IPL 2019 Auction: Five West Indians who can spark a bidding war
The West Indians have been undisputed champions of the T20 format. Their side has won two T20I World Cups, despite all the turmoil taking place within the ranks. Their prolific performers are ‘most wanted’ in T20 leagues all around the globe. The age of T20 freelancing truly began with the Caribbean superstars offering their services to various franchises.
The likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and others have achieved a legendary status in the world of T20 Cricket. The upcoming crop from the Caribbean is very promising as well. They have already made their impact in the Windies’ T20 League - Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and in the other T20 tournaments also.
Every side in the IPL desires a batsman who can go for big shots from ball one and connect crisply. In this year’s CPL, we witnessed quite a few stormy knocks. The franchises also love to see the raw pace that will trouble batsmen, and the West Indians are never short of it. These Caribbean stars have played in plenty of white-ball tournaments and will be the hot-picks in the upcoming IPL 2019 auction.
#5 Darren Bravo
When Darren Bravo first arrived on the scene, his resemblance with the batting legend Brian Lara excited everyone. His footwork, his flourishing strokes and even his walk evoked the memories of the great man and the burden of expectation kept pegging down the little Bravo. But Darren Bravo is back after surviving all the controversies and disputes.
The 29-year old from Trinidad had a second wind in the CPL 2018. Playing for Trinbago Knight Riders, he aggregated 394 in 14 matches with the average nearing 40. The magnum opus was his 94 not out from 36 balls which included a 32-run over where he smashed Kieron Pollard for five sixes. Darren struck 12 sixes in the last 20 balls he faced as TKR pulled off an impossible chase.
Unlike his half-brother Dwayne Bravo, Darren has played only one game in the IPL. With the devastating powers that he exhibited in the CPL, IPL 2019 could be the life-changing experience for the younger Bravo.