IPL 2022: Andre Russell Leads MVP Race

The Most Valuable Player Index table is telling another (worrying?) story: Performance from players in teams that are not going to make the top four is dropping somewhat alarmingly.
The IPL is gruelling and cruel. It can do wonders to your career, but can also seriously hurt your international prospects if you get injured in a match that is essentially inconsequential.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index after Game 63.

Andre Russell (MVPI: 705) has stormed ahead of Jos Buttler (644). Russell is scoring runs rapidly and taking wickets too. Buttler's runs have recently dried up, and his strike rate is also marginally down.

However, time might be running out for Russell since KKR currently look unlikely to make the play-offs. Buttler could still regain the top position if we compare his MVPI with players from teams likely to be in the top four.

For example, K L Rahul (465) from LSG or Rashid Khan (514) and Hardik Pandya (455) from GT, or Yuzvendra Chahal (512) and Sanju Samson (455) from RR. Sadly, Samson seems content to climb a hill, instead of heading for the more magnificent mountain peaks.

The Most Valuable Player Index table is telling another (worrying?) story: Performance from players in teams that are not going to make the top four is dropping somewhat alarmingly.

The IPL is gruelling and cruel. It can do wonders to your career, but can also seriously hurt your international prospects if you get injured in a match that is essentially inconsequential. If one looks closely, the trend of top players from losing teams either leaving or 'switching off' in the end weeks is becoming glaringly evident.

Thankfully, the IPL also provides new evidence, or reassurance, about the ability of several players. Among the Indian players Chahal, Umesh Yadav (451), Harshal Patel (423), Mohammed Shami (411), and, even more so, R Ashwin (421) and Dinesh Karthik (402) have demonstrated an admirable level of skill and resilience in T20 cricket.

The table below tells many other interesting stories. India's bench strength of fast bowlers is looking more and more impressive, India's largely 'invisible' batsmen have more to offer than we might realise, Sri Lankan cricketers might be making a significant comeback in T20 cricket, retiring fully or partially from international cricket earlier than usual might leave you wealthier at the end of your career, even a marginal second skill (bowling a couple of good overs, or being able to keep wickets) dramatically increasing your value etc, etc.

This analysis is based on 63 matches of IPL 2022. We have assumed the par score to be 180 and every wicket to be worth 18 'runs'.

Best Performing Players so far in IPL 2022 (after Match 63 ending 15.5.22)

• IPL 2022
• IPL 2022: Points Table

Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com