Team India participated in a number of T20Is in 2022, including the T20 World Cup in Australia. They had a lot of success, but they ended up finishing in the Super Four at the Asia Cup and missing out on the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Their bowling team’s inability to withstand pressure was one factor in the Men in Blue’s failure to win the two marquee events. They were obviously devastated by Jasprit Bumrah’s untimely back stress fracture, but players like Harshal Patel, Axar Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal’s returns were disappointing.
Naturally, there were also some beneficial lessons learned in 2022. The team is working toward a change in T20Is and will try to start over at the beginning of the new year.
But first, let’s rank the five best Indian bowlers who will play T20Is in 2022.
#5 Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin (6/10)
Despite Chahal’s 23 wickets in T20Is in 2022, his dwindling returns allowed his IPL teammate Ravichandran Ashwin to enter the game. Because of this, Chahal was left on the bench throughout the T20 World Cup, and the Men in Blue chose to use the seasoned off-spinner instead.
However, neither had an exceptional year. Ashwin was at his best defensively heading into the T20 World Cup, but his returns suffered significantly throughout the competition. This is reflected in his overall T20I bowling average of 34.00 in 2022, despite taking only 11 wickets across 14 innings.
Chahal’s lack of control was evident, despite the fact that he had better numbers, which forced the team management to bench him. He also did not improve in New Zealand, so the two spinners for the Rajasthan Royals are tied for fifth place.
India’s exit from the T20 World Cup in the semi-finals sums up a lot of what went wrong for them in the tournament that really mattered.
#4 Ravi Bishnoi (7/10)
There was a lot of criticism for the fact that Ravi Bishnoi did not make India’s main team for the T20 World Cup. Calls for Chahal’s inclusion grew louder as a result of Chahal’s declining form and Bishnoi’s outstanding performance in the Asia Cup match against Pakistan, but the actual outcome was different.
Even more shocking is the fact that he has been dropped entirely from India’s T20I lineup. The leggie from Rajasthan, who made his debut at home against the West Indies, took 16 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 7.08
He is the ideal modern T20 bowler because he can fire it in and bowl good defensive overs. He was a big loss for India at the T20 World Cup, even in hindsight.
#3 Hardik Pandya (7.5/10)
In 2022, one of the most important positive developments for the Men in Blue was Hardik Pandya’s return to the Indian white-ball setup. The Gujarat Titans captain contributed with both the bat and the ball, and he now stands a chance of becoming India’s full-time captain of T20Is.
During the tour of the West Indies, Hardik’s ability to play with the batters’ minds and bowl to a field that changed frequently stood out. He finished 2022 with 20 T20I wickets at an economy rate of 8.50 thanks to his ability to strike crucial blows at the right time and his cutters into the surface.
In two crucial matches against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, Hardik struck crucial blows. In both white-ball formats, particularly T20Is, he maintains his status as India’s most valuable player.
#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (8/10)
Although Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggled to bowl final overs during the Asia Cup and thereafter, he performed admirably in T20Is in 2022. He was also at his very best at the T20 World Cup, until he ran into Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, who was raging, in the semis.
Bhuvneshwar was India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker overall in T20Is in 2022, taking 37 in 31 innings at an economy rate of 6.98. Even though he was left out of the preparations for the series against Sri Lanka, the veteran has performed admirably for Indian cricket and remains a backup option if necessary.
#1 Arshdeep Singh (9/10)
Arguably India’s best breakout performer and standout bowler in T20Is in 2022. Higher honors were never far away thanks to Arshdeep Singh’s stellar performance in the IPL. He took advantage of the opportunity, slammed the door shut, and he claimed his place in the first XI.
He quickly became the Men in Blue’s most dependable death-overs option, especially since Jasprit Umrah’s injury kept him out of the T20 World Cup. Arshdeep was always there to answer the captain’s call, whether he was swinging the new ball on the powerplay or hitting yorkers at the end.
Arshdeep’s breakout year is fairly represented by 33 wickets in 21 matches at an economy rate of 8.17, in addition to striking once every 13.3 deliveries. If you pair it with a calm demeanor, it becomes abundantly clear that the Punjabi youth will remain.