The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega-auction is knocking on the doors with just a week to go and almost all the franchises have completed their planning for the big two days.
Needless to mention how essential all-rounders have been across all formats; with their skills of batting in the lower-order, bowling 3-4 vital overs and fielding, they are definitely rare commodities in the cricketing arena.
As many as 1214 players have registered their names for going under the hammer which includes 270 capped and 692 uncapped Indian players. Out of these players, 143 uncapped applicants were part of the previous IPL seasons. So, let’s figure out the Indian all-rounders that the sides would target from the huge pool.
Krunal Pandya (Base Price of INR 2 Crores)
A true IPL-star, Krunal Pandya, has been one of the most prolific names in the marquee league’s famed history. Since coming into the circuit in 2016, he has been one of the solid pegs in the lower-order for Mumbai Indians (MI) along with sibling Hardik Pandya and the indomitable Kieron Pollard, propelling the champion side to three title wins.
Format | Mat | Runs | Wkt | Bat SR | Eco | HS |
IPL | 84 | 1143 | 51 | 138.55 | 7.37 | 86 |
IPL'21 | 13 | 143 | 05 | 116.26 | 7.98 | 39 |
But Krunal has been on a downward slope of late and that has resulted in him not being retained by Mumbai Indians this season. Also, he had to give up the leadership duties of Baroda because of some unremarkable performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. To add salt to injury, the national selectors too seem to have lost interest in him.
In the recently concluded 2021-22 edition of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored a paltry 83 runs at a low strike rate of 117. Of course, with ball in hand he was a little more effective with 6 scalps at a measly economy rate of under 6.
But this proven match-winner can seriously turn the tables; someone who provides versatility with bat in hand in the lower-order and bowling important middle overs with huge experience of playing in the biggest nights. It will not be far-fetched to say that he can easily herald a bidding war on the auction tables. Will MI want him back or will he be re-united with brother Hardik Pandya at Ahmedabad?
Washington Sundar (Base Price of INR 1.5 Crores)
Named after PD Washington as a mark of respect for being a mentor of Sundar senior, Washington Sundar has risen up the ranks from the 2016 U-19 World Cup. Although, of late injuries and Covid infection have somehow erased his name; the selectors hardly forget to keep this Tamil Nadu all-rounder in the T20I side consistently.
Format | Mat | Runs | Wkt | Bat SR | Eco | HS |
IPL | 42 | 217 | 27 | 111.28 | 6.94 | 35 |
IPL'21 | 6 | 31 | 03 | 65.95 | 7.37 | 10 |
Sundar was ruled out of the second half of IPL 2021 due to a finger injury. The numbers don’t do justice to his capabilities; he had been one of the go to man for Virat Kohli in the powerplay with the ball. In 27 innings, in the first 6 overs, he has dismissed 9 batters with an economy of just 7.26.
Even though he hasn’t lived up to expectations in the batting side, the cricket world doesn’t hesitate to speak about his potential with bat in hand after Gabba 2021. With age on his side, the 22-year-old left-hander can surely invite a lot of interest. The franchises can easily invest in him looking at the future.
Rahul Tewatia (Base Price of INR 40 Lakhs)
Everything is possible until there is Rahul Tewatia in the middle. Everyone echoed the same words since Rajasthan Royals (RR) game against Punjab Kings (then called Kings XI Punjab) in IPL 2020 when this left-handed Haryana all-rounder turned the fate of the game on its head single-handedly with fives sixes in an over of Sheldon Cottrell, helping his side chase down a mammoth score of 224 with elan.
An old-fashioned leg-spinner who prefers to offer the ball lot of air instead of firing it in, coupled with his ability lower down the order is a valuable asset for building a side.
In SMAT 2021-22, he batted for Haryana with a strike rate of 151.51 and bowled with an economy of just 6.84.
Format | Mat | Runs | Wkt | Bat SR | Eco | HS |
IPL | 48 | 521 | 32 | 124.34 | 7.71 | 53 |
IPL'21 | 14 | 155 | 08 | 105.44 | 9.18 | 44 |
Even though IPL 2021 wasn’t a sensational one for Tewatia, no one can take their eyes off Tewatia’s 2020 season when he notched up 255 runs at a strike rate of 139.44 and scalped 10 wickets at an economy of just over 7. The former Rajasthan Royals player brings an extra energy in the field and teams like Punjab and Hyderabad who had struggled fine tuning their middle order will surely go for him as a solution.
Vijay Shankar (Base Price of INR 50 Lakhs)
A very late bloomer in the Indian side, Vijay Shankar has turned out to be a consistent performer for Tamil Nadu but not so for the national side owing to injuries and poor form. After a poor season, Sunrisers Hyderabad had left him out from their retention list.
Format | Mat | Runs | Wkt | Bat SR | Eco | HS |
IPL | 47 | 712 | 09 | 126.24 | 8.62 | 63 |
IPL'21 | 07 | 58 | 03 | 111.53 | 9.09 | 28 |
Even though he has been in terrific form recently in SMAT 2021-22 with 199 runs at a strike rate of 131. He had a fabulous 2018 season with Delhi scoring 212 runs at a strike rate of 143. Someone who plays spin so well maneuvering the ball in the gaps can be a solid answer for those sides who tend to lose momentum after the powerplay overs. Besides all of that, he has a golden arm with a knack of breaking partnerships and these “3D players” are always a valuable asset for any team.
Read More: IPL 2022 Mega-Auction: 5 Overseas All-rounders likely to attract highest bids from the 10 Franchises
Krishnappa Gowtham (Base Price of 50 Lakhs)
A smart and handy cricketer who can attract eyeballs during IPL 2022 mega-auction, Krishnappa Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped Indian player at IPL 2021 auction and went for a whopping Rs 9.25 crore to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but sadly went on to warm the benches during the entire season.
Format | Mat | Runs | Wkt | Bat SR | Eco | HS |
IPL | 24 | 186 | 13 | 169.09 | 8.26 | 33 |
IPL'21 | 2 | 42 | 01 | 155.55 | 10.50 | 22* |
The Karnataka all-rounder had a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021-22 scalping 7 wickets at an average of under 16 and economy of 5.40 which speaks how handy he can be in the middle overs. Also, his power of crossing the boundary with ease provides the teams having him in the ranks an extra cushion. With two new franchises, Ahmedabad and Lucknow, the promising player will be under the radar of the franchises.
Shivam Dube (Base Price of INR 50 Lakhs)
Shivam Dube represents Mumbai in domestic cricket and is touted to be the next best thing in Indian cricket; he is one of those handy all-rounders with a more than decent ability to bat in the lower-middle over.
Format | Mat | Runs | Wkt | Bat SR | Eco | HS |
IPL | 24 | 399 | 04 | 120.54 | 8.30 | 64* |
IPL'21 | 09 | 230 | 00 | 155.55 | 9.80 | 64* |
The 28-year-old has frankly failed to live up to his capabilities in the IPL and as a result he didn’t play too many games for Rajasthan Royals during the last season. However, when he did show some sort of his proficiency in his 64* knock to upset Chennai in Abu Dhabi last year, the world realized how long and far he can run.
His 101 runs for Mumbai in the recent SMAT 2021-22 at a strike rate of 148.52 keeps him ahead in the game and shows why he can earn a heavy cheque in the upcoming IPL season.
The IPL mega-auction is set to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13, starting at 12 pm IST.
Comments