IPL 2022: PLAYING 11 OF THE TOURNAMENT

The 15th season of the Indian Premier League has ended. The tournamnet was expanded to ten teams after 10 years, which was a completely different experience for both audiences and players. Teams were divided into 2 groups of 5 each and 70 league games were played across 3 venues due to bio bubble. The 2 new entrants surprised everyone by making it into top 4. After being dubbed as the worst team at auctions, Gujarat Titans silenced all critics by first ending as the table toppers and then taking home the coveted prize.

Here is a look at playing XI of the tournamnet

Jos Buttler: Regarded as one of the most dangerous white ball batters in the world, he had a brilliant t20 wc where he scored a scintillating 100 against SL on a slow Sharjah Pitch and carried his form in the IPL where he scored another 100 in his 2nd game of the season, a 70 odd in the game vs RCB and a quickfire 50 in the powerplay against GT, and another 2 100s against KKR & DC. He did suffer a dip in his form but came back strong with a 89 in the 1st qualifier and a yet another 100 in Q2 against RCB. He is the orange cap holder with 863 runs and has hit 45 sixes.

Rahul Tripathi: He has the 3rd best SR in this season ( min 300 runs). The only Indian player to score 400+ runs at a SR of 150. Tripathi has this unique ability of going after the bowlers from ball 1. Since last season, Tripathi has scored 810 runs @ 149 SR. Only Maxwell has scored more runs than him at a better SR ( 814 at 152 SR )

Hardik Pandya (C): India's best all rounder had an outing to forget last year. Due to Injuries, Hardik has not been bowling and subsequently lost his place in the national side for these 2 reasons. This IPL was a great opportunity for him to win the trust back of the selectors and make a strong statement ahead of the t20 wc. In 2019 and 2020, Hardik scored the most runs in the death overs. He smashed 463 runs at a SR of 221 with 39 sixes. He led from the front both with the bat and the ball in this season. He is the 4th highest run scorer in this season with 487 runs and has most 30+ scores ( 8). Did a brilliant job with the ball in the final and in few league games in Powerplay phase.

David Miller: Miller was doing his job for the proteas in white ball cricket but wasn't able to translate his potential in the IPL since few seasons. It can be also attributed to the lack of fixed place in the 11 and a defined role. Here at GT, he had both and it reflected in his performance. He scored 481 runs at a SR of 142 and took GT over the finishing lines in so many games along with Tewatia and Rashid from crunch situations.

Liam Livingstone: He had a tough outing last year with an average of just over 8 in 5 games. Liam was the highest scorer in The Hundred with 348 runs. He scored England's fastest ever international century when he reached the milestone from just 42 balls against Pakistan at Trent Bridge. With 60(32) and 2 wkts against CSK, a quickfire 60 against GT and another solo show against SRH proved he has really arrived and its just a glimpse of what we are going to witness in upcoming years. He has 4 50s as a middle order batter and a SR of 182 in this season and hit 34 sixes. He was also useful with the ball with his unique skill of bowling leg spin to right handers and off spin to left handers.

Dinesh Karthik: He has been RCB's crisis man this year and bailed them out on numerous occasions. He scored 330 runs at a SR of 183.3
32*(14,) 14*(7), 44*(23), 7*(2,) 34(14), 66(34), 13*(8), 26*(17 ), 30*(8 ) ,37*(23) are his scores batting batting down the order. He scored the most no of sixes in death overs in one season for RCB and won the super striker of the season award.

Andre Russell: 335 runs at an avg of 37.2 with a SR of 174.5. He had a SR of over 200 in death overs. With the ball he scalped 17 wkts at an eco of 9.87 and did the job brilliantly by bowling 2 in the death overs. He was 2nd on the list of MVP.

Rashid Khan: It was about time for Rashid to show what he is capable to do with the bat. He was the stand in captain in the game against CSK and displayed his batting prowess while chasing and scored 40 off 21 balls. He again did what he has been doing in leagues like BBL and PSL all these years and smashed 31 of 11 deliveries to take GT to a memorable victory against SRH. 19 wkts at an eco of 6.6 are his stats in this season. Rashid has never finished a season with an eco of greater than 7 and became the 1st spinner to take 15 + wkts in 6 consecutive seasons.

Josh Hazlewood: Probably the best Overseas seamer to have played for RCB after Mitchell Starc in 2015. In Powerplay he had an eco of 6.8 with 7 wickets. In middle overs he took 5 wkts at an eco of 7 and In death he took 8 wkts at an eco of 10.8. Overall he had an eco of 8.1 and took 20 wkts from 12 games.

Umran Malik: He made headlines last season in the last league game agaisnt MI by clocking 152 kmph. SRH retained him ahead of the mega auctions. Umran is still a raw product but with every game it appeared as if he is getting better and better. He bowled mostly in the middle overs and took 19 wkts. Thats the most by an pacer in middle overs in a season. There are not many bowlers in t20s who can be used as an enforcer.

Mohsin Khan: Probably the find of the season and impressed each and everyone with his all round skills of bolwing in Powerplay and in the end overs. He has the best eco for a seamer in this season (5.9)