The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to celebrate its crystal anniversary in 2022. And to make the celebration of a fabulous fifteen even more exciting, fans will have a mega auction in the pre-season to look forward to.
The all-or-nothing nature of the mega auctions makes it so that many untested players have a shot to make it big at the most exciting T20 stage of the world. Take the latest mega-auctions in 2018, for example, where a number of high-talent associate nation players, like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Mohammed Nabi, and Sandeep Lamichanne were unearthed to the cricketing world.
The IPL auction in 2022, similarly, could prove to be the perfect platform for several pedigreed test-match players to prove their mettle. Who might these players be? Keep reading, as we go through our picks for 5 test-match specialists who could find bidders in the larger, 10-team IPL 2022 auction.
1. Marnus Labuschagne
Would it be unfair to call Marnus Labuschagne as ‘Steve Smith lite’? In all fairness, the promising Queensland right-hand batsman idolizes the former Australia captain to a different level altogether. And from the looks of it, Marnus could well be on course to join ranks with his best mate from the Australian national team in the upcoming IPL auctions.
Labuschagne has taken to test match cricket like a fish in placid waters. His stats from 33 innings read 1959 runs with 5 centuries to his name. Form-wise, too, Marnus has been performing as one-of, if not the best batsman for Australia in tests.
It has to be acknowledged that Marnus hasn’t yet been able to set the scene on fire in his short 24-match T20 career. But given his overall form and class, the limited availability of stats should not deter teams from investing on him as a promising middle-order batter. But for as big a fan of Smith as Marnus might be, his franchise(s) would not be wanting to hear his loud calls for ‘no-run’ in the shortest form of the game.
2. Joe Root
England’s power-packed white-ball set-up has made it virtually impossible for Joe Root to have a crack at getting back to the national T20I team. The England test-skipper made his last international T20 appearance way back in 2019. Ever since then, Root’s exploits in the shortest format of the game have been fairly limited; that too at only the domestic circuit and a few global T20 leagues.
There is, however, one bit of statistic that works greatly in Root’s favor when it comes to the IPL: back in the 2016 WT20 in India, he was the third highest run-getter of the tournament. Additionally, his ability to bowl a few overs of handy off-spin was also instrumental in England’s runners-up finish in that edition of the tournament.
Admittedly, it has been a long while since Root savored that glory of playing T20s on Indian soil. But as one of the best modern-era cricketers going around, it would be unwise to count him out of the mega-auctions just yet. So do keep an eye out for him.
3. Ollie Robinson
Arguably one of the biggest cricketing revelations of 2021, Ollie Robinson’s rise in international cricket this year has been an absolutely fascinating journey. In a very brief timespan, Robinson has moved up several spots on the pecking order to play as England’s leading bowler in the red-ball format.
And given his stellar success with the red cherry, the 2022 auctions could just be the breakthrough Ollie needs to make his mark in the T20 format. Thus far, Ollie has featured in only 49 domestic T20 games, where he has picked up 45 wickets at an economy rate of just under 9.
Not out-and-out eye-catching stats, admittedly. But Ollie’s ability to deliver spicy-bouncers, thanks to his tall and strong frame, makes him a hot prospect for the upcoming mega auctions.
4. Roston Chase
Roston Chase’s ability to wear out rival bowling attacks with his steadfast, defensive batting has earned him the title of a test-specialist. But it’s unfortunate that in the process of establishing himself as one of the most promising red-ball batters of this generation, Chase’s T20 batting skills have been criminally neglected.
Some of that unfair reputation was put to rest in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) this year, where Roston scored 446 runs and finished as the tournament’s leading run-getter. In fact, that promising T20 stint with the Saint Lucia Kings also earned him a spot in the West Indies’ World T20 team.
Considering how much his graph in T20s has peaked in the last several months, it’s not impossible to believe that Chase will get a chance to join his Caribbean comrades in the IPL next year.
5. Hanuma Vihari
An architect of one of the Indian team’s greatest test match displays on foreign soil, it would appear as if things have been quite unfair for Vihari in 2021. Barring that one incredible match-saving innings in Sydney, Hanuma didn’t get to play in any other test matches for India this year, owing to injury or some other availability concern.
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More recently though, Hanuma has found a nice bit of form in India A’s tour of South Africa, which has also fast-tracked him back into the national team. Talk about a great start to the new year. And from the looks of it, Hanuma could carry over some of that good luck in tests over to the IPL auction table for the next season.
While Hanuma’s overall T20 numbers (1449 runs in 77 innings) could certainly use some improvement, the fact that he can slot into just about any batting role for his team puts him in great stead as a floater batsman. Such versatility makes Vihari one of the favorite red-ball players to watch out for in the upcoming IPL auctions.