5 players on whom there were less expectations but still performed well in IPL 2022

Before an IPL season starts, there is usually a set of expectations from each player. This depends on the current form of the cricketer and also his performance in the previous edition. In this article, we take a look at five players on whom there were less expectations but still performed well in IPL 2022.

Although a few cricketers were not expected to be at their peak this season, they have surprisingly set the scene on fire with their performances in this campaign. They also helped their respective teams win a few games. We take a look at five such players in this article.

1) Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav did not get a game in IPL 2021 and he played very few encounters in IPL 2020. KKR picked him at his base price and many expected that he will be the backup pacer in the squad. However, Umesh had turned out to become the most impressive bowler for KKR this season. Especially when the season started, Umesh was breathing fire and overall, he finished with 16 scalps. The Vidharbha speedster also helped KKR win a few games.

2) Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik is one of the players on whom there were less expectations but still performed well in IPL 2022. The Tamil Nadu man had been in poor for KKR in the last couple of years. Hence, not many expected him to do well. However, he has been arguably the best finisher in this IPL. He has scored runs at a strike rate close to 200 and has single-handedly helped RCB win a few games.

3) MS Dhoni

It has been a while since MS Dhoni has played well in IPL. Last few years, he was restricted to short cameos. However, in IPL 2022, the former India skipper was exceptional in a few games. In the first encounter of the campaign, he scored a fifty and later in the tournament, whenever there was a collapse, Dhoni steadied the innings. It was a top effort from a player who is well past 40 years of age.

4) K Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Ahmed is also one of the players on whom there were less expectations but still performed well in IPL 2022. Since he was going for a lot of runs in previous editions, there were not many followers for the left-arm seamer. Add to this, he was not exceptional in domestic cricket, as well. Nevertheless, in the absence of the likes of Anrich Nortje at the start, Khaleel stepped up to be a top performer for the side. With one game to go in the league stage, the Rajasthan man already has 16 wickets to his name.

5) Wriddhiman Saha

Saha's T20 skills were always underrated. Hence, it is a surprise that he has done well for Gujarat Titans this year. He has already accounted for more than 300 runs and will play an important role in the next games for his team.