Rajvardhan Hangargekar has always been talented; now, CSK are trusting him

Imagine you are a 20-year-old (like Rajvardhan Hangargekar is), walking out to the blaring noise generated by a hundred thousand supporters. You have won the ICC U-19 World Cup previously but the IPL is a different kettle of fish altogether. That you are walking into the defending champions’ den, only adds another layer of intrigue and fascination to it all.

The moment you step onto the field, you realize the gravity of the situation. There is an excitement that if you can own this big stage, praises will be sung long after the game is done. But there is also anxiety that if things do not quite go your way, criticism will arrive in all shapes and sizes, and that you could be dubbed just another overrated cricketer on social media.

Hangargekar would have experienced this range of emotions as he made his IPL and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) debut against the Gujarat Titans (GT). Prior to IPL 2022, he was picked by CSK but did not play a single game. Here he was, hoping to kickstart their campaign in 2023, and longing to right the wrongs that occurred last year.

But if you saw him, you would not have believed this was a pacer bowling for the first time in the IPL. Of course, it was not like he was spotless. Bowlers his age are prone to odd transgressions and odd moments of madness. Hangargekar, in line with that notion, bowled a no-ball and offered up a couple of freebies that the opposing batters punished.

Hangargekar picked up a three-wicket haul on his IPL debut

Overall, though, he did everything CSK asked of him. He kept bowling at hard lengths, kept forcing the batters to play risky strokes, and picked up wickets. He ended the evening with three, and on another night, that could have been the difference between a victory and a defeat.

What was most impressive about Hangargekar was that he did not look shy of taking responsibility. Remember, this was a 20-year-old who had not featured at all in IPL 2022, yet he wanted to be a part of whatever crucial moments CSK would find themselves in.

If you were to be harsh, you could say that the 36 runs he conceded were detrimental to CSK’s hopes of defending their total. Take a closer look at him, however, and this is just the sort of bowler he is – guilty of conceding runs at times, but a genuine wicket-taker.

He has played 13 List A games so far (the most in any format) and averages 23.92, striking every 25.8 balls. Those are pretty good numbers for someone so young and so raw.

Hangargekar’s prospective impact just isn't limited to the ball either. He could be a fearsome striker at the end of an innings, and if CSK are brave, he could even get a gig as a pinch hitter at some point this season. With the willow, he rarely holds back and when he hits the ball, it stays hit (sorry for the cliché).

Most of these attributes, though, were known to those who watched him at the U-19 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2022. CSK would have even been aware of these traits when they snapped him up at the IPL 2022 mega-auction, beating stiff competition from their rivals.

Last season, because he barely played, it felt as if CSK did not quite trust the youngster. They kept losing and their more experienced players kept struggling. So, Hangargekar being included in the XI against the Titans was a victory in itself.

Hangargekar, though, was not content with just playing a part. Ever since breaking onto the scene during the U-19 World Cup, he has been touted to achieve big things, and this opening game in the IPL, his first-ever in the competition, only highlighted that he is hungry for more.

Inside 20 overs of bowling, he transformed from being just another player in the CSK squad to one they trusted. And when that happens, it usually means two things - that they will now back him to the hilt but more importantly, that they now have enough faith in him to unlock his true potential.

Not playing at all last season will stick out. But remember, he is still so young, and a season of development, especially if it leads to a campaign of quality, will be forgotten very soon.

If he keeps bowling this way, though, people will not forget Hangargekar anytime soon. In fact, he could yet become just what CSK missed last season.

That, for a 20-year-old, in a team that really values experience, says a lot about how special he can become.