IPL 2019: Team-wise one top player who might pull out of the tournament
These players are indispensable members of their respective national teams.
The hype surrounding the Indian Premier League (IPL) is on an escalation. The transfers have already started taking place and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given the eight franchises a deadline of November 15 in order to submit the list of released players. The auction is set to take place next year with the event likely to be staged from the end of March.
On the other hand, the 50-overs World Cup in England and Wales is set to start on May 30 and teams would be eying to reach the pinnacle of ODI cricket in the event. In the meantime, a number of players may not take part in the T20 orgy in order to get themselves prepared for the World Cup. In our article, we look at one such cricketer from each of the eight franchises.
Faf du Plessis- Chennai Super Kings
South Africa are yet to win the World Cup despite possessing some of the best players over the years. This time around, Faf du Plessis is the captain and he will be in with an opportunity to resurrect his team’s wretched fortunes in the mega event. He is currently in Australia for the ODI series. The seasoned campaigner plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the cash-rich IPL.
Last season, he got to play only six matches in which he could muster only 162 runs. The 34-year-old may not play the T20 event next year for the reason that he has suffered from quite a few injuries in the recent past. Being the Proteas skipper, the Pretoria-born cricketer couldn’t afford a mishap to himself, which could hamper his national team’s chance in the World Cup.
Trent Boult- Delhi Daredevils
The Delhi Daredevils (DD) didn’t have an auspicious season in the last IPL. They put forth some brilliant performance in the second half of the event, but that wasn’t enough to guide them through to the playoffs. New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult was one of their gun bowlers. The left-arm speedster was their leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets from 14 encounters.
However, the franchise may miss out on the services of the 29-year-old bowler from Rotorua. Fast bowlers are prone to injuries and Boult would be pretty aware of the same. In order to avoid any unwanted happening, he may not ply his trade in the T20 extravaganza. He is expected to be one of the Black Caps’ trump card in the mega tournament in England.
Aaron Finch- Kings XI Punjab
Australia are the reigning world champions, but currently, the team is in dire straits and have strained in the 50-overs format. However, there’s still some time left for them to recollect themselves before the World Cup. Aaron Finch, the newly appointed ODI captain, has a humungous task ahead of him to help his team arrest its slump and put its best foot forward.
Meanwhile, Finch also may sit out of the IPL next time around. He plays for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and though he could manage only 134 runs in 10 matches with a top score of 46 last season, he remains to be an integral member of their setup. Nevertheless, bearing in mind the Men in Yellow’s campaign in the World Cup, Punjab may not have their important player.
Chris Lynn- Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) used the Right to Match (RTM) card on Chris Lynn last season and the same shows his vitality in the shortest format. He wasn’t at his fluent best but churned out 491 runs in 16 matches at a decent average of 32.73. Nonetheless, the fact that he is injury prone can’t be ignored and it’s one of the reasons why he doesn’t play red-ball cricket.
He was one of the prolific run scorers for Queensland in Australia’s domestic One Day Cup and is also in the national team’s plans for next year’s World Cup. Dinesh Karthik’s men may miss out on the privilege of having the swashbuckling batsman in their ranks as he may opt himself out of next season’s IPL, proiritising the 50-overs event on English soil next year.
Rohit Sharma- Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians (MI) have won three championships in the IPL and every other time, Rohit Sharma marshalled his troops with expertise. He has also been an essential figure with the bat in hand and has carved a number of victories for his team. However, the Nagpur-born 31-year-old right-handed batsman may choose country over IPL in the T20 event’s next edition.
He will captain the Indian team in the T20I series against the Windies. Thereafter, he is likely to play all three formats against Australia and New Zealand. Hence, he may want some rest ahead of the World Cup. The IPL takes place for a couple of months and hence, keeping in mind that he may be fatigued after leading his team in the T20 extravaganza, he may leave himself out.
Jos Buttler- Rajasthan Royals
Jos Buttler turned out to be a vital element of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the previous edition of the IPL, especially after he was promoted to open the batting. The Englishman scored 548 runs from 13 matches with as many as five half-centuries to his name. The 28-year-old keeper was one of the primary reasons why the Royals made their way through to the playoffs.
The Somerset-born cricketer may not play the IPL next time around in order to keep himself afresh for the World Cup. England had a horrendous campaign in 2015 after getting eliminated before the quarterfinals. They have revamped their cricket thereafter and Buttler is one of the reasons why the Brits are among the firm favourites to win the 50-overs event.
Virat Kohli- Royal Challengers Bangalore
It goes without saying that Indian captain Virat Kohli will be one of the players to watch out for in the World Cup. In India’s last tour of England, the 29-year-old turned out to be a class apart from his counterparts having scored runs without much fuss. India’s campaign halted in the semi-final against Australia in 2015 and they would want to perform better.
In the meantime, the Delhi-born cricketer may not play for his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for whom he has been playing ever since the inaugural edition back in 2008. In the 2018 season, he racked up 530 runs in 14 encounters. He is another of the players who are likely to get themselves prepared for the World Cup instead of playing the IPL.
Kane Williamson- Sunrisers Hyderabad
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finished as the runners-up of last edition’s IPL and the primary man behind their journey was Kane Williamson. After David Warner was left out, Williamson was appointed as the new skipper and he didn’t disappoint by any means. The Tauranga-born batsman went on to amass a staggering 735 runs with the help of eight half-centuries.
His astute leadership skills also came to the fore as he made optimum utilisation of the limited resources. However, the 28-year-old may pull himself back from the tournament as New Zealand will play the World Cup and he is their captain. The Kiwi has played a pivotal role in a number of the Black Caps victories and he would want to keep himself in good shape.
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