The IPL 2023 season has already passed the halfway point, and the stakes for the 10 teams are beginning to climb. Teams are aware that they cannot afford to make too many blunders at this stage, since the consequences might be severe.
Going back to the first half, viewers were treated to some spectacular performances by players. Both veteran campaigners and fresh guns have risen up and put on some amazing performances.
While many players have been consistently good, there are a few exceptional ones who have stood out and added significant value to their respective teams.
Here are three of the most important players thus far in this year’s IPL 2023.
Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj has made a good recovery after a difficult performance in the previous season of the IPL.
The pacer has 14 wickets in eight games. This year, Siraj has a fantastic economy rate of 7.28 and strikes every 13.71 deliveries, which is fantastic.
It should be mentioned that he has played six games at M. Chhinaswamy Stadium, which is a notoriously difficult site for bowlers. Another thing to remember is that his bowling has saved RCB on several occasions.
Other bowlers have been chaotic and inconsistent, including Harshal Patel, Wayne Parnell, and Vijaykumar Vyshak. RCB will be hoping that Siraj can maintain his form as they attempt to complete their quest for a first championship.
Axar Patel
As far as the Delhi Capitals are concerned, Axar Patel has been one of the lone rays of optimism in an otherwise bleak squad.
Axar Patel has 211 runs in eight games this year, with a remarkable strike rate of over 135. He has been by far Delhi’s finest batsman this year, and many observers believe he should bat at the top of the order.
Axar has also performed admirably with the ball for DC, taking 8 wickets in 8 games while surrendering only about 7 runs per over.
Delhi are presently ranked tenth, and one can only think how much worse things would have been for David Warner and his team if Axar Patel had not contributed.
Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla’s efforts in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) have turned back the clock.
In the seven games he has played so far, the established leg-spinner has taken 11 wickets and has an economy rate of 7.11, which is a fantastic performance.
In this year’s IPL, he was one of Rohit Sharma’s trump cards, and MI will be hoping for more of the same from the veteran in the second half of IPL 2023.
It should be noted that he did not sell in the first round of the IPL Auction in December. However, he was selected in the second round by the Mumbai Indians at his base price. Not many teams gave him a chance before the season, but he has performed admirably.