5 players from Abu Dhabi T10 League 2019 who can get good bids in IPL 2020 Auction

When T20 cricket was invented in the early 2000s everyone thought that this fast-paced format won’t be able to fit in the gentlemen’s game. But almost fifteen years into the T20 cricket, it is the most famous and the most entertaining format of the game of cricket. T20 cricket has the biggest fan following around the globe compared to the other two formats, ODI and Test cricket.

But in 2017, another format took birth in the United Arab Emirates. Indian company T10 Sports Management launched a fascinating form of cricket known as T10 which translates to ten over a side contest. Both International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Emirates Cricket Board officially sanctioned the league.

Recently, the tournament successfully completed its third season in the city of Abu Dhabi. Many international and domestic cricketers all around the world took part in the league. Considering the league having such a large base of viewers around the world, the players who performed well over there are bound to get a lot of attention.

Here we will take a look at such five players who have performed exceptionally well in this year’s T10 League and are most likely to get good bids in the next month’s IPL 2020 player auction.

Tom Banton (England)

The 21-year-old Buckingham born opening batsman and wicketkeeper Tom Banton has already made big waves in the franchise T20 cricketing circuit. Most of the T20 clubs around the world are keeping a close eye on the Englishman’s performances. The right-handed batsman is highly rated in the English domestic circuit and has been called as a possible successor for Jos Buttler in the senior T20I side.

Banton has been a consistent performer with the bat in the recently concluded Abu Dhabi T20 League. With an average of more than 40, he scored 162 runs at an astounding strike rate of 200 for the Qalandars. With this type of average especially in T10 format speaks volumes about the skills he possesses. Add his lightning keeping skills to his batting prowess and you get a perfect package for the upcoming IPL.

Reports are suggesting that both the finalists from last year, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are very much interested in the youngster. But Banton’s heart is with MI as he has been their fan from his teenage days. He confirmed that he would love to play at the iconic Wankhede for the defending champions in IPL.

Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan)

A 19-year-old leg spinner from Afghanistan. This one sentence is enough for the T20 cricketing world to go crazy about. Afghanistan cricket and their sensational teenage leg spinners are the most lethal combination right now in the T20 cricket and Qais Ahmad is no exception to this. He has been in scintillating form in the past year or so.

After producing world-class teenage spinners like Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Afghanistan has discovered another gem in their mines. Ahmad was taking wickets at will for the Bangla Tigers with the help of his leg-spin in the recently concluded T10 league (9 wickets in just 7 matches). He is likely to break into the Afghanistan T20I side as well.

There is no secret that every T20 side need a world-class leg spinner who may go for a few runs but will always get you those crucial wickets. There is no surprise that most of the IPL sides have got a world-class leg spinner at their disposal. But there are a couple of sides which doesn’t have a good leggie in their squad and will go all out in the auctions to bag the services of Ahmad for the upcoming IPL.

Rilee Rossouw (South Africa)

The 30-year-old South African batsman hasn’t had a successful international career despite possessing so much talent. But still, he is rocking the T20 leagues around the world for quite some time now with his sensational power hitting skills. Despite having a decent One day record, Rilee Rossouw hasn’t able to cement his place in the national squad.

Rossouw was the talk of the town when the IPL 2014 auction took place. He was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for that particular season. He was with them for a couple of years but couldn’t find a regular place in a star-studded Bangalore batting line-up. He played only 5 IPL matches in two seasons scoring only 53 runs.

But in the recently concluded T10 League, he was in top form amassing 226 runs at a healthy average of 38 at an outstanding strike rate of 190. He ended up being the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, playing for Bangla Tigers. On the back of his breakthrough T10 season, he is most likely to get a bid from those IPL sides who are in the need of a reliable top or middle-order batsman.

Eoin Morgan (England)

The England cricket team’s limited-overs skipper needs no introduction. He successfully carried his side to their first-ever ODI World Cup win at Lord’s a few months ago. He has already been a legend in for his countrymen. But as far as his IPL career goes, it has been a roller-coaster ride for him. Morgan has played for as many as four IPL franchises in the past namely Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).

But Morgan was not a regular customer in any of the sides. His numbers are proof that he had a below-average IPL career so far. He averages just 21 in as many as 52 IPL matches. These are poor numbers by the standards of the most successful England skipper. But Morgan has been a revolution in the recently concluded T10 League, though his side, Delhi Bulls, finished at the bottom of the points table.

He was the only positive for them in the otherwise dismal tournament. Captain Morgan was the lone warrior in his side where others failed miserably. He smashed 175 runs at a very impressive average of 43. The IPL teams which want a reliable middle-order batsman who can anchor their innings will look to grab his services for the upcoming IPL.

Chris Lynn (Australia)

Chris Lynn is a T20 specialist and every cricket fan in the world knows it well. He is a legend in making in the franchise T20 cricket. Lynn rose through the ranks of Big Bash League when he hit the bowlers all over the park (and out of the park as well). After some quiet season with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he finally announced himself in IPL 2017.

Lynn has been Kolkata’s biggest hitter for three consecutive seasons. But to everyone’s surprise, they released him ahead of this year’s player auction. But it had zero effect on him. On the back off his scintillating power-hitting ability, he racked in 371 runs at an impressive average of 53 in the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2019. Not only that but he helped his side Maratha Arabians win the tournament for the first time. Lynn was also adjudged as the Man of the Tournament.

After this type of breakthrough performance with the Arabians, Lynn is bound to get a huge bid from many IPL franchises. Kolkata might feel they have made a mistake releasing him and will look to buy him back in the auction. But at the same time, some other sides like Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Rajasthan Royal (RR), who are in the need of a destructive opener, will also look to snatch him.