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5 BBL players who could get a IPL 2021 contract | 5 players who could get an IPL contract after impressing in the Big Bash League

The tenth edition of one of the grandest T20 leagues, the Big Bash League, concluded recently with the Sydney Sixers lifting the trophy for the third time in the history of the league.

There were several players who mesmerized cricket lovers across the world with their spectacular performances in the BBL. As the IPL auction is coming up, there is a great chance for some of them to be picked and become a part of the most lucrative T20 league in the world. In this article, I am going to mention five such players those could be picked by several IPL teams basing on their impressive outing in the BBL. Here we go.

5. Dan Christian

Eyebrows were raised when the defending BBL champions picked up a 37-year old all-rounder. However, Dan Christian proved to be a superb pickup for the Sydney Sixers, as he played a central role in the franchise winning its third title.

Christian’s age may put some franchises off bidding for him in the IPL 2021 Auction, but looking at his tremendous form, you could get some fine value from the all-rounder in the upcoming season. In the recently-concluded BBL 10, Christian slammed 272 runs at an average of 34.00 and strike rate of 182.55, which included some extraordinary match-winning knocks. Also, his 15 wickets at an average of 26.53 and economy rate of 8.84 rounded off a superb tournament.

With nine T20 Titles to his name, Christian could be a fine pickup for most franchises in IPL 2021.

4. Riley Meredith

A bowler having sheer pace, Riley Meredith is gradually getting popular among global cricket fans because of his fiery spells in the BBL. Playing for the Hobart Hurricanes, Meredith took 16 wickets from 13 games at an average of 24.62 and a SR of 18.87, but it was his scorching pace that made him popular among the masses.

Meredith made it tough for the batters to score against him, which is well evident from the fact that his economy was under 7 runs per over on five occasions out of the eleven times he bowled his full quota of four overs. Apart from troubling the batsmen with his pace, he sometimes got the ball to bounce from an awkward length as well. So, a bowler of his kind can be a hot buy in the IPL and I think there will be many eyes on him in the upcoming mini auction. 

3. Jhye Richardson

After recovering from a terrible shoulder injury, Jhye Richardson was superb in the BBL this year and played a big part in the advancement of the Perth Scorchers towards the final. He took the most number of wickets in the tournament, i.e. 29 wickets from 17 matches, at a very good average of 16.31 and an extremely good SR of 12.72. He took 8 wickets in the powerplay with an impressive economy of 6.88, whereas he took 13 wickets (almost 45 percent of his total wickets) in the death overs with a decent economy of 8.58.

He bowled with good pace and troubled the batters with his accuracy as well. Considering these factors, I really believe that there is a high chance of Jhye Richardson getting an IPL contract for the very first time in the upcoming mini-auction.

2. Nathan Ellis

Nathan Ellis was a very crucial part of the Hobart Hurricanes and turned out to be their highest wicket taker with 20 wickets from 14 matches in the BBL this year. He was mostly used in the death overs (bowled almost half of his total overs at the death) and did exceptionally well as his numbers suggest. He took 13 wickets out of his 20 wickets only in the death overs and had a good economy of 8.28 in that particular phase.

He impressed the cricket fraternity with his good variations and therefore has presented a very strong case for himself prior to the IPL mini auction. As there is a huge demand for the death specialists in the IPL, it is very likely that Ellis would get an IPL contract for the very first time in 2021.

1. Alex Hales

Although Alex Hales started the campaign in a disastrous manner by making two consecutive golden ducks, he soon got back his mojo and went on to become the highest run-getter in the BBL this season. Hales scored 543 runs at a very healthy average of 38.79 and a prolific SR of 161.61. He played some really blistering knocks including the crazy innings of 71 off just 29 balls against the Melbourne Stars and a magnificent innings of 110 runs from 56 balls against the defending champion Sydney Sixers. Moreover, he scored 72.92 percent of his total runs from boundaries alone. So, he is surely a great option for the teams having issues at the top of their batting order and might get a recall into the mega event.

So, this is my list of five players who might fetch a deal in the IPL mini auction because of their excellent performances in the recently concluded BBL. Do any other players come to mind? Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.