IPL 2020 was a happy hunting ground for many cricketers, who were bestowed with an opportunity to showcase their skills and be back to playing the sport which meant everything for them. The pandemic-induced break augmented the hunger for runs in the case of the batsmen and wickets with respect to the bowlers. It is this desperation to perform that has brought the best out of them and thus, we witnessed plenty of nerve-wracking matches throughout the course of the season.
It was a wonderfully contested tournament and that has augmented the excitement for the big 2022 season, even before the IPL 2021 commences. Given that it is going to be a mega-auction with plenty of players, both young and experienced going under the hammer and 2 new teams to be added, there is no doubt that the players might have already started thinking about it and the probable franchise they would be picked by. In the below piece, we look at 5 Indian players, who would earn a bid at the mega-auction ahead of IPL 2022:
1. Kuldeep Yadav
Belonging to the rare breed of ‘Chinaman’ bowlers, it came as a shock when Kuldeep couldn’t quite be his own at IPL 2020 which also saw him being dropped from the side and warm the benches for a major part of the tournament.
The emergence of Tamil Nadu’s mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy closed the doors on Kuldeep, and then it became highly impossible for him to make a comeback in the illustrious KKR side.
Considering all these factors, it is certain that KKR would release him and then the wrist-spinner can earn a hefty bid, plying his trade for some other franchise in desperate need of an experienced and quality spin bowling option.
2. Kedar Jadhav
Having paid such a hefty amount witnessing his mind-boggling show in the Indian dark blue, Jadhav was the biggest flop of IPL 2020.
Representing three-time champions, CSK at the recently concluded season, Jadhav wasn’t able to get going in any of the fixtures that he played in. Being picked as a finisher in the side, he failed to keep abreast with the asking rate and instead played defensive cricket to sky-rocket the required rate further.
That was indeed an awful phase for Jadhav, who is slowly returning to form considering his good show at the SMAT 2021. His all-around abilities still present a strong case for himself and with 2 new teams to be added, he is certain to earn a solid bid.
3. Gurkeerat Singh
It was a fairly good season for the perennial underachievers of the league, RCB and this Punjab batsman did have a role to play in the same. He mostly batted in the lower middle order and operated as a busy bee at the crease.
His approach, though satisfactory, wasn’t encouraging as it mounted the pressure on de Villiers to do the bulk of the scoring. Gurkeerat couldn’t find the boundaries nor was able to clear it, which as expected had a negative effect on the scoring of the ‘red army’.
In spite of this being true, Gurkeerat’s vast experience cannot be denied and his anchoring knocks in the middle order can provide stability to franchisees, who are packed with power-hitters. This invaluable prospect can indeed fetch him a bid at the mega-auction for IPL 2022.
4.Piyush Chawla
One of the highest wicket-takers in the history of the league, Chawla is slowly losing his charm as a celebrated leg-spinner in the country. Modern-day batsmen fancy running down the ground against him and pummeling him for sixes straight over side-screen.
The googlies which were a potent weapon in his bowling arsenal, are worked beautifully by the opposition batsmen, who nowadays thrive against it. It would be safe to say that the street smartness of the batsmen has made Chawla appear as a pale shadow of his impeccable self.
It will take a whole lot from Chawla to return to his best but his experience bowling on the slow Indian pitches will see franchises getting involved in a bidding war to avail his esteemed services.
5.Siddarth Kaul
This talented Punjab bowler hardly got his chances at IPL 2020, playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The rapid rise of Sharma, Natarajan, and Khaleel kept him out of contention for a spot in the playing XI.
Kaul is a complete T20 bowler, who has all the variations up his sleeves, be it the cutters, knuckleball, slower bouncer, or the yorker. It is this peculiarity that also earned him his maiden call-up to the Indian team, who made his T20 debut against England in 2018.
Given the sufficiency with respect to seam bowling options, SRH are bound to release him ahead of the mega-auction. That will bestow Kaul with an opportunity to work his magic for other deserving franchise, who would appreciate his skills and keep him higher in the pecking order.
