It is common to witness players doing well in one edition of IPL and then struggling to find form in the next. In the ongoing campaign of IPL, too, it has been happening. In this article, we take a look at five players who had a terrific IPL 2021 but are struggling in IPL 2022.
With the increase in the usage of video and data analysts, it becomes easy for teams to spot the strengths and weaknesses of a cricketer. Hence, a player who does well in one season might struggle to have the same impact because the opposition will now have clear plans for him. Therefore, it is said that evolving as a player is important in T20 cricket. At the same time, it could be the bad phase that a player could be going through.
1) Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings)
Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is one of the players who had a terrific IPL 2021 but are struggling in IPL 2022. The winner of the Orange Cap last season, Rutu scored more than 600 runs in IPL 2021. It was a terrific achievement for a player who had been an uncapped cricketer when the tournament started. However, so far, in IPL 2021, the Maharashtra man has been able to put up just 35 runs. He is getting out early and is missing the confidence that he showed last season.
2) Venkatesh Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Venkatesh Iyer scored 370 runs in 10 games in IPL 2021. He was also decent with the ball at times. However, in five games till now, he has managed just around a hundred runs. Most of these runs have come at a poor strike rate and this is not helping the team. Hence, the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder is also a part of this list.
3) Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)
Ravindra Jadeja is also one of the players who had a terrific IPL 2021 but are struggling in IPL 2022. The current CSK skipper played with an average of 75 and a strike rate of above 140 in IPL 2021. However, the numbers have drastically reduced in this edition. The trend holds good in the bowling department, as well. Captaincy pressure could be impacting his performance and hence, Jaddu must look to come back to form at the earliest.
4) Mohammed Siraj (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Although he did not pick a lot of wickets in IPL 2021, Siraj left many impressed with his skills in the powerplay and at the death. He used to keep the run flow down and bowled with an economy of under 7. However, this season, he is going at an economy of above 10. The wickets column has dried up and Siraj has looked very uncomfortable at the death. For RCB to do well this season, they would want Siraj to be back to his best.
5) Harpreet Brar (Punjab Kings)
With an economy of close to 6, Harpreet Brar was one of the finds of the season for Punjab Kings last year. He also showed his value by playing a few cameos with the bat. Hence, Punjab Kings shelled decent money to get him back to the team. However, this season, he has been going at an economy of above 11 and has already been dropped from the XI.
