Jos Buttler (RR): Another week, another masterclass from Buttler, the man who cannot stop scoring in IPL 2022. Buttler notched up his third ton this season against the Delhi Capitals (DC), with no less than nine fours and as many sixes decorating his phenomenal innings of 116 off just 65 balls. What would Rajasthan Royals (RR) give to have Buttler continue his incredible scoring streak!
Shikhar Dhawan (PBKS): Having blown hot and cold in the IPL this season, Dhawan played a classic Dhawan knock against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), stepping up at precisely the moment the clouds of doubt had begun to gather around his form. His unbeaten 88 not only steered the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a highly competitive total of 187, but also ensured that the CSK bowlers were never allowed to settle, especially during Dhawan’s second-wicket partnership with Bhanuka Rajapaksa
K.L. Rahul (LSG): Mumbai Indians (MI) must be sick at the sight of him, as K.L. Rahul has now scored three centuries against the five-time champions, the most by any batter against an IPL franchise. In the latest of his hundreds, Rahul once again carried his bat through the innings without much support from the other end. His acceleration at the death showed how much he has improved his slog-over game. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have to be careful to not become over-reliant on their skipper!
Ambati Rayudu (CSK): CSK were set up beautifully to chase down 188 against PBKS on Monday, thanks largely to a classy innings by Rayudu, who succumbed to a Kagiso Rabada toe-crusher and could not complete the job. While he was at the crease, Rayudu looked to be in complete control, clearing the fence with ease. His 78 off 39 may not have won CSK the match, but it definitely won him a place in our team of the week
Riyan Parag (RR): Rajasthan were stuttering at 68 for four against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) when 20-year-old Parag arrived at the crease. Over the next 10 overs or so, Parag played the most important knock of his young IPL career, guiding the men in pink to a respectable total of 144. Parag’s unbeaten 56 off 31 had the right mix of clever placement and controlled aggression, and to top it off, he also grabbed a career-best four catches in the field
Hardik Pandya (GT): Coming into bat as a pinch-hitter for the Gujarat Titans (GT) against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Hardik was on song from the get-go. Even though his characteristic sixes were at a premium, the maturity he showed to play the situation and cruise his way to 67 off 49 spoke volumes about how well he is batting this season. KKR’s failure to chase down GT’s 156 on a two-paced wicket added further credibility to Hardik’s brilliance in the first innings
Krunal Pandya (LSG): In a first for our best XI, both the Pandya brothers have made the cut. Krunal’s selection comes on the back of a match-winning spell against MI, in which he picked up three wickets for just 19 runs. The most crucial of Krunal’s breakthroughs was getting rid of a set Rohit Sharma, although the most memorable will certainly end up being his wicket of Kieron Pollard, following which he gave his former teammate the most bizarrely affectionate send-off
Rashid Khan (GT): When you are defending a modest total against KKR, you need your ace bowler to be at his best. And that is exactly how Rashid was for GT, giving nothing away in a disciplined spell. Although he could only grab two wickets, those of Venkatesh Iyer and Shivam Mavi, Rashid’s match-winning contribution came in keeping things so tight at his end that the KKR batters were forced into false shots against the other bowlers, a recipe for disaster that eventually handed two points to the boys from Gujarat
Daniel Sams (MI): The latest in a long line of left-arm overseas fast bowlers to set the stage alight for MI, Sams enjoyed a terrific outing against CSK. His four wickets came at the expense of just 30 runs, and included the big scalps of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rayudu and Shivam Dube. While he does not have the express pace that MI have harnessed in the past with Mitchell Johnson or the swing of Trent Boult, Sams’s intelligence and variations are quickly making him an indispensable part of MI’s bowling arsenal
Marco Jansen (SRH): Against RCB, South Africa’s Jansen bowled the finest white-ball over of his life. In the space of five balls, Jansen bowled Faf du Plessis and had Virat Kohli and Anuj Rawat caught in the slips. RCB’s batting never recovered from the Jansen jolt, crumbling to 68 all out, with Jansen ending with figures of three for 25 in his four overs as well as the man-of-the-match trophy
Mukesh Choudhary (CSK): MI were reduced to 23 for three after just three overs against CSK last Thursday, with the 25-year-old from Rajasthan’s Bhilwara creating havoc. Choudhary had already caught the eye before his masterful display against MI, but it was in the IPL’s version of the Clasico that the left-armer began firing on all cylinders. Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Dewald Brevis all fell to Choudhary, having failed to counter the seam movement that made the left-armer’s natural angle lethal
