FEATURES
Follow UsRamandeep Singh in IPL 2024 has been the definition of ‘small role, big impact’. The 27-year-old has batted only 62 balls this season, but has been integral to KKR's success.
Ramandeep has hit 12 off the 62 balls he’s faced this season for a six, which is a six every 5.2 balls. Among batters who have faced 50+ balls this season and hit 10+ sixes, only MS Dhoni (5.0) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (5.0) have hit a six more frequently than Ramandeep.
What’s really set Ramandeep apart this season is the cameos he’s played down the order, particularly while batting first. This season, batting at No.7 and below, Ramandeep has played 6+ balls in an innings five times. In that, he’s maintained a strike rate over 200 a whopping four times.
Crucially, KKR have won every match in which Ramandeep has played these little invaluable cameos.
An unlikely candidate who's been integral to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s turnaround this season is 33-year-old Swapnil Singh. The left-arm spinner has only bowled a total of 11 overs, with six of them coming in the powerplay. He’s taken five wickets in these six overs — the most by a spinner in the powerplay this season.
With Swapnil, it’s not just the amount of wickets he’s taken. It’s the names he’s removed that have served as a big shot in the arm for RCB game after game. Swapnil’s victims this season are Heinrich Klaasen, David Warner, Aiden Markram, Prabhsimran Singh, Wriddhiman Saha and Liam Livingstone. And three of these wickets have come in the very first over of the opposition’s innings.
If RCB do end up qualifying for the playoffs, they’ll have this veteran to thank for.
He’s often memed for being a ‘run machine’ but, this season, Tushar Deshpande has been one of the most underrated performers. In fact, he has arguably been CSK’s second-best bowler behind Matheesha Pathirana.
Deshpande has taken 16 wickets this season while going at an economy of 8.52 — the second-best among all CSK pacers (behind Pathirana’s 7.70).
For the Super Kings this season, the 29-year-old has impacted games both up-front and at the death. In the powerplay, he’s taken six wickets at an economy of 8.3. Meanwhile, at the death, he’s taken 9 wickets at a remarkable economy of 8.9.
At the time of writing this, only Jasprit Bumrah (11) and Harshal Patel (14) have taken more wickets in the 16-20 phase than the right-armer, this season.
And among those who have bowled at least as many overs as him at the death, only Bumrah (6.5) and Mohammed Siraj (8.4) have maintained a better economy.
Deshpande, this season, has provided some game-changing moments with the ball, with the most notable ones being the double-strike against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala and the three-run 16th over against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede in which he picked the big wicket of Hardik Pandya.
Venkatesh Iyer is the second KKR player in this list, and he, just like Ramandeep, is someone whose impact has trumped his actual numbers.
Iyer has scored 267 runs at an average of 33.38 and a strike rate of 149.2 — good but not ‘great’ numbers — but has stepped up clutch when it has mattered.
Case in point the twin match-winning knocks against MI. At Wankhede, he smashed 70 off 52 with the side reeling at 57/5, at the serious risk of being bowled out. Then, in the reverse fixture at Eden Gardens, the left-hander top-scored with a rapid 42 (21) in an innings in which every other KKR specialist batter struggled.
Both the aforementioned games turned out to be close clashes, with KKR winning the Wankhede encounter by 24 runs and the Eden encounter by 18 runs.
His 16 (8) in the clash against RCB at Eden, coming in at No.4, also proved to be invaluable as the Knight Riders ended up edging the contest by a solitary run.
Iyer has not been among KKR’s top three performers this season, but his impact has been worth its weight in gold.
Tilak Varma has had a fantastic IPL 2024, but his performances have completely gone under the radar due to MI’s horrid showing this season.
Tilak has, by some distance, been MI’s best batter this season. He is the only MI batter to score over 400 runs this season, and he’s maintained a very healthy overall strike rate of 149.6
61% of Tilak’s knocks this season have been 30+ scores (8/13), and he starred for the side in two mammoth near-chases. That MI were in the contest in the chases against SRH & DC (278 & 258 respectively) was almost solely down to Tilak, who starred in both games, smashing 64 (34) and 63 (32).
The 21-year-old has walked in under some really uncomfortable situations but has managed to impact games consistently notwithstanding the game situation.
The left-hander was really unlucky to miss out on T20WC selection, but, through his performances, he’s ensured he’ll continue to be an integral part of India’s T20 set-up post the Mega Event.
Abishek Porel began his IPL 2024 with an out-of-the-blue 32* off 10 against Punjab Kings in DC's first game of the season, walking in as an emergency Plan B impact sub.
This particular innings ended up being the sign of things to come.
For Porel, who was supposed to be no more than a backup for DC this season, ended up impacting games consistently batting at the top of the order, ensuring that the Capitals did not miss the presence of David Warner.
The 21-year-old batted seven times for DC in the top three, and smashed 235 runs in the said games at an average of 33.57 and strike rate of 154.6. He was asked to take on the quicks in the powerplay and that is precisely what he did, striking at 178.33 against the quicks in the 1-6 phase.
Together with Fraser-McGurk, he ensured DC absolutely scorched teams at the top of the order. IPL 2024 saw the Capitals score 70+ in the powerplay four times; Abishek played in each of the four matches and amassed 65 (36), 36 (27), 42 (22) and 41 (31) in the said games.
After the start they had to the season (W1 L4) and after the injuries they suffered, DC had no business being in contention for top four. That they took it till the very last week was partly down to the impact young Porel created at the top of the order. Fittingly, he signed off with a 33-ball 58 in DC’s final game of the season.
Note: All stats as of May 15, 2024
If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out — big time. Play Fantasy on Cricket.com NOW! Download the App here.
