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The 2023 season of the Indian Premier League is now past its midway stage, and the stakes are beginning to rise as far as the ten teams are concerned. Teams will be wary of the fact that they cannot afford to make too many mistakes at this stage, as the cost can be extremely high.
Going back to the first half, fans have been entertained by some stunning performances from players. Both the experienced campaigners and the young guns have stepped up and produced some remarkable shows.
While there have been many players who have been consistently good, there are a few special ones who have stood out and provided a lot of value to their respective teams.
On that note, here's a look at three of the most valuable players in this year's IPL 2023 so far.
#1 Mohammed Siraj
After a tough outing in the previous season of the IPL, Mohammed Siraj has made a strong comeback this time around.
In eight games so far, the pacer has picked up 14 wickets and is currently the holder of the purple cap, which is awarded to the highest wicket-taker. Siraj has a sensational economy rate of 7.28 this year, and he strikes every 13.71 deliveries, which is terrific.
It is to be noted that he has played six games at the M. Chhinaswamy Stadium, which is a really tough venue for bowlers. Another point to keep in mind is that his bowling has saved RCB on quite a few occasions.
Other bowlers, namely Harshal Patel, Wayne Parnell, and Vijaykumar Vyshak, have been erratic and inconsistent. RCB will hope for Siraj to continue his form as they look to end their quest for a maiden title.
#2 Axar Patel
In an otherwise off-color team, Axar Patel has been one of the lone glimmers of hope as far as the Delhi Capitals are concerned.
In eight games this year, Patel has scored 211 runs at a commendable strike rate of over 135. He has by far been Delhi's best batter this year, and many pundits have opined that he needs to be utilized at the top of the order.
Axar has also done a brilliant job for DC with the ball in hand, picking up 8 wickets in 8 games while conceding runs at just around 7 runs per over.
Delhi are currently in 10th place, and one can't help but imagine how much worse it would have been for David Warner and his side if not for the contributions of Axar Patel.
#3 Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla has rolled back the years with his performances in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
In the seven games that he has featured in so far, the experienced leg-spinner has picked up 11 wickets and has an economy rate of 7.11, which is a phenomenal achievement.
He has been one of Rohit Sharma's trump cards in this year's IPL, and MI will hope for more of the same from the veteran in the second half of IPL 2023.
It is worth noting that he went unsold in the first round of the IPL Auction in December. However, in the second round, he was picked up by the Mumbai Indians at his base price. Not many gave him a chance ahead of the season, but the leggie has performed remarkably.
