5 Indians who can use the 2016 DPL to revitalise their career
Ever since the Dhaka Premier League was granted List A status in 2013/14, a lot of foreign names have been travelling to take part in Bangladesh’s premier 50-over competition. The first season drew 82 foreign names from all around the world, including the likes of Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jacob Oram and Ryan ten Doeschate.
The recently concluded season of the DPL this year has been in the news because of controversies – umpires staging a walk-out from a match, a club alleging that their own players were involved in match-fixing, and players alleging that they have not been paid. Despite all this, there is no denying that the 2016 DPL has seen some quality cricket being played as well, with many cricketers from Bangladesh and abroad involved.
The profile of the foreign players in the league has changed in the last two years. Of the 36 overseas players involved in 2016, 22 were Indian and 10 were Sri Lankan. With BCCI becoming more welcoming of the idea of sending Indian players to play in foreign competitions, as long as they are not ‘IPL-style’, there have been some big positives for Indian fans watching the 2016 DPL.
There were some big names who expectedly fired, like Manoj Tiwary (40 runs in 1 match), Yusuf Pathan (68 runs in 2 matches), Rajat Bhatia (105 runs and 2 wickets in 2 matches), Dinesh Karthik (179 runs in 4 matches). Haryana's Sachin Rana scored 75 runs and took 4 wickets in 2 matches and Sachin Baby of Royal Challengers Bangalore scored 127 runs and took 1 wicket in 5 matches.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Bipul Sharma managed to score a century as well, but could not do much other than that. India hopeful Gurkeerat Singh could only manage 22 runs and 2 wickets in the 2 matches that he got to play, and is the Indian who shall probably be most disappointed with his stay in Bangladesh.
Uday Kaul (Abahani Limited)– 169 runs in 4 matches
Punjab’s Uday Kaul was the first Indian to have been signed up in the DPL, having played in Abahani’s first match of the season on April 22. His performances must have stood Indian imports in good stead, as his club went on to sign Pathan, Bhatia, Tiwary, Karthik, who stayed for shorter durations.
Kaul was a solid middle order batsman for the eventual champions of the DPL, managing scores of 44*, 63 and 59 in his first three outings. Kaul was returning to the DPL after a very successful season in 2012 for Prime Bank CC, when he had scored 221 runs in three innings.
Kaul also had a brief stay with Kings XI Punjab, but has failed to reproduce similar form there. The 28-year-old, who can also double up as a wicketkeeper, might be picked up by one of the franchises at the next IPL auction.