IPL 2019: 5 genuine International all-rounders in CSK squad
The genuine all-rounders are the pride of cricket. A team with a couple of all-rounders would look different in the eyes of the opponents who lack such privileges. It is as if an unfair contest between two teams, one with 11 players up against the other with 13 players.
The game of cricket has been lucky to be blessed with so many past all-rounders of the calibre of Sir Gary Sobers, Alan Davidson, Sir Richard Hadlee, Sir Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shahid Afridi and Lance Klusener, to name a few.
A genuine all-rounder is one who has the ability change the course of a match either with the bat or the ball. Again, a genuine all-rounder would find a place in any team with one of his skills alone that is to say, purely as a batsman or purely as a bowler. Another giveaway for a genuine all-rounder is the fact that such all-rounders are invariably natural athletes and terrific fielders. The all-rounders are the jewels in the crown of the game.
There is a distinct difference between a genuine all-rounder like a Shakib Al Hasan and a bits-and-pieces player like our own Kedar Jadhav. Of course, bits-and-pieces players have their own role to play in cricket but are not as influential as a genuine all-rounder.
The role of an all-rounder in a T20 match assumes greater significance. In the past, so many quality all-rounders like Albie Morkel, Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, and Andrew Flintoff had represented the Chennai Super Kings team.
The present CSK team is lucky to have 5 genuine International all-rounders in white ball cricket in their ranks. The presence of these all-rounders gives them a distinct advantage over the other teams. There is a possibility that CSK might field all their 5 all-rounders in the playing XI.
This article is about those 5 CSK all-rounders who will be on display in IPL 2019.
#5. Mitchell Santner
T20 International career
Matches – 31, Runs – 197, SR – 123, wickets taken – 34, Economy – 7.27
T20s career
Matches – 65, Runs 739, SR – 127, wickets taken – 65, Economy – 7.05.
The Kiwi all-rounder Mitchell Santner looks all set to make his IPL debut this season. He can be termed as an established all-rounder in ODIs and an upcoming all-rounder in T20 matches.
Santner is basically a bowling all-rounder who has the ability to contribute effectively with the bat. Nonetheless, he is an all-rounder in the true sense. In the past, he has shown his skills with the bat scoring some crucial runs for New Zealand down the order.
Santner would be looking forward to his first IPL season.