One of the most surprising things about the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League is that the teams have refrained from trying out some young players in the middle. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have kept Arjun Tendulkar on the bench for almost two years, while Chennai Super Kings did not give a single game to U-19 World Cup winner Rajvardhan Hangargekar.
Earlier tonight, speaking at the toss with Ian Bishop, MS Dhoni revealed the reason why the Chennai Super Kings did not give a single match to Rajvardhan Hangargekar even though they had no chance of qualifying for the IPL 2022 playoffs. Here’s what Dhoni was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda:
“He (Hangargekar) is somebody who bowls at a good pace with decent bounce but at a level like this, it’s important to give them time to improve in other areas. You want to groom players but also give them enough opportunity to prepare themselves and then get into the side. He is somebody we are really excited about.”
Dhoni then mentioned that the Chennai Super Kings would not play with a lopsided playing XI just because their last match is a dead rubber. He concluded by saying that he wants to end the season on a good note.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar might be retained by Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2023
Since MS Dhoni said that the Chennai Super Kings are excited about Rajvardhan Hangargekar, it should not be a surprise if the Chennai-based franchise retain him even though he did not play a single match this season. Hangargekar proved himself as a match-winner in the 2022 edition of the ICC U-19 World Cup.
It will be interesting to see how he performs for the Chennai Super Kings next year. All eyes will be on him during the 2022-23 domestic season.
