IPL 2019 | Studs and Duds from IPL Week 3 ft. Alzarri Joseph, KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane
SportsCafe
After the end of the third week of the Indian Premier League, it is time to reflect on the performances and make a list of studs and duds from the last week. While KL Rahul and Alzarri Joseph came out as the star performers, Ajinkya Rahane surely disappointed a lot of his fans in the week gone by.
Alzarri Joseph: Alzarri Shaheim Joseph - Remember the name! Much like Carlos Brathwaite, who became a sudden cult figure in India after hitting Ben Stokes for effortless four consecutive sixes in the 2016 World T20 final, Joseph did just enough against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday to leave a lasting impression among the Indians. A late draft into the side after Adam Milne was injured and pulled himself out of the league, Joseph came forward to take the responsibility head on to have a dream debut. He produced the greatest IPL bowling performance by claiming 6 for 12, consistently rushing batsmen with his deceptive pace, and eventually leading his team to a win on a low-scoring encounter. While the match's figure alone was enough to have him among this week’s
KL Rahul: Last week, Rahul didn't take the breath away with sublime hits all around nor did he struggle against inswinging deliveries and found a “new way to get out”. He operated somewhere in between and produced three consecutive performances. Against Chennai Super Kings, amidst the spin carnage by the hosts, Rahul managed to score a brittle 55 and followed that up with an unbeaten 71 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The first might not have resulted in a win, but there was so much he could do by himself and after other batsmen failed to contain their middle-order, the result became writing on the wall. However, his innings was a very well-composed one. After Chris Gayle’s dismissal, Rahul had to wait and observe the nature of the pitch, which surprisingly didn’t allow David Warner any comfort in the first innings. The Karnataka batsman did that smoothly but didn’t lose the composure to be there until the end. However, the cherry on the cake had to be his third innings, against Mumbai Indians - a classy century.Â
Ravichandran Ashwin: Last October, during a function, Ravichandran Ashwin answered a reporter’s question in a philosophical mood, by saying “Everything will spin around.” After the third week of IPL is done and dusted, it is convenient to say that he was not bluffing. At a time when leg-spin has captured the world order, Ashwin brought innovation to his variations and ensured that he remained effectual in the changing world. Of course, he was hit for runs against Mumbai Indians, but the zeal of re-innovating himself with the changing time was well on the show against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. By bringing the top-arm as well as side-arm action at the same time, Ashwin proved that he can never be discounted as a one-trick pony and can be as effective in the limited-overs cricket as he was seven years ago. That, for me, is the single biggest denominator to keep him among my studs for the week.
Kieron Pollard: Brace yourself, the Calypso power has set itself on the motion now. Andre Russell might have made himself a darling to many with a show of clean-hitting in this IPL, but if there are two Windies stars that IPL has truly bowed down to, it has to be Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard. While the former is still producing some innings of vintage class, the latter has been reduced to a mere finisher, with no great showing to his name in the last couple of years. However, after a seven-ball 17 set the ball rolling, a 26-ball unbeaten 46 against Sunrisers Hyderabad gave Mumbai hope and he vindicated all of them with a sublime 83 that not only changed the game on its head but also made sure that Mumbai could solve their middle-order problem by using the stand-in skipper in top four. He was brute force and that is how IPL has fallen in love with him, over the years.
Duds
Quinton de Kock: The South African has been blowing hot and cold this season and a mere look at the score gives a clear picture on that. In the last week, Mumbai Indians have been terrific in their approach and a collective effort helped them secure three consecutive wins, but Quinton de Kock has somehow failed to cope with the changing time. With scores like 4,19, and 24, de Kock has not only made the top-order vulnerable but has also forced Mumbai Indians to bring Ishan Kishan back into the set-up. While his glovework has been decent, one thing that has pulled him back this week was an oversimplification of the game. Against Kings XI Punjab, when there was a heavy total to be chased down, de Kock threw away the initiative and was left in the middle-order with a lot of heavy lifting to do.
Ajinkya Rahane: Just after the Australia series ended, MSK Prasad hinted that Ajinkya Rahane might become the dark horse and find a spot in India’s middle-order for the World Cup. The IPL provided him
Dinesh Karthik: It is DK’s mercurial nature which has been his kryptonite over the years. He can make you go crazy with his stroke play and can make you jump off your seats on frustration at the same time. The last week, however, was a very disappointing one for the wicket-keeper batsman with regular failures taking the centre stage. While DK has been good behind the stumps, and his leadership has been spot on, his batting has left a lot to be desired. The problem against the left-arm bowlers and leg-spinners was so evident that he decided to keep his bat on the ground and played horizontal shots. However, the trick couldn’t help him score runs and throwing his wicket away on a regular basis, the KKR skipper has put doubts among the minds of the selectors who are slated to meet in Mumbai this week for the team selection.
Rahul Tripathi: Touted as one of the brightest prospects in the country, Tripathi got a chance to
