IPL 2022 will be a 10-team affair. Lucknow and Ahmedabad are the two new teams that have been added to the league. They have to build their teams right from the scratch. Both these teams though have an option of picking the best available players through the draft system first, They can pick 3 players comprising 2 Indians and 1 overseas player. It is quite natural for them to pick the best of the lot from the players’ draft. Lucknow will get the first opportunity to pick a player post which Ahmedabad can bid for the next player, lets see Players Likely To Be First Picked By 2 New Teams.
We look at 6 Players Likely To Be First Picked By 2 New Teams:
#6 Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is one of the most talented young cricketers in the country. He had a breakthrough IPL season in 2020. Kishan smashed 520 runs at an average of 57.33 with a strike rate of 145. He also led the charts for smashing the most sixes that season.
Kishan broke into the Indian team on the back of such a strong season. He had a middling IPL 2021. It was widely expected that Mumbai will retain Kishan in the retentions. But that wasn’t meant to be. He is quite likely to be one of the first picks in the player draft. Ahmedabad will be vying for Kishan.
#5 Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes made his IPL debut in 2017. RPSG group that has bought the Lucknow team previously owned the RPS franchise in IPL. They had picked Stokes for a mind-numbing INR 14.5 crores in the auctions back then.
Stokes repaid their faith in handsome fashion as the team made the finals that year. He even went on to win the MVP award that season. History is likely to repeat the coming season too. Stokes in all likelihood play for Lucknow in the IPL.
#4 Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is one of the biggest assets in the IPL. He made his IPL debut in 2015 with Mumbai. Pandya represented MI with distinction for 7 long seasons. He was part of MI’s 4 title wins. Pandya was a major force in MI’s famous engine room.
The fans couldn’t believe that MI didn’t retain Hardik in the auctions. But he still remains one of the most destructive players, especially in this format. Being a local Gujarat boy, Pandya looks set to join the Ahmedabad franchise.
#3 Rashid Khan
He is one of the most respected figures in world cricket. Khan is still in his early 20s and already has 400 wickets to his name. He is a proven game-changer. Khan will fetch big numbers in the auctions. He will be an asset for any team he plays for.
There is already a lot of speculation surrounding Khan joining the Lucknow team. Khan will undoubtedly be the most sought-after overseas player in the draft.
#2 Shreyas Iyer
Delhi picked up Shreyas Iyer in 2015. Iyer was a far more flamboyant batsman then. He won the emerging player of the season award as he smashed 439 runs in 14 games. Delhi had soon earmarked him as a player for the future. He was one of the 3 players that Delhi retained in 2018.
Iyer was soon handed the captaincy of a troubled and unsure Delhi outfit. But Iyer led them with aplomb. He led Delhi to the playoffs for two successive seasons. Iyer remains the only Delhi captain to lead them into an IPL final. But an untimely injury ahead of the 2021 season turned the tables around for him.
DC appointed Rishabh Pant as captain in his absence. While Iyer made a comeback in the 2nd leg, the management was keen to continue with Pant as captain. This was the first sign of friction that eventually resulted in Iyer not wanting to continue. DC’s loss might just be Ahmedabad’s gain as Iyer looks the most natural choice to lead their team.
#1 KL Rahul
KL Rahul’s IPL career touched new heights when he joined Punjab in 2018. He has scored the most runs in the last 4 seasons. Rahul single-handedly shouldered the team’s batting responsibility. He attacked, anchored according to the team’s needs.
Rahul has great T20 numbers in Indian colours too. He opens the batting, keeps wicket, and is a leader as well. These facets make Rahul an irresistible package. It is just a mere formality that Lucknow will bid for Rahul and add him to their squad.
