5 overseas players who might be benched for most part of IPL 2020

The thirteenth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) will be up and running on September 19th after a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament is now going to be held in the UAE, with matches to be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

After the tournament has been moved out of India, the IPL franchises will have to change their game plans in accordance with the pitches and conditions in the UAE.

In a high-stake league that sees international participation from almost all countries, competition for spots in the playing XI is bound to happen. While most overseas stars will be crucial to their teams’ plans, there are some who may remain on the sidelines for the major part of the league.

So, let’s take a look at 5 overseas players who are likely to be benched for the major part of the season: –

1. Chennai Super Kings – Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood was signed by CSK for Rs 2 crore in the IPL 2020 auction held in December 2019. The Super Kings’ thin purse played a role in their auction strategies last year.

While the Australian is a world-class Test bowler and has been decent in ODIs,  he hasn’t made much of an impact in T20 cricket. He has, however, fared better when playing for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and has a good record in that competition.

The 29-year-old will be behind Lungi Ngidi in the pecking order at CSK, and the purchase of Sam Curran, who offers far more with the bat than either of the two, further complicates matters.

It is highly unlikely that Hazlewood will get a game in the 2020 IPL, given the spin-friendly conditions in the UAE.