IPL 2022: 5 players to watch out for in Week 1

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will kick off on March 26, after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule on Sunday, March 6. The tournament opener sees Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), finalists from the previous edition, lock horns at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

The second day sees the first double-header of the tournament, which starts with Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) battling it out at the Brabourne Stadium. Later that day, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

While the two new IPL teams, Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), will debut against each other, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will kickstart their campaign against Rajasthan Royals (RR).

With the countdown having begun, the excitement is palpable ahead of the 15th edition of the biggest T20 extravaganza. Veterans, youngsters and lesser-known players will be in action in equal proportion, setting the stage for a blockbuster season ahead.

Here, we take a look at five players to watch out for in the first week of IPL 2022.

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#5 David Willey (RCB)

IPL 2022 will see David Willey begin his second stint with the league.

England all-rounder David Willey is just three matches old in the IPL, having represented CSK in 2018. However, he is back in the league after Royal Challengers Bangalore picked him up for ₹2 crore at the IPL 2022 Auction.

With Josh Hazlewood and Jason Behrendorff unavailable for the first few games of the tournament, Willey could well be a part of RCB's playing XI. A powerplay specialist, Willey has regained his USP of swinging the new ball - something that he seemingly lost heading into the 2019 World Cup. That, in a big way, led to his omission from the event as well.

Willey also brings the variety of being left-handed with both the bat and ball. He has two hundreds in the T20 format, having batted at No.3 and can hit the ball long.

With RCB also looking at balancing their batting order with the right mix of left-handers, here's a chance for Willey to put his hand up. And while death bowling isn't really his strongest forte, it has been something he has worked on, as he showed during the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Not that he will be required to bowl at the death, with RCB already having Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel at their disposal. Whether Willey can grab his chances and leave the think tank scratching their heads once Hazlewood is available makes him a player to watch out for in Week 1 of IPL 2022.

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#4 Ravi Bishnoi (LSG)

The Lucknow Super Giants snapped up Ravi Bishnoi as one of their pre-auction draft picks at ₹4 crore. After a solid start to his international career, it is safe to say that the acquisition has been an absolute steal on the part of the KL Rahul-led side.

That, in a sense, puts him under watchful eyes once again though, with Bishnoi having to adapt to the flat tracks of Mumbai. It will be a challenge of a different kind once Bishnoi walks out to face CSK at the Brabourne Stadium, given the small boundary dimensions and historically batter-friendly surfaces at the venue.

Bishnoi, however, has shown the heart and the smarts to be able to adapt to different scenarios. It is this aspect of his game that has catapulted him into the reckoning for a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad later this year.

With LSG looking to kickstart their journey on a high, a lot will ride on the four-over bank that Bishnoi brings with him. On these batting-friendly surfaces in particular, keep an eye out for how the young leggie from Rajasthan manages to adapt early on in IPL 2022.

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#3 Rajvardhan Hangargekar (CSK)

A prodigious talent, Rajvardhan Hangargekar is one who has been touted as a potential star in the making. It's no wonder, then, that the reigning champions Chennai Super Kings shelled out ₹1.5 crore at the IPL 2022 Auction on the young Maharashtra lad. Hangargekar was recently a part of the ICC U19 World Cup winning team as well.

Hangargekar has already joined the franchise's training camp in Surat, and was also spotted keenly practicing with skipper MS Dhoni. A bustling pacer who genuinely bowls quick, Hangargekar gives the ball a long whack as well, making the excitement around him understandable.

With Deepak Chahar set to miss a major chunk of IPL 2022 owing to a quadricep tear, the door has already opened for Hangargekar to come in as a like-for-like replacement.

Given how CSK are known to emphasize batting depth, they went out of their way to secure Chahar's services again. In his absence, therefore, there is a very good chance that Hangargekar could make his debut in the first week of IPL 2022. Surely, you don't want to take your eyes off him then, do you?

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#2 Andre Russell (KKR)

When Dre Russ is in the house, you watch with bated breath!

Don't worry - we won't bore you with Andre Russell's skillsets and strengths. After all, who isn't aware of them? The focal point here centers around the holes he would help plug in the Kolkata Knight Riders outfit come IPL 2022.

KKR are set to play three games in the first week of the competition. After their tournament opener against CSK, the two-time champions will lock horns against RCB at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium. Russell has had amazing success against both teams in the past.

Russell will also have to shoulder a major burden of KKR's death bowling responsibility. Pat Cummins is unavailable for the side's first three games of IPL 2022, the last of which sees them face off against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.

With Tim Southee and Chamika Karunaratne not reliable enough at the death, Russell will have to remain a two-over bank in this phase of the innings. He, therefore, will be KKR's de facto X factor for the first week of IPL 2022 in particular.

These reasons aside, the first week could give a peek into Russell's form and fitness heading into that phase of IPL 2022 as things start to heat up. Much scrutiny will surely be on the big Jamaican as he looks to do the needful for his beloved Knight Riders.

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#1 Shikhar Dhawan (PBKS)

Shikhar Dhawan will turn out for Punjab Kings come IPL 2022.

It is a new start for Shikhar Dhawan, with the veteran left-handed opener set to don the Punjab Kings colors in the new season. Expected to open the innings with captain Mayank Agarwal, Dhawan will look to get the franchise off to a flying start.

His IPL numbers have seen an upward trajectory over the last three years, particularly as far as strike rate and intent are concerned. Given Dhawan's tendency to start the new season with a bang, he could well win PBKS a couple of games on his own and set the tone for the campaign.

All eyes will also be on Dhawan with regards to how he adapts to the new franchise and their modus operandi. Stability has been a factor that PBKS have lacked big time over the years and with the inclusion of the former Delhi Capitals opener, they will hope he brings the same to their unit.

Entertainment is a big factor in the IPL and the tournament has thrown up a number of players who live up to that billing. Dhawan is right up there as a top-drawer attraction in that regard and surely, he remains one to watch out for from the start of IPL 2022.