5 T20 commentators who would have been successful players in the IPL
These days many cricketers who retire from the game make their way to the commentary box. It allows them to stay closer to the game they love and also their playing experience makes them a perfect fit for the job.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) commentary team for this season too has a fair share of ex-cricketers.
Here’s a list of 5 members of this commentary team who would have succeeded as players in the IPL:
Note: This list does not include commentators who have played in the IPL and therefore, the likes of Scott Styris, Damien Martyn and Murali Kartik have not been included.
1. Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri is widely regarded as one of the best commentators in world cricket. In fact, he has even won the award for the best IPL commentator in the 2012 season. However, his ability is not just restricted to behind the mike. Shastri was an excellent all-rounder during his playing days and had played a vital role in engineering many victories for the Men in Blue by way of his solid performances with both bat and ball.
In 150 ODIs, Ravi scored over 3000 runs at an average of 29 and a strike rate of 61. These days where strike rates of 100 and above are commonplace, the 52-year old’s strike rate might seem to be slightly on the lower side. However, one must keep in mind the fact that he played ODI cricket at a time when the format was in its formative years and was undergoing several changes. Let us also not forget the fact that Shastri was in fact the first Indian player and only the second player overall to have smashed six sixes in an over in competitive cricket.
Ravi was also pretty handy with his slow left arm bowling. In his ODI career, he managed to pick up 129 wickets at an average of 36.04 and an economy rate of 4.21. Moreover, the Mumbaikar is also widely regarded for his tactical acumen and is currently Director of Cricket for the Indian team. All these factors would have made Shastri a very successful player in the IPL.
2. Kepler Wessels
Right throughout his career, Kepler Wessels did things differently. It did not matter what the pundits and former players thought of his actions, if he felt something was right, he would go ahead without thinking twice. And more often than not, he managed to silence his critics. In a tournament like the IPL, where one has to think on his feet, players like Kepler would have surely left an impact.
In 109 ODIs, the former South African skipper scored 3367 runs at an average of 34.35. As mentioned above, Keppler was known for his adaptability and his ability to do things differently. Moreover, the 57-year old has a very enviable record to his name. In his 105-match long ODI career, there wasn’t a single innings in which he was dismissed for a duck. That just goes to show what a reliable batsman he would have been at the top of the order.
Given that he was also the captain of the South African team and the coach of the Chennai Super Kings for the inaugural season where they reached the final, he could have also offered a lot on the tactical front.