IPL 2022 evokes an uprising of left-arm Indian pacers

It’s been quite some time since Indian cricket was graced with a genuine and permanent left-arm fast bowling option. Zaheer Khan, who made his international debut in 2000, commanded the Indian pace battalion till 2014. Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan also enhanced the Indian attack with their pace and seam-ups across all playing conditions during their playing journeys.

While the current crop of Indian speedsters includes an impressive line-up comprising the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav, it still lacks that X-Factor which comes with an expert left-arm pacer.  

Thankfully for Indian cricket, the IPL 2022 season has sparked an uprising of an entire arsenal of left-arm quicks in the form of Mohsin Khan, and Yash Dayal, among others who have once again stepped up in the toughest twenty.

IPL 2022 gives Indian left-arm pace talent a major kick

Over the years, IPL has proven to be a breeding ground for blooding young talents and turning them into genuine match-winners. Like every season, the 2022 edition lived up to the tournament’s legacy by unearthing sparkling new prospects for the future of Indian cricket.  

Among a pantheon of emerging stars, the year also saw a rise of several talented left-arm quicks who could potentially become members of the Indian pace armoury. The likes of CSK’s Mukesh Choudhary, GT’s Yash Dayal and LSG’s Mohsin Khan were just some of the debutants this season who managed to impress one-and-all with their speed and accuracy.

Apart from the debutants, battle-hardened campaigners like Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and T Natarajan also evoked much debate among cricket experts, thus alerting the selectors ahead of a looming T20 World Cup in Australia.

Amidst a brewing evolution of left-arm fast bowlers in India, we take a look at how each player has performed this year.

Mukesh Choudhary (CSK)

Mukesh Choudhary turned out to be one of the finds of CSK’s torrid season. The 25-year-old from Maharashtra claimed his way into the yellow brigade post a remarkable Vijay Hazare Trophy season with the ball. The cricketer ended his maiden IPL season with 16 wickets from 13 games.

Yash Dayal (GT)

Gujarat Titans’ Yash Dayal has only played seven games for his side this year. However, the Allahabad-based cricketer collected nine wickets and could add a few more to his tally throughout the Titans’ impending playoffs journey.  

Mohsin Khan (LSG)

During his team’s final league game against the KKR, Mohsin Khan clocked 151 kmph at one stage. Maintaining consistent speeds throughout the tournament, he has also backed his raw pace with steady accuracy by bagging 13 wickets across eight matches for the newcomer side.

Arshdeep Singh (PBKS)

Arshdeep Singh may not have enjoyed the best of seasons in terms of wickets, but the lanky Punjab speedster has managed to silence the best of finishers in the death overs. Bowling the most difficult overs across all the matches he played, Singh snared ten wickets while maintaining an economy of 7.70.

Khaleel Ahmed (DC)

Frugal with the ball in hand, the 24-year-old Delhi Capitals’ pacer Khaleel Ahmed troubled everyone throughout the two-month event. Ahmed is the most successful speedster for his side this year, with a tournament haul of 16 wickets.

T Natarajan (SRH)

T Natarajan made amends for last year, where he missed the bulk of SRH’s campaign owing to an injury. The cricketer swung his way to 18 wickets from just 11 games this time around.