IPL 2019: 3 Teams that could target Shimron Hetmyer at the auction
With his performances against India in the recently concluded ODI series, Shimron Hetmyer has become a sensation in world cricket. He scored 259 runs in five matches at a tremendous average of 51.80 and a strike rate of 140, which is absolutely unheard of in ODI cricket. He possesses a great T20 record too, racking up plenty of runs for the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Hetmyer's dominance on Indian tracks against Indian spinners is another stat which is equally impressive. There have been many players who have had tremendous success playing outside the subcontinent but have struggled playing here. That is not the case with Hetmyer.
The Guyanese is a really powerful batsman and can clear the fence with relative ease. He can be compared to a Rishabh Pant in that sense, and loves going over the leg side - although he can play big shots over long off as well.
Hetmyer has stated that his dream is to play in the IPL, and that's not far from being fulfilled courtesy his great performances. Here are 3 teams that could go for Hetmyer at the auction.
#3 Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab couldn't make the playoffs last season despite having a great initial run of games. Their middle order didn't contribute too many runs and their big signings like Yuvraj Singh and Marcus Stoinis failed to deliver the goods.
Apart from the excellent KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, no KXIP player was consistently impressive - with the possible exception of Karun Nair, who shone on a couple of occasions.
With the team management having released a bulk of their squad, Hetmyer can be a great addition to the side. A powerful batsman who can replicate the success which Glenn Maxwell had in 2014 as well as act as a direct replacement for Aaron Finch, Hetmyer will likely be one of Punjab's top targets.
If he does get picked by them, Hetmyer can learn a lot from fellow Caribbean T20 star Gayle and become one of the mainstays in IPL cricket.