Gamers are undervalued for a variety of reasons. Their colleagues may be more skilled than them sometimes, or they may be role players who complete crucial but tedious tasks.
Here is our ranking of the 2023 Cricket World Cup's five most underrated performers.
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With his double strike (almost hat-trick) against Australia with the new ball under lights, Azmatullah Omarzai stole the show, but it wasn't the first time the young player had come through for his team this World Cup. The 23-year-old all-rounder, who averages 70.60 and has claimed 7 wickets in his World Cup debut, has had an incredible experience.
Omarzai's bowling will be discussed later, but his hitting has been extremely helpful to Afghanistan. While he hasn't scored as much as Gurbaz or Zadran, he has continuously made significant knocks.
Omarzai, however, has shown himself to be costly while playing the ball. In addition to his two wickets at the Wankhede against Australia, the 23-year-old hit two sixes in five balls against New Zealand.
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This World Cup, 10 bowlers have claimed more than 15 wickets. Gerald Coetzee was one of those ten.
Regarding the Proteas, Coetzee had a major role in South Africa's progress to the semifinals, even if the batsmen (as well as Marco Jansen) took centre stage during this World Cup.
In this World Cup, the 23-year-old has claimed 20 wickets. Outside of the powerplay, Coetzee has shown himself to be an absolute force to be reckoned with, his quickness and ferocity obliterating hitters.
The Netherlands are the only team that has been able to nullify his danger in the 2023 World Cup. The fact that the Proteas went on to lose that specific match is not only a coincidence.
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The one bright spot in England's miserable World Cup campaign has been Adil Rashid. As the only bowler from England to reach double figures in the wickets column this World Cup (17), the leg-spinner has also been the only Three Lions player to produce consistently throughout the campaign.
Rashid is one of six spinners in this World Cup to capture more than 15 wickets in the middle overs. He has, in many ways, carried England's ball in this World Cup by himself. Rashid recorded three wickets against Afghanistan (3/42) and the Netherlands (3/54), but his best performance came at the Wankhede against South Africa.
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Pat Cummins has quietly made the Australian bowling unit click, breaking partnerships and getting key wickets with the older ball in the middle overs, even if his overall stats aren't all that great (15 wickets @ 35.8).
The captain has regularly given his team moments of inspiration with the older ball to boost them, whether it be by dismissing centurion Rachin Ravindra in Dharamshala, opening up England with the wicket of Dawid Malan, or eliminating both openers in the Sri Lankan match following a 125-run opening stand.
Cummins has contributed much not only with the ball but also with the bat. Although we are aware of the two insane stands he and Glenn Maxwell enjoyed, the captain scored a crucial 37 (14) in the match against New Zealand, which ultimately proved to be the turning point.
He has played a disinterested tournament with the ball, saving his best play for the crucial moments. In the Cricket World Cup 2023 final, he created the moment that more than most stunned the audience into stillness by removing Virat Kohli in the 29th over.
As captain, he did a superb job of preventing India from becoming comfortable by rotating his bowlers, frequently following one-over periods.
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An IPL captain is rarely an underrated asset. However, it is simple to be lost in the throng while playing for a team that includes well-known players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah. Unlike Shubman Gill, he is not the new, shining thing in town. He lacks KL Rahul's versatility. Furthermore, he lacks the Kishans' and SKYs' energy.
The fourth position has belonged to Shreyas Iyer. In one-day internationals so far, he has amassed 2331 runs in 53 innings at a 49.59 average and a 100.99 strike rate. For a player who has frequently had to switch positions and has experienced a few serious injuries that have kept him out for months, they are quite respectable stats. Though a lot of stuff goes deeper than that, it is one reason he hasn't received much attention. Despite making his international debut six years ago, he will be participating in his first-ever ICC white-ball tournament.
Also Read: 29 major records were broken in the 2023 World Cup
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