Cricket News: 5 players who can surprise in the T20 World Cup 2022 | Possible surprise packets in the 2022 T20 World Cup
The biggest ICC event of the year, the T20 World Cup 2022 is here, and the excitement is sky-high. The World Cup, now in its eighth edition, provides an ideal platform for players to showcase their talent, and the shortest format of the game is conducive to individual displays of brilliance.
The upcoming edition promises to be no different. Apart from the big names, there are also not very well-known players in most teams who have little or no experience of international cricket. While it is expected of seasoned campaigners to do well in an event of such magnitude, some of the less-known names may also use this platform to prove their mettle. There have been a few instances where a certain unknown player produced a performance for ages to clinch the victory for the team.
That being said, here are five names to keep an eye on in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 (in no particular order).
5 possible surprise packets in the 2022 T20 World Cup
Keshav Maharaj, South Africa
The left-arm Proteas spinner has been a regular feature in the Test arena since his debut in 2016. While he has played 45 Tests in his career, he’s been a late bloomer in T20 internationals with only 21 matches worth of experience.
With exemplary control over the ball, Maharaj can bowl at any phase of the game which makes him a valuable asset for the Proteas. With big boundaries in play, he is likely to pose a threat to opposition batters. In 21 T20Is, he has picked up 19 wickets, with the best figures of 2/24. He has shown that he can be economical, giving away just 7.18 runs an over in his short T20I career so far.
Maharaj has played 125 T20s overall, boasting an excellent economy rate of 6.71. A handy lower-order batter, Maharaj can get some bonus runs for his team whenever he will be required with the bat. All in all, Maharaj will be an ideal foil for South Africa’s stellar pace attack.
Finn Allen, New Zealand
The talented Finn Allen is well known in New Zealand and among Indian fans due to the IPL. However, this could be the tournament where he makes an even bigger name for himself as the Black Caps seek to make the business end of an ICC event once again.
With Martin Guptill on the outer, Allen is expected to given first opportunity at the top against Australia. In his short T20I career to date, Allen has struck 469 runs at a superb strike rate of 161.72. In 72 T20s, he strikes at a remarkable 171.57.
Brandon King, West Indies
The powerful West Indies top-order batter hogged the limelight after finishing as the leading run-getter in the 2019 edition of the Caribbean Premier League, with 496 from 12 matches including a big century (132 off 72 balls). But he failed to replicate the same success during his initial days with the national team and was dropped from the team after a string of low scores.
However, this year has been different for King in white-ball cricket. Particularly in T20 cricket, King has been one of the top performers for the West Indies with over 400 runs to his name which includes four fifty-plus scores. The technically-sound King is more than capable of doing damage from the first drop.
He will provide solidity to the West Indies batting line-up andlook to carry his rich form from CPL 2022 forward to the showpiece event.
Mark Wood, England
While Wood is a genuinely quick pacer, he is not a proven performer in the T20 format yet, especially in big events like the World Cup. His injury-prone nature is also a cause for concern. In 22 T20Is for England, the express pace bowler has scalped 35 wickets, but his economy rate is on the expensive side – 8.44.
Wood, who missed the entire English summer due to an elbow injury, marked his return to international cricket with six wickets in two games against Pakistan last month. The conditions in Australia will be ideal for someone like Wood to make a mark and help his team push for glory.
The 32-year-old has made excellent use of short balls and has often caught them off guard with his line and length. Wood just has that extra zip to ruffle up the best players, as he has shown in providing problems for has that knack of getting good players out. Wood can inflict fear with his sheer, unadulterated and unfiltered pace. England will be pinning their hopes on Wood to deliver some thunderbolts to knock the opposition batters out with his searing pace.
Arshdeep Singh
The promising young left-arm seamer had a magnificent IPL campaign this year, and riding on that, he earned his maiden national call-up. In his debut match in England, he made his mark straightaway by executing his yorkers at a decent pace with perfection. Then, in his second international tour, Arshdeep claimed eight wickets in five games against the West Indies at a splendid economy rate of 6.58 to claim his first man of the series award.
In 13 T20Is this year, he has bagged 19 wickets at an average of 19.78, while his economy rate of 8.14 is on the slightly higher side. However, Arshdeep bowls the most difficult overs in the power-play and at the death, which is the reason for the high economy rate. The 23-year-old Punjab-based bowler offers swing upfront and is one of the best death overs bowlers in the Indian team.
Given the skills he brings to the table, he will be a sure starter in the playing XI for the World Cup. Arshdeep’s differentiator is his left-arm action, which is much needed for Team India at the moment. Arshdeep’s inclusion in the lineup, with his bag of tricks and willingness, will only give ample much-required options to the Men in Blue.
