IPL 2024 Auction: LSG bought M Siddharth for INR 2.4 crore in Auction. Who is Manimaran Siddharth, here is all you need to know about him.
Manimaran Siddharth was one among the many uncapped India players who grabbed the attention of multiple franchises in the recently concluded IPL 2024 mini-auction that was held in Dubai. The left-arm spinner was part of the bunch of talented youngsters who made it big at the event as he was brought by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a whopping sum of INR 2.40 crores.
Let us know more about this spinner from the Southern state of Tamil Nadu. Hailing from a small town, Manimaran Siddharth made his mark in Tamil Nadu’s premier T20 tournament, the TNPL in 2017 where the left-arm spinner represented the Lyca Kovai Kings and Chepauk Super Gillies, picking 34 wickets in 37 games. But not many know but Siddharth started off as a fast bowler owing to his height. However, the lack of pace prompted his coach to make him try spin and the rest is history.
He grew among the ranks quickly as his good performances in the TNPL earned him a spot in Tamil Nadu’s Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy squad in 2019, where he had a breakthrough season picking 12 wickets in just 5 games. On his debut for TN, he took a match-winning four-wicket haul against Mumbai and 3 of those batters were India internationals (Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav). In 2021, Siddharth featured in a solitary game, which incidentally was the final and he once again took 4 wickets to seal the title for his side.
Amidst this, owing to consistent performances in the domestic circuit, the 25-year-old was picked twice in the IPL, first by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020 and then Delhi Capitals the next season. However, he didn’t feature in any of the games for those sides and is yet to make his IPL debut.
What led to LSG paying a huge amount of money for this youngster?
Despite not having played a single IPL game, LSG was prepared to spend a huge proportion of the purse left for him. The reason is his incredible record in white-ball cricket where in 7 T20s, Siddharth has scalped 18 wickets with 3 four-fers to his credit and an economy rate of 4.68 which is staggering. His List-A returns also give a good impression of his white-ball prowess as he has taken 26 wickets in 17 games.
This means the left-arm spinner is a genuine wicket-taker and at the same time, does not go for runs. These qualities make him a valuable addition to any bowling set-up and Lucknow Super Giants were willing to go to the extent of acquiring the youngster from Tamil Nadu.
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What makes M Siddharth a natural fit in LSG’s scheme of things?
Firstly, Siddharth’s inclusion gives them an automatic back-up spinner to the more experienced Krunal Pandya. Secondly, he is a good spinner in the powerplays, and this makes him the ideal case for being an impact player, especially when Lucknow are playing at their home in Ekana Stadium.
Thirdly, the surface at Lucknow’s home ground is ideal for slow and spin bowlers, similar to Chepauk. Moreover, his combination with LSG’s first-choice leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi makes this pair a potent weapon. With all these attributes working in his favour, Manimaran Siddharth can be more than handy for a team like LSG in this IPL.
What future holds for M Siddharth?
Siddharth has the potential to be one of the best spinners in the tournament, provided he is given a chance to be part of the playing XI. His unique capability to bowl economically in the first 6 overs and ability to take wickets make him a genuine threat for any batter on spin-friendly tracks.
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