As the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League continues, the competition is starting to separate the best teams from those who need to regroup and focus on next season. The tournament is the pinnacle of domestic T20 cricket but, in 2022, there is a bigger prize to aim for.
The T20 World Cup will be held in Australia later this year and the IPL therefore offers a perfect platform for players to prove that they are worthy of a place in their national squads. In the case of India, it’s interesting to note that many fringe batters and bowlers are showing a return to form.
Selection won’t be easy but let’s take a look at the challenges facing India, along with an assessment of this season’s standout cricketers.
T20 World Cup Runners and Riders
The eighth edition of the T20 World Cup takes place in Australia between 16th October and 13th November 2022. As the hosts and the defending champions, the Aussies will be strong but it’s India who start as favourites to lift the trophy.
According to leading cricket sports betting sites attached to ArabianBetting.com, Rohit Sharma’s men lead the way in the outright winner market with Australia close behind. 50-Over World Champions England are also highly ranked while New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies are among the closest challengers.
There’s plenty of T20 cricket to be played between now and the start of the tournament and those markets have scope to change. Any amendments that do come in will be reflected on the ArabianBetting site while visitors can access other information as they consider the odds.
Breaking news articles and opinion posts will appear while the website also provides direct access to all of those sportsbooks. Each operator will accept new account holders, and many have generous welcome packages in place.
Other benefits include a range of deposit and withdrawal options so it’s easy to work with the financials. Efficient customer service, extensive cricket markets, ongoing promotions and the ability to bet on the go with a mobile device are among the other advantages.
It’s a sound site to follow at this year’s World Cup but can any of these players boost India’s chances at the tournament?
KL Rahul
India’s leading run scorer at the halfway point of IPL 15 is KL Rahul. He’s not always a regular choice for the T20 side but his efforts in this year’s tournament suggest he demands a place in the World Cup squad.
After the first ten games of this year’s tournament, Rahul had scored 451 runs and that puts him second in the race for the Orange Cap behind Jos Buttler. He’s made one century in that time and his runs have helped drive his new Lucknow Super Giants team up the group table.
Yuzvendra Chahal
The outstanding bowler at IPL 2022 has been the leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The 31-year-old was virtually assured of his place in India’s World Cup squad but he wasn’t necessarily a definite starter.
The Purple Cap is the award given to the leading wicket taker in the tournament and Chahal was leading that particular race with 19 wickets after ten games. If he can maintain that kind of form, India’s chances of lifting the trophy will be much greater.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya of the Gujarat Titans has been the best all-rounder in the tournament to date. He has been effective with the bat and has shown great maturity as he looks to skipper this new franchise into the playoffs at the first time of asking.
Pandya has fallen out of favour with the selectors but those performances will surely mean that he will return to India’s T20 squad when they take on South Africa in June.
Kuldeep Yadav
India’s left arm mystery spinner has also worked his way back into the selectors’ thoughts with 15 wickets in his first nine games. Kuldeep Yadav has also struggled with his form but the IPL has given him the perfect opportunity to rediscover his magic.
Those five T20 matches against the South Africans in June will also give the selectors a chance to see if Kuldeep is ready to return to international cricket.
