Tale of Players who did well against their old franchise that released them ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
A mega-auction for Indian Premier League (IPL) was held in February 2022 in Bengaluru where many players went under the hammer. All franchises had to part away with several key players who were vital constituents of their setup for years together, before this event. This was due to the rule of retaining four maximum players before the auction.
Even when the players went under the hammer, to carry the right balance of the side while looking at the future, teams failed to grab most of the old members. It has somehow allowed the shifted players to make merry and prove their old franchises’ decision wrong during the 15th season of the marquee league.
Interestingly, some of the old players of particular franchises have just relished the opportunities of getting face-to-face with their old schools and held the audiences in awe due to their jaw-dropping and game-breaking performances.
Let’s relive some of the high quality fare dished out by these stalwarts.
David Warner sets the Sun for Hyderabad with an unbeaten-92
A fairytale story had grown up around the relationship of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with Australia player, David Warner. Since joining the side back in 2014, the dynamite batter had piled up 4014 runs for the Orange Army in just 95 games besides leading them to the victory post in IPL 2016.
Warner was a bank for the Sunrisers, winning the Orange Cap in 2015, 2017 and 2019. But an odd last year, where Warner struggled with his form and managed to notch up just 195 runs in eight innings, saw him dropped from the side. But obvious, the relationship too got affected as Hyderabad neither retained him nor went for him in the auction.
SRH’s loss was Delhi Capitals’ (DC) gain as the latter bought Warner for just INR 6.25 crores. It must be noted here that Delhi used to be Warner’s old franchise prior to 2014.
In DC’s encounter against SRH, Warner with his unbeaten 92 runs, blew away his old side. After losing two early wickets, Warner rescued the Capitals with a 48-run partnership cobbled up with skipper Rishabh Pant.
He clubbed Umran Malik, the fastest bowler of the season, around the park for 23 runs including three fours and one six. Later, he stitched another partnership of 122 runs with Rovman Powell. Warner registered his fourth fifty of the season, before murdering the opponents in the end as Delhi went on to win by 21 runs.
“I didn’t need extra motivation [playing against SRH], we’ve seen what’s happened before in the past,” Warner expressed about his 92*.
Read More: IPL 2022, SRH vs DC, Top Performances: Warner-Powell smash SRH to pulp; DC move to 5th spot
Kuldeep spins web over Kolkata Knight Riders with 8-49 across two matches
Kuldeep Yadav too had the same kind of story in the last few years with Kolkata Knight Riders. Even though, the chinaman bowler was picked by KKR back in 2014, he got his first chance two years later and ended up with six wickets in three games.
The left-arm wrist spinner’s performances impressed one and all in 2017-2018, when he grasped 29 wickets in 28 games, controlling the middle overs for his franchise. He was included in the India squad as well in 2017; but since 2019, a continuous dip in his performance was witnessed. He had just 5 wickets in 14 games since 2019, which saw him being left out by KKR.
In IPL 2022 mega-auction, Delhi picked the India player for just INR 2 crores. In the northern franchise’s first clash with KKR, Kuldeep turned the fortunes in his new side’s favour with figures of 4-35. After getting the opponent captain, Shreyas Iyer stumped, Kuldeep got rid of Pat Cummins and Sunil Narine in a span of two balls before enjoying a marvelous catch of his own bowling to send back Umesh Yadav.
The chinaman bowler proved lethal in the second encounter with KKR too, finishing with match winning figures of 4-14. He hurt Kolkata, hunting Baba Indrajith before getting rid of Narine. Shreyas Iyer too had no answer to Kuldeep who further caged the big fish, Andre Russell, to destroy KKR.
In two clashes against his old side, Kuldeep Yadav returned with 8-49 in seven overs with two Player of the Match performances.
Read More: IPL 2022, KKR vs DC, Top Performances: Shaw 51, Warner 61, Kuldeep’s 4-35 help DC move to 6th place
Wizard Chahal took revenge against Bangalore
Yuzvendra Chahal was also a huge weapon for the success of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) over the years. Since joining the side in 2014, Chahal has deposited 139 wickets for the Red Army in just 113 games.
The moment Bangalore refused to retain Chahal, it was known that the eight-year-old association had been snapped.
Chahal was included by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 6.50 crores during the mega-auction. In the first encounter with RCB in Wankhede, Chahal definitely had a point to prove and he sure did that with figures of 2-15 in his four overs. He managed to dismiss opponent captain, Faf du Plessis, before going through the defence of David Willey to disturb the stumps. He also pulled of a smart run out of Virat Kohli.
Even though Dinesh Karthik snatched victory from the Royals’ jaws, Chahal stood vindicated with his more than useful performance.
In the second encounter between RR and RCB, Chahal might not have picked a wicket but in finishing with 0/23 in four overs, he dried up runs from one end and it helped others to close out Bangalore in the chase. RR, eventually pocketed the game by 29 runs.
Chahal, after 11 games in this season, is sitting comfortably at the top of the tree for the purple cap with 22 wickets to his name; he already has a five-wicket haul and a hat-trick in IPL 2022.
Read More: IPL 2022, RCB vs RR, Top Performances: Karthik (44*), Shahbaz (45) steer RCB home with 67-run stand
Rahul Tripathi terrorised Kolkata with a match-winning 71
Rahul Tripathi had a decent couple of seasons with KKR in 2020-2021, with 627 runs in 28 innings, batting at different slots in tough conditions. Even though KKR didn’t retain him, they went deep in the auction for him bidding till the sum of INR 6 crores.
At last, Sunrisers Hyderabad pocketed the Maharashtra right-handed batter for INR 8.50 crores. In the clash against the Knights, Tripathi smashed a match-winning 71 from just 37 balls at a strike rate of 191.89, including four boundaries and six maximums.
Coming early into the thick of the action, Tripathi began to score runs freely and with a lot of urgency. After SRH had lost two wickets in the powerplay, Tripathi stitched a 94-run partnership with Aiden Markram. But it was the former who took an attacking mode; he was smacking sixes at will off the pacers, besides treating leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy with disdain, to record his fifty in 21 balls.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) paid the price for not going higher for Tripathi in the auction.
Read More: IPL 2022, SRH vs KKR, Top Performances: Tripathi 71, Markram 68* help SRH to third win
‘Batter’ Rashid Khan ended Hyderabad’s five-match winning streak
It was SRH who introduced Rashid Khan before the world in IPL, since picking him up for INR 4 crores in 2017.
The Afghanistan leg-spinner maintained his form throughout the past few seasons, with 93 wickets in 76 games, besides scoring some key runs at the backend. SRH didn’t retain Rashid this year though. As a corollary, Gujarat Titans (GT) drafted Rashid in their team.
In GT’s clash against Hyderabad, Rashid didn’t have a great first half of the evening being torn away for 0/45 in four overs. But he changed the fate of the game with bat in hand. In the company of Rahul Tewatia, he pulled off a heist for GT with a match-clinching 59*-run stand off just 24 balls.
With 22 required off the final over, Tewatia smacked a six off Marco Jansen’s first delivery before giving the strike to Rashid. The equation was still a tough 15 off 4 but Rashid nailed three sixes in four balls against Jansen to seal the victory for the Titans. Quality batting under pressure by Rashid just spelt out how costly leaving him out could prove for SRH in the upcoming encounters and seasons.
Rashid Khan scored 31 runs off 11 balls including 4 sixes while three of them came in 20th over.
Read More: IPL 2022, GT vs SRH, Top Performances: Tewatia-Rashid blast takes GT to no 1; Umran fifer in vain
Sunrisers paid heavily for relieving Wriddhiman Saha
Sunrisers Hyderabad seem to be the team who are having nightmares against their old players and Wriddhiman Saha wasn’t any different. The Bengal wicketkeeper batter had been a part of their setup from 2018-2021, scoring 553 runs in 29 games, besides doing an excellent job behind the wickets.
But he had to move to Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022 for INR 1.80 crores and in the faceoff against Hyderabad, Saha deposited a fantastic knock of 68 runs in just 38 balls, including 11 fours and one six. Chasing a mountainous target of 195, Saha offered his side a brisk start. In the powerplay, he played the aggressor with 39 runs in 18 balls.
Even though wickets were falling from one end, Saha was milking those runs around the park, registering his fifty in 28 balls. Although he was dismissed on 68 by a thunderbolt from Umran Malik, Saha ensured that Gujarat would have a great chance in achieving the target, which they eventually accomplished.
Looking at the slow start SRH are getting in most games, this new version of Saha could have been very useful for the Orange Army.
Read More: IPL 2022, GT vs SRH, Top Performances: Tewatia-Rashid blast takes GT to no 1; Umran fifer in vain
As on May 9, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and GT are tied at 16 points apiece with the former edging out the latter in terms of net run rate to take the number one spot in the points table. RR, with 14 points, are placed at the third spot followed by RCB with the same number of points at the fourth position.
The dates of the playoffs – two qualifiers, an eliminator and the final – have been announced. Qualifier 1 will be held at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 24 between the top two sides at the end of the league stage. The Eliminator between the third-ranked and fourth-placed teams will take place at the same venue on May 25.
Qualifier 2 will be played between the winners of Qualifier 1 and Eliminator. This game will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 27.
The final of IPL 2022 is slated to be held at the aforementioned venue in Ahmedabad on May 29.
