Follow UsIt is always true that in a team game, one or two players often end up playing an underrated role in the side's success. This is true in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as well, where a few players' contributions might not be reflected in their numbers, but they've been mighty crucial to their team's success.
Who are the players who have had an underrated campaign?
Marco Jansen has gone under the radar for the Punjab Kings this year, with his all-round contribution. The right-handed batter has scored 75 runs, including a 34* against CSK and 25* against RCB. With his primary skill, the left-arm pacer has picked up crucial wickets, scalping 11 of them, averaging 28.90 in the tournament with a good economy rate (8.79).
Not to forget his six crucial catches, Jansen has truly been underrated.
Defending champions KKR have been underwhelming, but you can’t say the same about young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who has had regular contributions with the bat. The right-hander has amassed 286 runs in the season, averaging 35.75, and has struck at a great rate (145.17), with 37 boundaries in the season thus far.
Maybe time for KKR to use him in the XI and not as an impact player.
SRH might have had a stinker of a season, but not Jaydev Unadkat. He’s been one of their best bowlers this season, with seven wickets, averaging 15.71 with the ball, the best for a pacer (min 5 wickets). His economy rate (6.9) is only second-best in the competition behind Jasprit Bumrah (6.7), showing why he continues to be underrated.
Vipraj Nigam came out of the syllabus for LSG in their first clash, as the right-hander smashed a stellar 39 off 15 balls, entering DC’s folklore. Since then, the right-hander has had multiple crucial contributions, scoring 122 runs at a strike rate of 179.41. It doesn’t stop there, as the leg-spinner has also scalped nine wickets, averaging 28.44 with the ball, showing why DC rated him very highly.
Mumbai Indians are rocking, and the credit usually goes to their big stars. But somehow in a star-studded setup, it has been Naman Dhir running away with some stellar shows - 162 runs @172.34 SR.
Across the two encounters against LSG this season, Dhir scored 46 off 24 balls and 25 off 11 in the other. Not just that, Dhir has also been the best outfielder in IPL 2025, with 12 catches, the most for any non-wicketkeeper in the tournament. He's been the ultimate 'Mr Fix It' for MI so far in IPL 2025.
The left-handed all-rounder Arshad Khan has been quite a silent hero in Gujarat’s rise. While he hasn’t had the opportunity to test out his batting this year, he’s certainly had an impact with the new ball, picking up four crucial wickets. So far this season, he’s dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Porel with the new ball - giving GT the much-needed boost up-front.
Jitesh Sharma’s season has been quite stellar, bailing RCB multiple times during the season. The right-handed batter smashed 40* off 19 balls against MI, which gave RCB their first win at Wankhede Stadium in a long time, and also had a cameo (20 off 10) that gave them a nervy win against RR at home.
If not for his batting, Jitesh’s efforts behind the stumps, be it catches or reviews, are playing an integral part in RCB finishing inside the top two. The review he took against Dhruv Jurel in the RR clash was an extraordinary moment which spoke volumes about the Vidarbha man's impact.
LSG have secured multiple wins because of their top three: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran. However, one person whose efforts have gone under the radar is Ayush Badoni. The 25-year-old from Delhi has teed off this season, smashing 326 runs at strike rate over 150. And, more often than not, he's constructed multiple crucial partnerships.
In terms of pure numbers, Badoni averages 36.22 this season but strikes em’ at 150.23, with two fifties. Plus, he’s knocked down 41 boundaries in IPL 2025, only behind the top three in LSG’s outfit.