IPL 7: Five unknown names who came to prominence

Tags: Indian Premier League 2014, Manan Vohra, Karun Nair, Akshar Patel, Yuzvendra Singh Chahal, Karn Sharma

Published on: Jun 04, 2014

You may have not heard much about them before IPL 7, but would be keen to know more about them now following their impressive performances.

You may have not heard much about them before IPL 7, but would be keen to know more about them now following their impressive performances. Here’s a look at five unknown cricketers, who stood up and made a mark in IPL 7.


Karun Nair: The Rajasthan Royals opener made a serious impression playing for the former champions, and was unlucky that he couldn’t feature in more than 11 matches since Rajasthan were ousted before the play offs at the very end of the league stage. Batting with plenty of flair, Nair amassed 330 runs in 11 matches at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 142. Nair hit three fifties in the event with a highest of 73 not out. Nair slammed 38 fours and 9 sixes in all.


Manan Vohra: He featured in only half of the matches that runners-up Kings XI Punjab played, but Vohra still stood out with his smart hitting, and consistency. In 8 matches, he notched up 324 runs at a wonderful average of 40.5 and a strike rate of 139. Vohra hit one half-century in the event, apart from his other good scores. His best of 67 came in the final, but was in vain. Vohra hit 27 fours and 16 sixes during the course of the tournament


Akshar Patel: Even as Sunil Narine continued to spin a web around opponents, left-arm spinner Patel also made a name for himself, in a Punjab side full of big hitters. Patel featured in a total of 17 matches, and picked up 17 wickets in those games. His economy rate of 6.1 was brilliant. Patel’s strike rate was very good at 23.2. He finished the event with an average of 23 and a best of 3/24. Definitely one of the finds of the event.


Yuzvendra Chahal: Royal Challengers Bangalore had a forgettable tournament, but Chahal was one of the few players who made an impression. The leggie featured in 14 matches and finished with 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7 and a strike rate of 27. Chahal’s average in the event was 32, and his best was 2 for 17. Chahal’s most impressive facet was his consistency in line and his ability to take wickets. As the tournament progressed, his form wavered away, but he still finished with decent figures.


Karn Sharma: A good performance by him got lost as Sunrisers Hyderabad struggled to make an impression. The leg break bowler featured in 14 matches and claimed 15 wickets at a strike rate of 20 and economy rate of 7.4. While his economy was slightly on the higher side, he maintained a good average of 25 with one four-wicket haul. Sharma’s best figures in the event were 4 for 38. Sharma could have done a lot more had Hyderabad progressed to the next round.


--By A Cricket Analyst

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