3 reasons why Jason Holder is a bargain buy for Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals (RR) roped in West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder for ₹5.75 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 mini auction in Kochi on Friday, December 23.

Holder went into the auction with a base price of ₹2 crore. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were the only two franchises to bid for the Caribbean cricketer. Both teams engaged in a bidding war until ₹5.75 before CSK opted to back out of the purchase.

Holder was snapped up by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a hefty price of ₹8.75 crore at the IPL 2022 mega-auction before being released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2023 auctions.

Jason Holder is sold to the Rajasthan Royals.

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While the former West Indies skipper didn't set the stage on fire in this year's IPL, he had a decent campaign for the KL Rahul-led team.

In 12 matches, Holder claimed 14 wickets at an average of just under 28 and an economy rate of 9.42. In a small sample size of 44 balls, he even scored 59 runs with the bat as well.

Holder went into the IPL 2023 auction as one of the marquee players, and with RR acquiring him for just under ₹6 crore, he is considered one of the steal buys at the auction.

Here are three reasons why Jason Holder is a bargain buy for RR at the ongoing IPL mini auction.

#3 Can be used as a pinch hitter or a floater

In white-ball cricket, an all-rounder is always a luxury for the skipper, and Holder gives his side the same freedom as well. With both the bat and ball, Sanju Samson can use the Barbados-born player as a floater in the lineup.

Floaters always play a key role in white-ball cricket and help the team extend their batting lineup. Holder can very well be used as a flexible batting option.

While he can use his long levers to hit some lusty blows, Holder can be an excellent pick to arrest a slide in the case of an early collapse as well.

#2 Holder is a bowler for all situations

He is one to 𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙴𝚁 on to! 😉

#RajasthanRoyals hold on to their nerves to add #JasonHolder to their squad for 5.75 cr in the #TATAIPLAuction.

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A pacer with almost 200 T20 wickets to his name, Holder is a complete bowler in every sense. Given his tall height, the right-armer extracts extra bounce from all surfaces and has a wealth of experience in crunch situations as well.

While he can easily seam the new ball alongside Prasidh Krishna and Trent Boult, Holder has often been a reliable option in the middle and death overs as well.

His wide yorkers and steep bouncers will surely be cherished by the Rajasthan-based franchise in the upcoming IPL season.

#1 Solves the necessary all-rounder issue for Rajasthan

Can last year's runners-up @rajasthanroyals find their winning formula at the #TATAIPLAuction? 🧪

Find out as the Royals look to 💪 their squad on Dec 23, 1 pm onwards, LIVE on #JioCinema 📺📲

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Going into the IPL 2023 mini auction, RR were desperately in need of an all-rounder who would bridge the gap between their five specialist batters and bowlers.

Acquiring Holder for just ₹5.75 crore, they have done a brilliant job, as he solves their all-rounder conundrum ably.

While in IPL 2022, RR had a strong playing XI, which even made it to the finals, the only major loophole was their dearth of multi-faceted players.

Holder is currently one of the best fast bowling all-rounders available, who has showcased his mettle in international cricket and franchise cricket for some years now.