Nicholas Pooran, Piyush Chawla and Ravindra Jadeja are all included in the second team of the week for IPL 2023. Every XI can contain a maximum of four overseas players besides having no more than three players from a single franchise. For this year, there is also an impact player to be chosen every week in addition to the starting XI
Photos: TT archives
Shikhar Dhawan (PBKS): Revitalised as captain for PBKS, Dhawan was a one-man batting army against SRH, with an unbeaten 99 off just 66 balls. Dhawan’s valiant display did not give PBKS the victory, but it did produce one of the rare occasions in IPL cricket where the man of the match comes from the losing team
Rohit Sharma (MI): After a quickfire cameo against CSK last weekend, the Hitman returned to form against DC in the Capital, stroking his way with characteristic elegance to 65 off 45 balls. Rohit’s match-winning innings saw him strike four sixes, including a trademark pull off Anrich Nortje that had class stamped all over it
Ajinkya Rahane (CSK): Extending the Indian batting pedigree in this week’s team is Rahane, the comeback man for CSK, who scored a combined 92 runs over the past week at a stellar strike rate of 200. The highlight of Rahane’s reinvention as a basher at number three came at the Wankhede Stadium, as he let fly against MI
Nicholas Pooran (LSG): Coming into bat against RCB with LSG stuttering at 105 for 5, Pooran turned on the style and finally unleashed the potential T20 watchers have always known him to possess. He may not have been able to finish the game himself, but his effervescent 62 off just 19 balls — the fastest 50 of IPL 2023 — swung the tide in favour of the visitors, allowing LSG to ultimately sneak home off the last ball of the game
Rinku Singh (KKR): A performance of a lifetime saw Rinku rescue KKR from the jaws of defeat and propel them to one of the greatest IPL triumphs in history. Five sixes off the last five balls of the innings mean that Rinku’s name will forever go down in the annals of KKR and T20 cricket, no matter what his team does for the rest of the season. Welcome to the unforgettable sixes club, Rinku, where he shall take pride of place alongside the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Carlos Brathwaite
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK): The absence of captaincy has liberated Jadeja once more, with his bowling in particular back to its efficient best in the IPL. The past week saw Jadeja pick up five wickets in total, with his two wickets against RR coming on the back of a match-turning three for 20 in four overs against MI
Rashid Khan (GT): While he may not have got the result he wanted as stand-in skipper for GT against KKR, there is not much more Rashid could have done with the ball in hand. His three for 37 on the night provided the first hat-trick of IPL 2023, with successive dismissals of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur in the 17th over. Against PBKS, Rashid picked up his customary wicket as GT bagged two more points
Piyush Chawla (MI): At 34, Chalwa is enjoying a second wind in the IPL that many thought would never come. Used adroitly by MI, one of the IPL’s most experienced spinners has been impeccable so far, with a three-for against DC that should consolidate his position for the five-time champions in the games to come
Jason Behrendorff (MI): Speed and swing are at a premium for MI this term, having lost Jasprit Bumrah for the season with Jofra Archer still on the sidelines. In their stead, Aussie quickie Behrendorff has been more than a handful so far. Against DC, it was Behrendorff who led MI’s bowling with three important wickets in three overs, all the while maintaining a steady economy rate of under eight
Mohammed Siraj (RCB): Even though RCB lost out against LSG on home turf, they will take plenty of heart from a sensational display by Siraj, who gave away just 22 runs in his four overs and got rid of the three biggest threats from the opposition, in the form of K.L. Rahul, Kyle Mayers, and eventually, Pooran. If Siraj can keep up his consistency, RCB’s usually fragile bowling will get a much-needed boost
Yuzvendra Chahal (RR): It has taken Chahal just four matches to return atop the Purple Cap standings for the season. Against DC on Saturday, the veteran spinner bagged the prized wicket of David Warner along with two more, before adding another couple of wickets in another RR victory against CSK four days later
Impact Player: Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): While he may not have had a good day at the office against CSK, Jaiswal makes it as an impact player in this lineup by virtue of a tour de force against DC. His 60 off 31 laid the perfect foundation for RR to build on, allowing the hosts to reach 199 and grab the initiative in the game
