IPL 2021: Waiting for a fresh bunch of debutants to make a mark
IPL 2021: A look at some of them who have the potential to make an impact in their maiden foray into IPL
IPL and debutants – it’s a combination that has produced hit players over the last 12 years. From Jasprit Bumrah to Thangarasu Natarajan, Yusuf Pathan to Washington Sundar, many talented cricketers have got a career boost courtesy this T20 competition.
Also read: Good show in IPL works wonders, not thinking about World T20: Mayank Agarwal ahead of IPL 2021
Even in IPL 2021 starting on April 9, there are several debutants. Having made their name in domestic cricket, they are waiting to burst into limelight when action starts. A look at some of them who have the potential to make an impact in their maiden foray into IPL:
Lalith Yadav (Delhi Capitals), 24, all-rounder
T20s – 35, Runs – 560, SR-149.33, Wickets – 27, Eco – 6.86
An effective middle-order batsman, he usually bats from No. 5 to No. 7. Yadav played a crucial role for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, scoring 152 in five games. His batting figures in the last three innings– 36* (19b), 23 (14b), 52* (25b) – reflect his ability. His strike-rate (197.40) in the tournament was terrific.
In a side already packed with power-hitters like new skipper Rishabh Pant, Yadav will provide extra ammunition in the later overs. He is also a decent off-break bowler with a low economy rate. His economy rate in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s was 6.60. He can be a handy backup for DC, a franchise that is yet to win IPL.
Shahrukh Khan (Punjab Kings), 25, batsman
T20s – 31, Runs – 293, SR – 131.39, HS – 40*
The Tamil Nadu player fetched ₹5.25 crore in the IPL auction from the renamed Punjab Kings franchise, which is desperate to find an answer to middle-order problems.
In IPL 2020, good starts provided by openers KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal di’n't develop into match-winning totals due to a fragile middle-order. Khan can provide the stability.
The TN batsman may not have big numbers to justify his price but is used to playing a damage control role, as he did on a couple of crucial occasions for his state team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament victory in January. First, in the quarter-final against Himachal Pradesh, Khan scored 40* off 19 balls. TN were 66/5 in 13 overs chasing 136 before Khan took them home with an innings that included five fours and two sixes. In the final against Baroda, he scored a crucial 18* off seven balls in a 121-run chase.
Chetan Sakariya (Rajasthan Royals), 23, fast bowler
T20s – 16, Wickets – 28, Economy – 7.08, Average – 15.10, 4w/5w – 1/1
The left-arm medium pacer worked as a salesman in his uncle’s bookstall to fund his cricket training. Those days of hard work bore fruit when RR picked him for ₹1.2 crore in the IPL auction.
He got his first big break when Jaydev Unadkat got injured ahead of Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy match against Gujarat in 2018. Drafted in to fill those big shoes, Sakariya picked 5/83. He ended with 29 wickets in eight matches. In T20s, Sakariya has taken 28 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 7.08 per over.
Essentially a swing bowler, he has sharpened his back-of-the-hand slower ball, wide yorker and bouncer. His stints with the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai and with Royal Challengers Bangalore as a net bowler in the last IPL in the UAE have helped him a lot.
Dawid Malan (Punjab Kings), 33, batsman
T20Is – 24, Runs – 1003, Avg – 50.15, SR – 144.31, HS – 103*
It may be strange for the No. 1 T20I batsman in the world to be in this list. But this will be the England batsman’s maiden foray in IPL. Malan made his international debut in 2017. Since then, he has risen to be a rock in England’s T20I batting line-up.
The left-hander, a destructive top-order bat, will provide Punjab Kings the versatility they need with two right-handed top-order options available in skipper KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.
He was picked by the franchise that fell just short of qualifying for playoffs in 2020 for ₹1.5 crore, a bargain price considering Malan’s potential. Despite a forgettable outing in the recent T20I series in India, Malan can be a match-winner.
Mohammed Azharudeen (Royal Challengers Bangalore), 27, batsman
T20s – 24, Runs – 451, SR – 142.27, HS – 137*
The wicketkeeper-batsman grabbed attention when he blasted a 54-ball 137* for Kerala against hosts Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20. The opener reached his century off just 37 balls. The innings included nine fours and 11 sixes. It was the first T20 ton by a Kerala batsman.
It was the second fastest ton in the Syed Mushtaq Ali game, only behind Rishabh Pant’s 32-ball century for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 2018.
With the kind of batting riches RCB enjoy, starting with young Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli at the top, one is not sure the man named after a former India skipper would get a chance in his preferred batting position. Azharudeen made it to the Kerala team six seasons ago but took time to flourish. He has finally hit form. It remains to be seen if it continues in IPL or not.
Kyle Jamieson (Royal Challengers Bangalore), 26, fast bowler
T20Is: Matches: 8, Wickets: 4, Best: 2/15, Econ: 9.80, 4w/5w: 0/0
T20s: Matches: 42, Wickets: 55, Best: 6/7, Econ: 8.33, 4w/5w: 1/1
When your first two Test wickets are Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, the world is bound to sit up and take notice. A year later, the New Zealand fast bowler became the second most expensive buy at the 2021 IPL auctions held in February, picked by RCB for ₹15 crore. One reason why the 26-year-old from Auckland was in demand is his height. Coping with thunderbolts delivered from 6 ft 8 inches can literally be a tall order, though Jamieson’s strength is his ability to trouble batsmen with fuller length deliveries. He can hit a few lusty shots too down the order, which RCB may need. His most eye-catching international performance so far has come in Test cricket (he took 16 wickets in the recent two-Test series against Pakistan). In eight T20Is, the Kiwi has gone for aplenty of runs with minimal returns. Sure, Jamieson is an exciting prospect. But is he worth ₹15 crore? Chennai, RCB’s first stop, could provide an answer.
Jhye Richardson (Punjab Kings), 24, fast bowler
T20Is: Matches: 14, Wickets: 13, Best: 2/31, Econ: 8.52, 4w/5w: 0/0
T20s: Matches: 67, Wickets: 82, Best: 4/19, Econ: 7.92, 4w/5w: 3/0
Having made his T20I debut for Australia in 2017, injuries and form prevented the fast bowler from getting an IPL contract. The wait was worth it for Richardson, who was bought for Rs.14 crore by Punjab Kings. The Western Australian's biggest asset is his ability to swing the new ball prodigiously at decent pace. It was on display in the 2020-21 Big Bash League (BBL) season, Richardson finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 29 wickets in 17 matches at an economy of 7.69 for the Perth Scorchers. Success in BBL has seldom translated into success in IPL in India, but Punjab will hope Richardson will complement the fit-again Mohammed Shami and Chris Jordan in the pace department.
Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bangalore), 27, all-rounder
T20s: Matches: 22, Runs: 699, Highest: 96, SR: 143.53, 50/100: 6/0
The Indore player has plied his trade for Madhya Pradesh since 2015, but the 27-year-old made this year's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy which preceded the IPL auction count. The top-order batsman hit 221 runs in five matches, including three fifties at a strike rate of over 150, including a 51-ball 96 against Goa at No. 4. That was enough for RCB to rope him in at his base price of R20 lakh at the auction, with coach Mike Hesson revealing that RCB had been tracking him for two years. A team eager to ease the load on Virat Kohli and AB de Villers can do with an experienced domestic top-order batsman for sure.
Lukman Meriwala (Delhi Capitals), 29, bowler
T20s: Matches: 44, Wickets: 72, Best: 5/8, Econ: 6.72, 4w/5w: 1/3
At 29, Meriwala is a late bloomer, who had given up cricket by taking up fabrication work in Gujarat’s Sarnar village. Years after he had fired blanks in club cricket in Baroda, the left-arm pacer’s second attempt met with success when he made his List A debut for Baroda in 2013. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who has watched Meriwala closely in Baroda, said in an earlier interview that Meriwala “has got decent zip and great control of his yorker, which makes him useful with the new ball as well as old.” Meriwala proved that in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20, taking 15 wickets in eight matches (second highest in the tournament). In Baroda's semi-final win against Punjab, he took three wickets, two with the new ball and one at the death. Even if he doesn’t get game time, Meriwala will enjoy the company of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav, the seasoned Delhi Capitals pace quartet.
(All stats: ESPNcricinfo)
