IPL 2020: 3 teams that could target Eoin Morgan in the auction
The BCCI has decided to conduct the IPL 2020 player auction on 19 December 2019 in Kolkata. The trade window is stilopen, with a deadline of 15 November 2019 set by the IPL.
With a new season on the horizon, every franchise would aim to reinforce their squad. The team managements would look for match-winners in the auction, and try to get as many quality players as possible within the available budget.
Being a World Cup-winning captain, Eoin Morgan could entice some of the franchises for a bidding war. The southpaw led his team from the front in the 2019 World Cup, and was also the leading six-hitter of the tournament with 22 sixes in 10 innings. In the match against Afghanistan, Morgan created history by hitting the most sixes (17) in an ODI match.
The IPL teams were not interested in Morgan during the previous auction; nobody targeted the left-hander when his name popped out. However, the case could be different this time. Here is a look at three teams that are likely to target Morgan this year:
#3 Delhi Capitals
The Delhi Capitals would be looking for a left-handed overseas batsman for the upcoming season. That need arises because of the mediocre performance of the team’s overseas left-handers in the previous season.
Both Colin Munro and Colin Ingram didn’t do particularly well in IPL 2019. The management could be lenient on Munro as they used him scarcely, but Ingram received 12 matches and scored just 184 runs. Therefore, DC would hesitate to spend ₹6.4 crore on the South African batter for yet another season.
Morgan looks like an upgrade to the Proteas southpaw. Like Ingram, Morgan is also an aggressive left-hander in the middle order. But as a World Cup-winning captain, Morgan’s presence would be more motivating than Ingram's for the young Delhi players.
Delhi reached the IPL 2019 qualifier but failed to proceed further as the experienced Chennai Super Kings outsmarted them. If history repeats itself and Delhi are to reach the playoffs again, then having Morgan could be a game-changer.
Also see – World Test Championship Schedule