Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
5 Possible Surprise Packet Players in IPL 2020 | 5 players who can overcome the doubters and produce excellent IPL 2020 campaigns
At the time of the auctions for the Indian Premier League, one can make a calculated guess regarding the key players that a team secures in their squad. However, there are certain arrivals that go under the radar. It is initially assumed that these individuals have been roped in only to fill in the backup slots in the squad.
However, time and again, such individuals turn out to play instrumental role in the playing XI during the course of the season. The previous auction was a low-key one, considering that the teams anyways have to go for a complete revamp in the 14th edition of the tournament. Still, there exist some individuals in the roster who potentially have a lot more to offer than it would appear prima facie. In this listicle, we shed more light on five such players across the franchises.
5. Virat Singh
Sunrisers Hyderabad have lacked a credible, robust middle-order in the last couple of years. Manish Pandey’s successful outings in the number three slot towards the end of the previous campaign might encourage the management to give a longer stretch to the Karnataka-based batsman in that position.
However, their innings cannot fall apart post that and hence an investment worth ₹1.9 crore has been made in Virat Singh.
The 22-year-old represents Jharkhand in domestic cricket and boasts of an average of 35.27 and strike rate of 124.45 in 56 T20 matches. He is a left-handed batsman, a trait that several teams prefer to have in the middle-order. Singh can take on the spinners, work around the pacers and offer a reliable yet dynamic presence in the middle overs to SRH.
He has 10 half-centuries to his name, too, reflecting that the starlet can stick around to stitch together a longer knock if the situations demands so. Given the amount that the team from Hyderabad has paid for him, it wouldn’t be surprising to witness the lad don a considerable responsibility this time around.
4. Sarfaraz Khan
Despite the occasional flashy, flamboyant effort, Sarfaraz Khan has hardly lived up to the reputation that he carries to the IPL. However, he comes into this campaign with a stellar domestic campaign in which Khan finished as the fifth highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy 2019/20. In a largely disappointing season for Mumbai, the batsman scored 928 runs with an average of 154.28 in nine innings.
The temperament was visible, and so was the funky, innovative and expansive range of shots that he is known to pull off. Kings XI Punjab have strengthened the core of their batting lineup by acquiring the duo of Glenn Maxwell and Nicholas Pooran. Khan can be slotted in the number six position, wherein he would come out to bat in the later stages of the innings with the liberty to freely go for his shots.
On the basis of potential and current form, Sarfaraz Khan is definitely a better bet than Mandeep Singh on whom Punjab depended to do this role last time around. Maybe, it’s finally the time for the robust batsman from Mumbai to prove his mettle in arguably the most competitive T20 tournament in the world.
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Suresh Raina’s departure from the Chennai Super Kings has put the number three slot up for grabs. It appears unlikely for the team to opt for a replacement at this point in time, possibly because there are very few credible domestic alternatives available currently.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, a prolific India ‘A’ batsman is being touted to take over the role that Raina carried out. Gaikwad is a right-handed batsman and hails from Pune. He has been consistently turning up in the top order in domestic cricket over the past few years. Despite being a part of the CSK setup for the past couple of years, Gaikwad has found opportunities hard to come by.
He has played 28 recorded T20 matches, and has scored runs at an average of 33.72 and strike rate of 135.31. In addition to that, he has bagged six half-centuries and is known to brilliantly deal with spin bowling. His ability to face express pace bowling will be scrutinized as the season progresses, but a consistent run of games will surely unearth Ruturaj Gaikwad’s innate talent and flair.
Also read: 3 possible replacements for Suresh Raina
2. Ajinkya Rahane
It was extremely surprising to see Delhi Capitals go for multiple openers in the off-season, despite having a set pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane in the squad. Ajinkya Rahane’s arrival is a significant one, as he is a top-tier current national team player and will not prefer warming the bench for long.
Much has been said of Rahane’s credentials in the shortest format of the game and many will prefer Shaw to start over him. However, a closer look will reveal that the seasoned vice-captain of the Indian test team fared much better than the starlet from Mumbai in IPL 2019. Rahane scored 393 runs, at an average of 32.75 and a strike rate of 137.89. He also notched a century and a half-century each.
On the other hand, Shaw could bag only 353 runs in three more innings than his senior teammate. Moreover, the 20-year-old had an average of 22.06 and strike rate of 133.71 along with a couple of half-centuries to his name. Surely, the tracks on offer at Delhi’s home stadium had a part to play in this but it must not be ignored that Shaw’s inconsistency was extremely palpable last time around.
With matches now scheduled in the tricky, dusty pitches of UAE, Rahane will arguably be in a better place to implement his skillset and thus work around the challenges that he encounters much more reliably, consistently than his counterpart. This is going to be one big call for Ricky Ponting to make.
1. Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa had been stellar for Kolkata Knight Riders for a major part of the previous decade. However, a dismal run in 2019 led to the franchise releasing him ahead of this season. It will be rather unfair to completely put the blame on Uthappa for his failures last year, as there was a lot of uncertainty regarding KKR’s batting lineup as the season progressed.
Uthappa is embarking on a fresh start at Rajasthan Royals though, as Rahane’s departure has created a void at the top order that the 2007 WT20 winner will look to fill. Uthappa’s success is majorly driven by the extent to which he feels secure, comfortable and in control of the proceedings.
Considering that things had turned sour for KKR, it was undoubtedly an appropriate decision to resume his IPL career elsewhere. Rajasthan Royals can benefit from the wealth of experience that Uthappa brings to the table. On the other hand, the batsman has a lot to offer, especially if one looks at his proficiency against both the pacers and the spinners. His journey at RR will definitely be an aspect to watch out for in this year’s tournament.
So, there are five surprise packets who can have a strong impact on IPL 2020. Are there any others you’d add?
Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter today.
