IPL 2023 has been all about comebacks. A few players, who were not expected to even play a game in IPL 2023, are now in terrific form for their respective teams. While we have the examples of Piyush Chawla and Mohit Sharma in the bowling department, there are a few batters, too, who are in fine touch. Here, we take a look at two batters who are unexpectedly doing well in IPL 2023.
1) Ajinkya Rahane – Chennai Super Kings
In 6 games that he has played, till now, Rahane has scored 224 runs at a strike rate of 190. Last year, representing KKR, Rahane had a horrible season and was later dropped. Hence, it was a surprise when CSK picked him up at IPL 2023 Auctions.
Justifying his selection, Rahane’s approach has been extremely brilliant in IPL 2023. Operating at No.3, he has shown great intent and his ball striking is also top-notch. While his game against pace has always been good, Rahane is also doing well against the spinners. Many thought Rahane would be used as the backup opener or maybe as an anchor but he is doing the role of the enforcer, something many did not see coming.
2) Vijay Shankar – Gujarat Titans
Vijay Shankar is one of the batters who are unexpectedly doing well in IPL 2023. Similar to Rahane, Shankar has also been a delight to watch. It was a big surprise that GT retained Vijay, especially after the player had a spell of injury and missed a lot of games for Tamil Nadu in the domestic season.
However, Shankar has scored 199 runs at a strike rate of 165 and has helped his team win the game against KKR. In the current squad, it is massive for GT that Shankar is stepping up. He has the experience and he could also arrive on the big stage. Importantly, his confidence could help him achieve even better scores in the coming games.