IPL 2019 | Studs and Duds from IPL Week 5 ft. Shane Watson, Dinesh Karthik, Jaydev Unadkat
Well, the fifth week of the cash-rich extravaganza concluding the business end of the tournament thus begins. The matches played during this span saw some monstrous hitting, nail-biting finishes and few veterans rediscovering their mojo. Presenting you the Studs and Duds from IPL Week 5.
Studs
Shane Watson: One of the key reasons behind CSK investing in veterans was their ability to win matches single-handedly and the ability to soak in the pressure under the pump. His 96-run knock against SRH was reminiscent to his century against the same side in last year’s final – he struggled initially, but once the runs starting flowing, Watson was unstoppable. Against the best bowling attack in the tournament, Watson shifted to top gear in no time and gunned down the target with ease. His parched runs column was raising questions over his spot in the line-up, but the repository of the team management’s faith helped him found form at a pivotal time. Will Watson continue his good form in the remaining of the tournament? Well, that remains an open debate, but CSK are certainly bolstered to see one of their big-hitters of the game regaining his rhythm.
Dinesh Karthik: Once being named in the 15-man World Cup squad, many thought that Dinesh Karthik will now unleash the explosive version and lead his side with an example but it wasn’t to be. His poor form continued and with every game his confidence only languished, which also started affecting his captaincy. Karthik has an uncanny knack of springing mind-boggling performances when the chips are down and manages to reserve a place on the back of it; this has also been the story of his life. Karthik was unfortunate to miss out on his maiden IPL century against Rajasthan Royals but did well to help his side post a challenging total. The shots were coming off clean and his improvisations rekindled memories of 2018 Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh, where he made history with the bat. Â
Navdeep Saini: In this batsman-dominated game, there is hardly any breathing space for bowlers. They get murdered on batting-friendly surfaces and the situation demands creativeness and impeccable accuracy. Saini’s talent and hunger for success have been well-spotted by the RCB franchises and he continues to inspire confidence with the ball. Gradually, he has evolved into one of RCB’s vital cogs. In two matches played this week, Saini controlled things with the ball and also managed to chip in with three wickets. One should also remember, both these matches were played in Bangalore, which is a batting paradise. In the high-scoring game against CSK, Saini bowled a fantastic penultimate over where he didn’t let a blazing Dhoni take the game away and left 26 runs for Umesh Yadav to defend in the final over. IPL has a knack of unearthing hidden talents and Saini’s selection as standbys in for the World Cup squad is a testament to it.
Ajinkya Rahane: After relieving from the captaincy duties, Ajinkya Rahane has looked a different batsman altogether. He silences his harshest critics with an emphatic ton against Delhi Capitals and was unlucky to have ended on the losing side, but nevertheless, his innings was one of the finest played this season. After a few experiments, Rahane stuck with his opening slot and now looks like a force to be reckoned with. He looked in good touch in the game against KKR as well, where he got a good start while chasing a massive target. The good news is, with most of the overseas players heading back home, Rahane’s form at the top will be crucial for Rajasthan Royals in the matches to come.Â
Duds
Ben Stokes: The English all-rounder carries a massive reputation to his name, but has hardly done anything of substance this season. He is yet to justify his huge price tag and will have to wait for the next as the southpaw will be heading home to be a part of the World Cup camp. An all-rounder is an asset to any side, and an impactful one is no less than a boon. Stokes certainly belongs to this rare breed but has hardly managed to make any impact this season. A lot of Royals’ success depended on the way he fares and the current points table tells the rest of the story. He hasn’t put in the hard yards in last two games and has looked bereft of oomph with the bat as well. A season like this can flip one’s career upside down, hopefully, Stokes rediscovers his form in the matches to come. Â
Jaydev Unadkat: Every cricketer would want to be Jaydev Unadkat. No, I’m not talking about skills, but when it comes to the IPL auctions. Although Unadkat had no role to play in being picked for whopping prices, with every awful outing, the huge price tag topic only becomes a bigger burden on his part. To add to his woes, Unadkat hasn’t done anything of substance to not be a regular outfit in the world of memes. Such has been his performance that his opponents want him to play every game for Royals. Again, not because of his brilliance with the ball, but his ability to leak ample of runs in every spell. In the last three games that Unadkat played this week, Unadkat has done everything but inspired confidence.
Ambati Rayudu: If Rayudu keeps batting in this manner, his most loyal fans will turn into criticisers soon. After mocking selector’s call regarding the 15-man Indian squad for the World Cup, Rayudu’s performance has come under the scanner. But the Hyderabad-based batsman has nothing of substance this season to prove them wrong. His vulnerability against quality attacks only continues to grow. He scored a duck against MI and got modest starts in the previous two games, but at what cost? His strike-rate indicated that he was auditioning for a Test spot in the Indian line-up. With these kinds of performances, one can only expect him to get criticised and mocked by the fans. Â
Shubman Gill: More often than not, whenever a talent emerges from the youth level, he is hyped to such a level that it becomes impossible to live upto the standards expected. Just ask KKR fans! When KKR drafted Shubman Gill in the auctions last year, the expectations were high. When he started his IPL career with some impressive performances, they got bigger. When nothing in the top order seemed to be working for KKR, the team management decided to give the youngster a chance where more experienced players had failed. While scores of 3 and 14 might not sound too bad in the IPL, with a heavy heart, I have to hand him a spot in the Duds for the week.
