IPL 2022: 4 Best batters to watch out for in playoffs

A couple of teams are vying for more trophies, but their rivalry has been entertaining. The fans have already been delighted, but this cricket-mad country is always up for more.

It is extremely tough for a team or a player to maintain consistency in IPL, as each squad is stacked with acknowledged superstars. In the league phase, a team usually plays a minimum of 14 games. Most of the time, players will run out of gas as the tournament progresses, but a select handful has excelled when under duress.

So, here we will discuss players from this season of IPL who can prove clinical for their teams in the upcoming playoffs.

Hardik Pandya

This all-rounder has been a part of IPL since 2015 and was a key player for Mumbai Indians in previous years. Hardik's contribution helped Mumbai Indians in their successful seasons. We can expect a similar performance by him in the qualifier of this season, too, as even though he's being seen in a new role this season, Hardik has been phenomenal for the Gujarat-based franchise.

He has been instrumental in the team's victory throughout the tournament. With four fifties and a strike rate of 131.52, Pandya scored 413 runs in 13 matches. The captain's performance in the first Qualifier of GT's first IPL edition will be essential.

The all-rounders' central role in the qualifier will be to bat at a high strike rate and play fearless cricket, which will help decrease pressure from bowlers and lower-order batters.

Jos Buttler

In the first seven games, this Rajasthan Royals' opener had smashed 491 runs. Jos Buttler appeared to be on his way to breaking Virat Kohli's 973-run season record, which now seems an unlikely scenario as the England opener's total runs tally from 14 games stands at 629. 

Even after this, Jos Buttler, the batsman for RR, will be a significant player to watch in the most crucial game of the season as he's a big-game player and is in the best form of his career this season.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul has been the "Mr. Consistent" of the season as captain of the new Lucknow Super Giants, the most expensive team in IPL. He's been dependable at the top, scoring 537 runs at a 48.82 average.

Besides his bat skills, he has also managed a new franchise with finesse, changing players as needed to ensure a smooth playoff run. The strike rate of the opener is also very decent this season as it's 136, which shows that he's scoring runs and doing it at a fast rate. KL Rahul also has an outstanding record against RCB. He has 501 runs in 10 innings against Bangalore, with an average strike rate of 83.50 and 151.36, respectively.

These all facts combined, show the importance of Lucknow Super Giants opener, and without any doubt, he's the most important batsman for them in the eliminator against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Virat Kohli

Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore's cricketer, is anticipated to play more freely in qualifiers now that he is no longer the captain.

When in form, the top-order batsman is a joy to see and will be eager to prove his worth as an enforcer. Virat Kohli is the all-time leading run-scorer in the lucrative tournament, with 6,592 runs from 221 matches. 

The best positive sign for Royal Challengers Bangalore is that their most crucial batsman is back when they needed him the most. In the previous deciding game of RCB, the former skipper played a match-winning knock and was awarded Man of the Match for the same.

He's the most crucial player for a Bangalore-based franchise in their match against LSG. He is one of the most sensible batsmen who knows how to rotate strikes quickly even when it's not his day.