Kane Williamson
Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Price: Rs.60 lakh
One of the highly-rated young guns in New Zealand cricket, the 24-year-old batting sensation announced his arrival in Test cricket with a maiden hundred on debut. His organized defensive technique and elegant stroke-play made him one of key members in the New Zealand side in a relatively short span of time. The right-hander might have missed out on the recently-concluded World Cup stage, but he has demonstrated consistent performances in both ODIs and Tests last year. Known as a potential match-winner, his presence will undoubtedly bolster the middle-order for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season.
Trent Boult
Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Price: Rs.3.80 crore
The 25-year-old cricketer is a fiery medium-fast bowler has been a major revelation for New Zealand over the years. His spectacular performance in the recently-concluded World Cup was pivotal in Kiwis' journey to the finals. Tied with Mitchell Starc at 22 wickets, he finished the World Cup as the leading wicket-taker. Boult frequently troubles the batsmen with his deceptive pace and his primary weapon remains to be an in-swinger to the right-handers. His ability to bowl consistently at a brisk pace and move the ball both ways will help him set the tone for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL this year.
Shreyas Iyer
Team: Delhi Daredevils
Price: Rs.2.60 crore
The 20-year-old rising cricketer is the highest paid uncapped player in the IPL this season. The Mumbai batsman was purchased by Delhi Daredevils for a whopping Rs.2.60 crore during the auctions this year. The right-hander was also the highest run-scorer for his domestic team Mumbai after amassing 809 runs in his debut Ranji season. According to Delhi Daredevils mentor TA Sekar, the young batsman scored a 64-ball 121 against the likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile, Angelo Mathews and Amit Mishra during a practice game they played on April 6. His batting prowess has also earned him comparisons with the majestic Indian opener Rohit Sharma.
Gurinder Sandhu
Team: Delhi Daredevils
Price: Rs.1.70 crore
The 21-year-old Australian cricketer of Indian descent made his international debut after featuring for his country against the touring Indian brigade in January earlier this year. He also bagged the Steve Waugh medal for the best South Wales player at an early age of 19. At an impressive height of 6'3, Sandhu is known to extract natural bounce while his ability to swing the ball both ways has been his primary weapon to trouble the opposition batsmen. He will bring the much-needed stability in the bowling department for Delhi this season.
KC Cariappa
Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
Price: Rs.2.40 crore
The 20-year-old Indian cricketer turned heads during the IPL auctions after being purchased for a whopping Rs.2.40 crore by Kolkata. At 5 feet 11 inches, Cariappa is tall for a spinner and bowls with an orthodox round-arm action. The leg-break is his stock ball, and he has variations like the googly and the faster one. His other strength, that could make it difficult for batsmen to read him, is his ability to bowl off-spinners without changing the grip. While bowling in tandem with premier spinner Sunil Narine, the Karnataka cricketer will be a vital cog for Kolkata this season.
David Wiese
Team: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Price: Rs.2.80 crore
The 29-year-old South African cricketer might be an unknown player for the Indian audience, but the brute allrounder is a perfect weapon to be unleashed in a format similar to the IPL. With 77 T20Is under his belt, Wiese boasts a strike rate of over 160 and has scalped 52 wickets in as many games. His cricket talents in limited-overs saw him fetch Rs.2.80 crore from Royal Challengers Bangalore during the auctions this year. Even if he fails to find a spot in RCB's star-studded playing XI this season, Wiese will remain a crucial replacement for the non-performers.
Adam Milne
Team: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Price: Rs.70 lakh
The 22-year-old speedster is touted as New Zealand's fastest bowler since Shane Bond. His ability to clock 145 kph at regular intervals makes him a nightmare for the opposition batsmen. His consistent performances also earned him a call up in the New Zealand squad for the World Cup. While playing as the third frontline seamer, Milne bagged five wickets in six games at an economy rate of 5.05 until his injury in the quarterfinal ruled him out of the tournament. However, with his recent return to fitness, Milne will be looking to make an impact for Bangalore in the IPL this year.
Kyle Abbott
Team: Chennai Super Kings
Price: Rs.30 lakh
The 27-year-old South African allrounder was one of the best buys in the IPL auctions this year. The right-arm seamer combines good pace with control and decent swing. With the bat, Abbott is known as a clean striker of the ball with a knack of hitting the big ones. He was also a major revelation for South Africa in the World Cup with his tally of nine wickets in a mere four games. His economy rate of 4.19 was only behind a few bowlers in the recently-concluded tournament. His exclusion in favour of Vernon Philander from South Africa's playing XI in the World Cup semifinal attracted a lot of criticism after the Proteas were knocked out by New Zealand. At a price of Rs.30 lakh, Abbott is arguably a handy bargain for Chennai.
No comments:
Post a Comment