IPL 2020: 5 Australian players who deserve a bid in the upcoming auction
Only one player in the list is yet to make his IPL debut.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) became the perfect platform for players from all the nations to showcase their skills by playing alongside the Indian players. Over the years, cricketers from almost all countries, even from lesser-cricket playing nations, have earned accolades through the extravaganza. The overseas stars have also lauded the T20 league for it’s top brand of cricket.
Among the overseas recruits, cricketers from Australia undoubtedly have stood out and lit up the tournament in almost every season. The sportsmen from down under are also highly adaptable to alien conditions that aid them in finding success in sub-continent pitches. It is not only their players, but the inputs from Australian coaches have been instrumental for the struggling franchises to turn their fortunes around.
We take a look at five Australian players who deserve a bid in the IPL 2020 auction
Adam Zampa
Back in the year 2016, Adam Zampa was recruited by the Rising Pune Supergiant for a base price of 30 lakh INR. He underwent a meteoric rise for his national team, having made his debut in the same year in February and becoming a regular fixture in the Aussie side. After an excellent showing in the ICC World Twenty20, the leggie translated the same in the cash-rich league.
His best performance in the 2016 season came against the Sunrisers Hyderabad when he took a six-wicket haul against them, including the prized wickets of Kane Williamson and Yuvraj Singh. The 27-year old hasn’t hit the stride as of late, having also lost his spot midway in the 50-over World Cup. However, given his sensational display in the ODI series earlier this year against India, Zampa can be a trump card in the spinning decks of sub-continent.
Alex Carey
The gloveman from South Australia was mainly chosen to fill the void of a wicketkeeper role. Legendary Aussie wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist called Alex Carey “a gun in all facets”, and the 28-year old has justified his claims by making the bat talk. Although his glovework needs slight improvement, Carey has upgraded his skill-sets as a batsman.
After being chosen to play the 50-over World Cup, he justified the faith of the selectors by piling up 375 runs in 10 games at an average of 62.50. As a deputy to Aaron Finch, Carey kept the runs coming in the wake of their frontline batsmen failing. Although Australia didn’t go on to win the World Cup, the South Australian was adjudged as a rising star of the tournament.
Having grown leaps and bounds as a player, Carey can be an invaluable addition to any IPL franchise. He could be one of the fresh faces to watch out for in the forthcoming tournament.
Pat Cummins
The number one ranked bowler in Test cricket needs no introduction. Pat Cummins has impressively resurrected his career, plagued by injuries to become among the best pace bowlers in world cricket today. Cummins is also a workhorse, having the ability to extract the best even out of unhelpful conditions.
Led by Zaheer Khan in 2017, Pat Cummins was part of the Delhi Daredevils setup (now Delhi Capitals) and formed a potent pace attack along with his captain and Kagiso Rabada. The speedster had a good tournament, bagging 15 wickets in 12 games.
He remained on the sidelines in 2018 due to a back injury. He intentionally skipped the 2019 edition to keep himself fit for the World Cup. The 26-year old may make himself available for the IPL, even if it is for a brief stint to prove his capability in the shortest format as well. In that case, he deservedly would trigger a war among the bidders.
Mitchell Starc
The left-arm speedster was infamously dumped by the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2019 season of the tournament via a text message. In the 2018 IPL auction, the Kolkata-based franchise won Mitchell Starc’s services for a hefty sum of INR 9.4 crore.
Unfortunately, he missed that entire tournament due to a leg injury. He opted to stay out of the 2019 season, focussing on staying fit for the 2019 World Cup. After remaining on the sidelines for three consecutive years in the IPL, Starc is likely to make himself available for the upcoming auction.
Although Starc has produced indifferent results, he is still one of the deadliest new-ball bowlers in white-ball cricket. Also, his ability to deliver pinpoint yorkers in death overs makes him potentially one of the hottest picks in the auction.
Glenn Maxwell
The explosive all-rounder from Australia came out about his struggles with mental health recently and took some time off from the sport. Even when teetering with his mental condition, Maxwell showed how electrifying he could be with the bat and in the field against Sri Lanka.
Although the Victorian’s performance has gone downhill with every passing season in the IPL, his experience in the format cannot be underestimated. A clean striker of the ball along with his useful off-spin and his energetic display on the field makes Maxwell a complete package.
There exists no specified timeline as of now on his return to competitive cricket. However, it seems conceivable that he will make himself available for the extravaganza to stay in the reckoning for the T20 World Cup down under.
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