TALKING POINTS
Follow UsPunjab finally find feet as a batting group
When Punjab Kings won the bid for Shikhar Dhawan, it was a sign of things to come. Mayank Agarwal and Dhawan were deemed as a threatening pair. But mid-way through the season, as they identified, the partnership between the two Indians did not pay dividend. Barring two knocks – one against RCB and the other against MI – the duo had never put up a fifty-run partnership at the top of the order.
Not just that, Jonny Bairstow, who was brought into the setup for the middle-order too failed, which meant that they had to find a way around to solve multiple issues. And they did that by promoting Bairstow at the top of the batting order alongside Dhawan. While he got out early in the first game as Punjab’s opener, in his second, the Englishman scored a vital 40-ball 56, setting up the perfect platform for both Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma to tee off.
Even when Punjab had Chris Gayle at their disposal, there were suggestions for Mayank to bat down the order and finally he has done it. The right-hander’s innate ability to smash the spinners in the middle-overs finally helps Punjab find their feet as a batting group.
Jitesh Sharma – Punjab's find of the season
Two runs from four balls, that’s all Jitesh Sharma hit behind the wicket on Saturday. He wasn’t being cheeky, he wasn’t being clever but he used every inch of the crease to clear the boundary with ease. The 28-year-old is definitely the find of the tournament for Punjab. The thing about Jitesh isn’t the way he has hit those massive sixes but the way he has gone about his business.
For someone who opened the innings for the longest time, the adjustment as a finisher would have been a tough nut to crack. But since he started cracking it, game after game for Vidarbha, Punjab Kings took the punt. The punt that really has paid off for the franchise, even going under the radar.
In his thunderous knock of 38 (18), the right-hander scored 36 off 14 deliveries in front of the wicket, at a strike-rate of 283.25, including scoring at a strike-rate of 600 in the mid-wicket region. Throughout his innings, the right-hander showed courage, technique and temperament where he used the entire crease to perfection.
Jitesh definitely goes under the radar, considering his range with the bat and considering how tough it is to crack the position of being a finisher. 14 fours and nine sixes in just 97 balls, the right-hander’s movie is a blockbuster.
Yashasvi Jaiswal rises from the dead
It didn’t make sense. What you would ask? Getting Devdutt Padikkal at the Auction, considering the Royals had retained Yashasvi Jaiswal during the retention process. Three openers in the top-order is a crime in itself. But if they could make it happen, then why not? During the first half of the tournament, the Royals had opened the innings with Jos Buttler and Jaiswal.
While they were winning, Jaiswal’s form was a worry for the franchise. In three innings, he had scores of 20, 1 and 4 before he was dropped down to the bench. Karun Nair, Rassie Van der Dussen and Daryl Mitchell all were tried before the Royals, somehow felt that Jaiswal was the one they needed.
Returning after a month of absence, Jaiswal timed his innings with perfection. It is easy to be carried away when Buttler at the striker’s end is going full bonkers. In the powerplay, the left-hander had just scored 22 off 14 balls but as soon as the field restrictions were lifted, he showed an ultra-aggressive avatar.
46 runs off 27 deliveries, where he found a boundary every 3.86 deliveries, Jaiswal was the perfect fit for Royals during the run-chase. RR may have gone back to where it started but the form of Padikkal is one for concern.
The contest between Arshdeep and Padikkal
Padikkal ended up with a score of 31 off 32 deliveries, at a strike-rate of 96.88, with his team chasing a mammoth total of 190. Even for just the scoreboard enthusiasts, this should paint a tale. Across his innings, the left-hander had just scored three boundaries, with ten dot balls. It is not just the story of the clash against the Kings but the story of the season for the left-hander.
In IPL 2022, Padikkal isn’t a fast-starter. In fact, he plays a ridiculous 53.3% dot balls in the first ten balls of the innings. Further, in the phase (11-20), the left-hander still bats a high 42.9% dots. It is only after the 20 delivery mark where Padikkal has found his comfort this season, with the dot-ball % less than 30.
His clash against Arshdeep Singh nearly was the differential factor in the contest. Against the left-arm pacer, Padikkal scored just the five runs, out of which four came off a boundary, at a strike-rate of 55.6. Arshdeep was yet again the pick of the bowler for the Kings, in a season where their bowling has been really hit or miss.
While several names – including T Natarajan and Umran Malik – have come to the fore, Arshdeep deserves a place in the Indian squad, purely on the basis of his consistency. India have struggled for a top-quality left-arm pacer in the recent years. With how T20 cricket is evolving, it would be next to impossible for India to continue to thrive without one.
