in trouble at 87-5. That is when Karthik stitched a 67-run partnership with Shahbaz Ahmed.
Karthik stayed till the end and won the game for his side. He scored unbeaten 44 runs at a strike rate of 190+. If Dinesh Karthik continues this form, he’s likely to get a spot in India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2022.
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