IPL 2023: 3 Players LSG could’ve picked instead of Nicholas Pooran

2. Dawid Malan

After facing a snub in the IPL 2022 mega auction, Dawid Malan went under the hammer again in the 2023 auction at his base price of INR 1.5 crore. However, the English batter’s name couldn’t attract any franchises and he went unsold for second consecutive time. For England, Malan is a key player as he reinforces the top order with his aggressive batting attitude.

The 35-year-old has notched up 1,748 runs in 55 T20I matches at a fine strike rate of 135.71. Last year, he amassed 509 runs in 19 T20Is at an attractive strike rate of 132.20.  However, these attractive figures failed to entice the franchises to bid for him. At the event in Kochi, LSG spent a huge amount on Pooran, who has been inconsistent for his national side in the last few games.

However, they should’ve gone for Malan, who was in his top-notch form with the bat for England in 2022. Compared to Pooran, Malan is more credible as his T20I records are better than that of the Windies batter. The left-hander has played a lot of league cricket too, which could've helped the franchise fare well in the upcoming competition.