IPL 2016: 5 players who can be added as replacements
We all know that one of the most successful players in the history of the Indian Premier League Chris Gayle remained unsold in the 2011 IPL auction and later he came in as a replacement for the injured fast bowler Dirk Nannes to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
What happened afterward has almost become a folklore as Gayle single-handedly guided RCB to the IPL final that year which they eventually lost to the Chennai Super Kings.
Another West Indian Lendl Simmons did almost the same in the year 2015 when he came on as a replacement for the injured Aaron Finch to inspire Mumbai Indians side to their second IPL trophy. Mumbai, last year, were off to a disastrous start and they were languishing at the bottom of the table.
The arrival of Simmons sparked a remarkable turnaround as they went on to win eight of their last 10 games to qualify for the qualifiers. Simmons scored 540 runs in just 13 games and provided his team the solidity they were looking for.
This year too, the Mumbai Indians have roped in the Kiwi opener Martin Guptill to replace the injured Lendl Simmons who played so well for them last year. But they would hope Guptill to replicate what Simmons did for them last year as they are off to a dismal start once again.
So, as injuries are part and parcel of a cricketer’s life and given the long duration of the IPL there might be injuries to the key players at some crucial junctures in the tournament, we have tried to pick 5 players who can be used as replacements in the IPL.
We have tried to analyze amongst the players who remained unsold in this year’s auction. Successful players in the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Jason Roy didn’t take part in this year’s auction and so they are not in the list. Here is the list that we have selected:
1. Usman Khawaja
The elegant left-hander from Australia surprisingly remained unsold at this year’s IPL auction despite some outstanding performances in the Big Bash League. He scored 345 runs in just 4 games at an astonishing average of 172.50 to guide his team Sydney Thunder to Big Bash glory.
Khawaja also played in the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 in India and did a decent job for the side. He scored 143 runs in the 4 games and provided a good start to his team. However, his team crashed out in the Super 10 stage.
He has a solid technique and can be a great option at the top of the order. As a replacement, Khawaja can perfectly fit the bill.