3 Players who underperformed in IPL 2022 but got a chance in India's T20I squad for South Africa series
These players weren't consistent in their trade during IPL 2022.
3. Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer was one of the biggest disappointments of IPL 2022. Venky scored just 182 runs in 12 innings at an average of 16.55. In fact, Rinku Singh was just eight runs (174) behind Venkatesh, in spite of him featuring in five fewer innings than the latter. Iyer has been a bit-part player for KKR, failing with both the bat and the ball, with just one fifty-plus score with the bat and failing to pick up a single wicket with the ball in the entire IPL 2022.
India’s T20 squad was selected with an eye on the T20 World Cup down under later this year. Venkatesh, who is a natural opener, has turned into a finisher/all-rounder to fit into the Indian setup. With the likes of Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik back in the Indian setup, it would be difficult for someone like Venkatesh Iyer to walk into the playing XI.
The selectors might have still backed Venky on the back of the performance against West Indies, where he scored 92 runs at a staggering strike rate of over 180 in three matches. The Indian selectors will be auditioning for the role of a proper finisher and all-rounder for the T20 World Cup 2022 in the upcoming bilateral T20 cricket they are playing. It will be difficult for an under-confident Venkatesh Iyer after a poor IPL to still grab onto his place in the T20 squad once Ravindra Jadeja and Deepak Chahar become fit and are available for selection.
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