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With the ICC T20 World Cup a few months away, a few Indian pace bowlers are gaining everyone's notice with their exceptional performances in the IPL 2022. It is making fans demand their selection to the Indian team for the big event in Australia.
Some fast bowlers who have been on the fringes like Thangarasu Natarajan, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Avesh Khan have done well this IPL.
There have also been some exciting new talents seen emerging in this IPL. India is lucky to see new promising pacers in the form of Umran Malik, Kuldeep Sen, Mohsin Khan, Mukesh Choudhary, Vaibhav Arora, make a mark.
These players will provide selectors with a wide range of options when they sit to decide the Indian team that will head to Australia for the 2022 T20 World Cup. Here are a few bowlers who seem like frontrunners to be the surprise inclusions in the Indian team for the mega event later this year.
Thangarasu Natarajan
Natarajan was the find of the 2020 IPL season. He has proven his ability in the limited opportunities that he has got at the international level.
He was part of the team that recorded the historic Test win in Brisbane in January 2020. His records in T20Is in Australia are good with a bowling average of 13.83 in three matches.
Natarajan has continued to impress in this IPL, taking 17 wickets in nine matches and bowling some real tough overs for the SunRisers Hyderabad. He has a big chance of making it to the Indian team for the 2022 T20 World Cup on the back of his death overs expertise.
Strengths:
- Specialist at the death with his yorkers that he nails with pin-point accuracy
- Has experience of delivering in pressure situations in the death overs and of Australian conditions
Weakness:
- Batters now know what to expect of Natarajan. His economy of 8.65 has been on the higher side.
Umran Malik
He has been a wicket-taker when on song and has 15 wickets from 11 matches this season. Malik also delivered the fastest ball of this season with a 157 kmph delivery against the Delhi Capitals.
On pacy Australian pitches, a bowler with such raw pace might ruffle the feathers of opposition batsmen. He might be used as the 'X-factor' by the Indian team, if selected.
Strengths:
- Raw pace, consistently clocking above 150 kmph
- Has a lethal yorker and bouncer
Weaknesses:
- Lack of experience at the international arena
- Tendency to be expensive
Prasidh Krishna
Unlike the above two, Prasidh Krishna hasn't stood out with the number of wickets this season. Yet, there are enough reasons why Prasidh will be a name that will be deliberated for selection in India's T20 World Cup squad.
His ability to get extra bounce at good pace will be a crucial skill considering the bouncy pitches of Australia during the 2022 T20 World Cup. He has been one of the reasons why Rajasthan Royals have been able to win some tight matches.
His standout performance was the wicket maiden that he bowled in the penultimate over against the Delhi Capitals. It seemed like redemption after his disappointing performance when he was put in a similar situation last season against CSK.
He has matured well and has shown it this season by always being in the ears of other Royals bowlers like Trent Boult, Obed McCoy, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Strengths:
- Ability to suprise batters with his bouncers at good pace
- Has matured as a death bowler and has nailed yorkers in pressure situations
Weaknesses:
- Lack of experience at the international arena
- Tendency to be expensive at times
Harshal Patel
Like Prasidh, Harshal hasn't really created waves with his performances this season. He himself has been forthcoming about it and much is expected from him in the business end of the season.
But there is a reason why he is a bowler that selectors should consider selecting for the T20 World Cup. That is his ability to bowl well-disguised slower balls.
He has picked up 14 wickets from 11 matches with an economy rate of 7.65 this season. Another reason why he will be more effective in the T20 World Cup in Australia is that the bigger grounds will give him more protection and ensure that edges don't result in boundaries.
Strengths:
- Variety of slower balls that are difficult to pick for batters
- Ability to bowl under pressure in the death overs
Weakness:
- Batters have an idea of what is coming from Harshal
Arshdeep Singh
A classic example of why stats don't tell the whole story. Arshdeep's numbers this season have been so different from his performances. He has picked up just six wickets from 11 matches at an average of 49.33.
But anyone who has watched the matches he has played will know the impact that he had. Kagiso Rabada even called him the best death bowler in the IPL.
One of the most impressive death bowling performances in IPL 2022, so far, came when he bowled the crucial death overs against CSK.
He returned figures of 1/23 from four overs and gave away only 14 runs from 12 balls in the final stages of the innings. That too, against batsmen like MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ambati Rayudu.
Strengths:
- Exceptional death bowler- knows when to bowl what
- Ability to nail yorkers under pressure
Weakness:
- Inability to get wickets this season
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