The Indian Premier League (IPL) is arguably the best domestic tournament in the world. There have been many excellent players who have missed being part of the tournament owing to its ultra-competitive nature. The rule allowing only 4 foreign players in the playing XI adds up to their woes. Teams have to factor in their squad combinations and domestic players to arrive at a strong XI. The overseas players have had to face the music owing to all these conditions. Cricketers who will be benefitted if BCCI adds two more IPL teams
StumpsandBails looks at 8 overseas cricketers who will benefit from the addition of 2 new teams:
#8 Tim Seifert
Cricketers who will be benefitted. Tim Seifert has been part of KKR’s setup for the last couple of seasons. But he is yet to make his IPL debut. Seifert is quite a fine T20 player. He strikes in at 133.1 and gets going right from ball one. His wicketkeeping duties add another dimension to his game.
#7 Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch is one cricketer who has been grossly under-utilised in the IPL. He is a force to reckon with in T20Is. Finch strikes at 152.1 and averages 38.5. If Finch is given a free run at the top of the order he may be able to win games all on his own.
#6 Joe Root
Joe Root is an underrated limited-overs batsman. He can be a wonderful asset batting at number 3. Root can seamlessly play the role of an anchor and aggressor. His career strike rate of 126.3 might not inspire confidence. But he is too good a player not to be playing the IPL.
#5 Mitchell Santner
Mitchell Santner has hardly played 6 IPL games. But he has proven his credentials even in that limited stint. He is a handy allrounder in the space of Ravindra Jadeja and Shakib-Al-Hasan. Santner will be of immense value to any team if he is given a long rope.
#4 Carlos Brathwaite
Carlos Brathwaite is another big-hitting allrounder on the lines of Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, and Kieron Pollard. He hasn’t been trusted enough despite showing promise in his limited IPL appearances. His IPL strike rate is an impressive 163.1. He can be an asset for any IPL team.
#3 Colin de Grandhomme
Colin de Grandhomme is a grossly underrated cricketer. His T20 stats belie his limited IPL appearances. He is a match-winner with both bat and the ball. His T20I strike rate is an impressive 161.2 and he chips in with a couple of overs game after game. Cricketers who will be benefitted. It’s time he got his due in the IPL.
#2 Chris Lynn
Chris Lynn is one of the most explosive T20 openers in the world. His IPL strike rate is a whopping 140.5. His average of 34.1 isn’t bad either. Lynn can destroy attacks in the powerplay itself. Teams must give him a fair run of chances at the top of the order.
#1 Alex Hales
Alex Hales is a proven T20 performer. His overall career strike rate is a fine 138.3. Hales has been one of the standout players in BBL for the last 2-3 seasons. Similar to Lynn, Hales is a destructive opening batsman. He can demolish oppositions in no time. All he needs is a team who can trust him to do that job.
