IPL 2022: 5 underutilized players of CSK

As the curtains come down on the cricket festival of India called the Indian Premier League, another series of if and if not, gets underway. The franchises spent a lot in the mega auction to build up a squad like never before. Through these 74 matches, some teams have performed at the forefront while a few failed to reach the expectations. The wavelength of this tournament goes beyond Indian boundaries. With overseas players on the side, other drafted Indian players don’t get enough chances to prove their worth. Let’s look at some underutilized players of CSK: 1. Rajvardhan Hangargekar Rajvardhan Hangargekar. (Photo Source: CSK/Twitter) 19-year-old Rajvardhan was part of the winning squad of India, who lifted the recently concluded U19 Cricket World Cup trophy. The fiery right-arm fast bowler also has power hitting abilities. Hangargekar also works as a good alternative as a finisher. Rajvardhan saw quite an interest in the auction room and sparked a bidding war, but was finally snapped by the CSK for INR 1.5 crore. He did not get a single game this season. While Chennai failed to make it to the playoffs, one game with Hangargekar as an experiment was a possibility. This youngster’s services were never utilized by the team management and the captain. He took four wickets in six matches of the U19 world cup and played some crucial cameos at the end. Rajvardhan might play a big role in the upcoming seasons of the IPL. 2. Matheesha Pathirana Matheesha Pathirana. (Photo Source: Twitter/IPL) Matheesha Pathirana is another 19-year-old who got to play only two matches this IPL season. He was roped in by the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2022 as a player replacement for the injured Adam Milne. Hailing from Kandy, Sri Lanka, the right-arm medium pacer is also a right-handed batter. He featured in Sri Lanka’s U19 World Cup squads in 2020 and 2022. Pathirana caught the eyes of everyone due to his slingy bowling action. Similar to the Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga, he also times his yorkers well. In the two games he played, he bagged two wickets with an economy of over seven. Due to Deepak Chahar’s injury, Pathirana might have been a good option if he had gotten enough time. 3. Simarjeet Singh Simarjeet Singh. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) The tall, skiddy pacer represents Delhi in the domestic circuit. The 24-year-old right-arm bowler was a net bowler with the Delhi Capitals previously. He was bought by Chennai Super Kings for his base price of INR 20 lakhs, at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. Singh got a total of six games to play this season, that too very late in the tournament. He went underutilized because of the number of matches he made the playing XI in. In all these six games, he made a great impact through his length deliveries. Though he bagged only four wickets, he assisted other bowlers, with his tight lines only conceding at an economy of 7.6. 4. Mitchell Santner Mitchell Santner. (Photo Source: Twitter) The Kiwi all-rounder was once again was roped in by CSK to ply his trade. Santner has always emerged as a smart spinner. Also being a handy batter, Santner has finished games for CSK, by hitting last-ball six as well. He was bought by CSK for INR 1.9 crore at the 2022 Mega Auction which is a major promotion over 2018, where he was bought for just INR 50 lacs. Santner has been an impressive prospect while dealing with the irregularity of his inclusion in New Zealand. He best performs lower down the order. Also being an outstanding fielder, Santner did not get enough games this time. With only six games to his name, he bagged four wickets at an economy of 6.9. 5. Devon Conway Devon Conway. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Conway left an impeccable mark while ending this season. With consecutive 80+ scores in the last few games, he became one of the best buys for CSK. His debut season was a hit with CSK. In the very first game of IPL 2022, he got out early and then returned late to playing XI. He missed most of the matches during the middle part of the tournament, where Chennai also struggled to swim through. Conway was already a quick striker. In only seven matches he played, he made a total of 252 runs, with the highest score of 87. With an average of 42, he gave a guilt trip to the franchise in the last few games. With a strike rate of 145, he makes a case for a perfect T20 batsman. If only he played in a few more games, the result could have been different for Chennai.

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IPL 2022: 5 underutilized players of CSK

CSK will look to make better use of their players in the coming season.

5. Devon Conway

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