IPL 2022: 5 Players Who Warmed The Benches In The First Half And Can Be Included In The Playing XI⁩

Warming the bench is a thing no player would ever want to do. If you were a star player for your previous team, you would expect to get playing time in your new franchises. However, with each team boasting squads of almost 18 players in the IPL, many deserving cricketers miss out a couple of times.

Be it for strategical reasons of simply the teams have a like-to-like player who is going through a purple patch, sitting and watching the game from the dugout is a tough task for any player. Today we’ll be looking at players who warmed the bench in the first half of the IPL season but have the potential to be a main stay in their team’s starting XI.

5 players who warmed the benches in the first half of IPL 2022 and can be included in playing XI⁩

1. Chetan Sakariya

One of the breakout stars in the 2021 IPL season, Chetan Sakariya was a key bowler in the Rajasthan Royals set-up. When he was bought by Delhi Capitals this year in the mega auction, pundits predicted him to be picked ahead of Khaleel Ahmed, who has done a terrific job.

Sakariya still can make a case for himself by training better and getting selected ahead of the inconsistent Mustafizur Rahman. That would allow Delhi to play an overseas player in top/middle order to balance things out. Chetan has a bright future for both Delhi and India provided he gets regular opportunities at this level.

2. Rajvardhan Hangarkekar

One of the brightest sparks in the recently concluded U19 World Cup, Hangarkekar is a three-dimensional player and has similarities to many Indian all-rounders. Getting a fast bowling Indian all-rounder is pretty difficult in this day and age of the IPL.

Chennai could use him as a power hitter and can be an ideal replacement for Deepak Chahar. There is no doubt, he can be the person who will be the key for Chennai in the years to come. With Dwayne Bravo aging, CSK will look to build an all-rounder and Hangarkekar fits the bill perfectly.

3. Navdeep Saini

Once a mainstay in the Indian team, now not being able to play for his own franchise in the IPL. Navdeep Saini is still one of the fastest bowlers in the IPL and just needs to work on his death bowling and the line and length he bowls. He can be played instead of Obed McCoy, who has been leaking runs in the backend a lot. This would also give an option for Samson to slot an overseas player into the playing XI.

Saini was a mainstay in the RCB playing XI bug he still had a few hiccups in his time at the IPL. He used to perform every once in three games which is not the level any franchise would be hoping for. Saini can get better under the RR management and be the bowler both RR and India would be hoping for.

4. KS Bharat

The cricketer from Andhra KS Bharat is one of the top and upcoming wicketkeepers in the IPL. He is also in the set-up for the Indian Test side. His performances for RCB were mind-blowing and is a gun of a fielder even when he is not keeping. He can bat at the top order or finish off matches at the end, and is a very reliable batsman that the team can depend upon.

KS Bharat can be drafted instead of Sarfaraz Khan, who has produced only mediocre performances up till now. Bharat is perfect for the role and can fill the void in the middle order. He can even smash the ball out of the park if needed at the latter stage of the innings.

5. Abdul Samad

The young all-rounder from Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Samad was one of the three players retained by SRH. This meant that he would be a mainstay in the team since the Hyderabad management had invested in him for the future.

But this season, he has had only two starts and has disappointed in both those matches. He still has the potential to be a gun batsman and a part time bowler who can chip in with a few overs. He should be drafted back into the squad as he can be a batsman the team can rely upon.

Abdul Samad can replace uncapped batsman Shashank Singh as the former also brings the much-needed firepower in the middle order. Hyderabad, who have won five games on the trot, could certainly bolster their squad bringing in Samad to the lineup.