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. (Photo Source: Twitter) 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. 2. David Miller – Rajasthan Royals David Miller. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) Rajasthan Royals’ overseas combination is the easiest to pick as the likes of Jos Buttler, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are among the best players in the world. David Miller has found it difficult to get going in the IPL in the past three years The trust that IPL franchises have shown in David Miller has rapidly decreased. The South African has found it difficult to get going early on in his innings, with his rotation of strike also under the scanner in recent years. The southpaw is still more than capable of turning games on their heads. The 31-year-old was also in good form in the Proteas’ limited-overs series against Australia earlier this year, and there’s no denying his quality despite his patchy form of late. However, the presence of Steve Smith and Ben Stokes might lead to Miller being benched for the entirety of the 2020 IPL season. 3. Sandeep Lamichhane- Delhi Capitals Sandeep Lamichhane. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sandeep Lamichanne would’ve definitely made a few appearances for DC was it not for the trade that brought Ravichandran Ashwin to the franchise. The former Kings XI Punjab captain was drafted in at the expense of a couple of leg-spinners. With the presence of Ashwin and veteran leggie Amit Mishra, who picked up 11 wickets in IPL 2019 at an economy rate of 6.75, Lamichhane might be using up an overseas slot that could be put to better use. DC also have Axar Patel who offers a lot more with the bat and in the field, and could perfectly complement the attacking spin options in Ashwin and Mishra. So it is safe to say that the Nepali spinner might have to watch from the sidelines. 4. Sherfane Rutherford – Mumbai Indians Sherfane Rutherford. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Sherfane Rutherford came to the Mumbai Indians in a trade deal with the Delhi Capitals, which saw young leg-spinner Mayank Markande go the other way. Although Rutherford is young and has certainly been bought with an eye on the future, it is difficult to see the all-rounder making an appearance for Rohit Sharma’s men unless there’s an injury or two. The presence of two all-rounders in Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya, apart from Kieron Pollard makes the case even more difficult for Rutherford to get a chance in the eleven. With the volume of quality around him, Rutherford is very likely to have to wait for his chance to feature for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020. 5. Chris Jordan – Kings 11 Punjab Chris Jordan. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images,) After going unsold in the 2019 IPL auction, former Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad man Chris Jordan was bought for INR 3 crores by KXIP. Jordan has played only two IPL games in his last three years, and hasn’t quite offered enough with the bat. The Englishman, who is known for his pinpoint yorkers and slower balls at the death, has an IPL career economy rate of 9.03. Glenn Maxwell, Chris Gayle and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are assured of their spots, and the final one could go to either James Neesham or Sheldon Cottrell, who adds a lot of variety to the attack with his left-arm pace. Despite his price tag, it’s safe to say that Chris Jordan could warm the benches for most of this year’s IPL season, unless any of the players from the Punjab side gets injured. ~Written by Kevin D’Costa

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

Some experienced names in the list.

4. Sherfane Rutherford – Mumbai Indians

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