IPL 2022: 10 pinch hitters who can earn a surprise promotion

Prior to the evolution of T20 cricket, the term ‘pinch hitter’ was generally associated with lower-middle batsmen who could finish off the innings with a flurry of runs. However, in this new era of the game, which has been spearheaded by T20 cricket, we have seen another category of pinch hitters who play a vital role for their teams. Gone are the days when a bowler’s job was to just pick wickets for his side, and curtail the flow of runs. In the current scenario, a bowler who has pinch-hitting abilities is often rated highly, especially in the T20 market. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has somewhat set a benchmark for unleashing such ‘gems’ in the shortest format of the game. The trend which started with Sunil Narine opening the batting for Kolkata Knight Riders, has now been adopted by several IPL franchises through the years. With the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League just a couple of days away, we will look at 10 bowlers who can turn out to be pinch hitters for their side, and earn a promotion in the batting order. Here we will bring you 10 players who can turn out to be pinch hitters for the side: 1) David Willey (RCB) David Willey. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images) David Willey returns to the IPL Arena, as the Englishman was Royal Challengers Bangalore’s final pick in the mega auction. Not only is the left-armer a useful option with the new ball in hand, but he can also strike a few hefty blows with the bat. With Glenn Maxwell being the sole aggressor in the middle order, RCB could consider promoting David Willey up the order, in case the required run-rate creeps up or they need some quick runs. The Englishman has a strike rate of 123.5 in T20 cricket, and is famously remembered for smashing 34 runs off Nathan Lyon’s over back in 2018. The left-arm pacer has scored over 1800 runs in List A cricket at an average of 25.5 and a strike rate of 95.6. The 32-year-old has plenty of T20 experience to his name, being a part of the English side that finished as the runner-ups at the ICC T20 World Cup in 2016. 2. Shardul Thakur (DC) Shardul Thakur. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Popularly known as ‘Lord Thakur,’ the 30-year-old all-rounder has had a meteoric rise in his cricketing career. Shardul Thakur was snapped up by Delhi Capitals in the mega auction, after being released by Chennai Super Kings. Shardul has a tendency of taking the attack to the bowlers, and is not fearful of his taking his chances. Delhi Capitals might hand him a surprise promotion in the batting order, given his ability to strike hefty blows. Shardul Thakur has as an astonishing strike rate of 181.6 in T20I Cricket, with a pretty decent average of 23.00. His technique with the bat is quite commendable given he has played some vital Test knocks in Australia and England. The Delhi Capitals all-rounder finished as the fourth highest top-scorer for India in the three-match ODI series against South Africa in January, despite playing just two matches. Shardul has not gotten much of a chance to showcase his batting prowess in the IPL, however, we could see him batting at number seven on a regular basis for his new franchise this season. 3. Kagiso Rabada (PBKS) Kagiso Rabada. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images) There is no denying the fact that Kagiso Rabada remains one of the most lethal fast bowlers in world cricket. Moreover, the South African has worked on his batting since the past few years, and the results are clearly evident by his recent performances. In a high-pressure chase against Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup last year, Rabada showed his ability with the bat, smashing a four and a six to help his side earn a crucial win. The Proteas pacer has not got much of a chance in IPL with the bat, yet he could be someone who could be used as a pinch hitter. Kagiso Rabada was bought by Punjab Kings at a staggering price of Rs 9.25 crore in the IPL mega auction. The franchise has plenty of power-hitters in their squad, however, Rabada could be utilized as a pinch hitter for unsettling the opposition with a left-right combination. 4. Pat Cummins (KKR) Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: IPl/BCCI) Australia’s red ball skipper, Pat Cummins played one of the most memorable knocks last season. The Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder smashed an unbeaten knock of 66 runs in just 34 balls, with six maximums and four fours against Chennai Super Kings in Phase 1 of IPL. Pat Cummins has over 300 IPL runs to his name with a strike rate of 140.40. Kolkata Knight Riders might use him as a pinch hitter, provided they want to shield Andre Russell for later. Cummins does not only have the power to clear the fence with ease, but also has the proper technique to keep the score board moving. In T20 cricket, the Australian red-ball captain has scored 582 runs at an average of 17.1 and a strike rate of 133.8. The 28-year-old pacer could be given a much more definitive role in terms of his batting this season, which also allows Kolkata Knight Riders a certain degree of flexibility in regards to their team composition. 5. Rashid Khan (GT) Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: PSL/Twitter) Rashid Khan has proven his ability with the bat on numerous occasions. The Afghan spinner is not someone who can usually play a huge knock, but can certainly create a meaningful impact in about two-three overs out in the middle. Rashid Khan was picked up Gujarat Titans in the draft, just prior to the mega auction. Gujarat Titans do not boast of a strong batting order, hence they will look to surprise teams with new tactics. Promoting Rashid up the order when the required run rate creeps up is surely not a bad idea. In IPL Cricket, Rashid Khan has scored 222 runs at a strike rate of 137. More often that not, the Gujarat Lions talisman deals in boundaries and big shots. He has over 1000 runs to his name in domestic T20 leagues around the world, boasting of a strike rate in the 120s. Gujarat Lions are one of the two new franchises added to the existing eight-team pool, and they will look to play around with their options until they settle on their team composition. 6. Rajvardhan Hangargekar (CSK) Rajvardhan-Hangargekar ( Photo Source : Twitter) IPL is a platform for talented youngsters to catch the attention of the selectors, and make a name for themselves. Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who was part of the winning ICC U19 World Cup 2022 squad will look to make an impact in his first IPL season. Picked up by Chennai Super Kings in the auction, the youngster comes with an added bonus because of his pinch-hitting skills. Not much is known of the 19-year-old with the bat, but he is surely capable of being the surprise package this season. In the group stage meeting with Ireland in the World Cup, he smashed an unbeaten knock of 39 runs off just 17 balls with five maximums. Moreover, CSK is known to hand a few surprise promotions. It was evident with Moeen Ali, Sam Curran in the prior seasons, maybe it could be Rajvardhan Hangargekar’s time in 2022. 7. Daniel Sams (MI) Daniel Sams. (Photo Source: Twitter/RCB) Daniel Sams returns for his second stint in IPL, this time with the Mumbai Indians. Although, MI have two powerful finishers in the form of Tim David and Kieron Pollard, a player like Daniel Sams provides an added dimension. The Australian has scored 700 T20 runs at a strike rate of 150.20. Mumbai Indians have a bit of thinking to do with a few middle order spots, and Daniel Sams could be a candidate for that role. For over a decade now, Kieron Pollard has been a mainstay in the Mumbai Indians middle-order. Over the last six years, he has been aided by Hardik Pandya in the final overs, as they were touted supposedly the most dangerous batters in the competition. With Hardik Pandya’s departure, Mumbai Indians have a huge void to fill. Daniel Sams could be prove to be vital for the five-time champions, given his ability to hit the big shots, time and time again. 8. Romario Shepherd (SRH) Romario Shepherd of Guyana Amazon Warriors. (Photo by Randy Brooks – CPL T20/Getty Images) Romario Shepherd was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping sum of Rs 7.75 crore. The West Indian pacer is a dynamic bowler, with several variations up his sleeve. He can make a huge impact with the bat as well, as he has a strike rate of nearly 160 in T20 Cricket. Sunrisers Hyderabad have a quality bowling attack, but there are several loopholes in their batting department. This means they will have to likely experiment with their batting order, and using Romario Shepherd as a pinch hitter is certainly not out of the picture. A few eyebrows were raised when Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to spend big on the West Indian pacer. Hence, the franchise will be expecting more contribution from Romario Shepherd in terms of his batting. SRH do not boast of many power-hitters in the lower order, except Abdul Samad, which gives a clue that the franchise is likely to experiment with their batting order. 9. Deepak Chahar (CSK) Deepak Chahar. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) In a massive blow for Chennai Super Kings, Deepak Chahar will be unavailable for at least initial half of the season due to an injury. However, the CSK pacer is expected to be available at some point later in the tournament. If what he did against Sri Lanka last year was termed as a fluke, then Deepak Chahar completely silenced his critics with a knock of 54 runs off just 34 balls against South Africa a few months back. The Indian fast bowler has a strike rate of over 135 in IPL Cricket, and once he is fit for selection, he could be promoted up the batting order, if the need arises. In the absence of Sam Curran, CSK could use Deepak Chahar’s pinch-hitting abilities in the same way as they did with the English all-rounder. Chahar has scored over 500 runs in List A cricket at an average nearing 20, and has almost close to 1,000 runs in First class cricket. 10. Alzarri Joseph (GT) Alzarri Joseph. (Photo Source: Twitter) Standing at over 6 feet tall, Alzarri Joseph can easily clear the fence with his sheer power. The West Indian pacer was picked up by the new franchise, Gujarat Lions in the IPL Auction. Alzarri Joseph can certainly take the game to the opposition bowlers, as he has over 1000 runs to his name in first class cricket. Gujarat Lions do not have many power hitters in their side except for Hardik Pandya in the middle order, hence, the West Indian could be a candidate to earn a surprise promotion. There is not much known about Alzarri Joseph’s batting talent on the T20 stage. He has scored 1045 runs in First class cricket. The Caribbean fast bowler has what it takes to play the big shots when the need arises and can turn out to be a surprise talent with the bat for the Titans.

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IPL 2022: 10 pinch hitters who can earn a surprise promotion

These players can take the opposition by surprise if promoted up the order.

6. Rajvardhan Hangargekar (CSK)

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