IPL 2020: All-Stars Game | 3 players who can captain North-East India XI
The 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) will see some interesting additions to the annual cricketing bonanza. While it is confirmed now that the tournament will kick-off on March 29 with the final to be played on May 24 in Mumbai, an All Stars game will also be played for the first time in the IPL, three days before the main event kicks off.
For the All Stars game, the eight teams will be divided into two, comprising of players from four franchises each. One team will have players from North and East India - namely Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Capitals (DC), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
The second team will be a mix of players from Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) - i.e. South and West India.
The move was announced following the IPL governing council meeting in New Delhi earlier this week, attended by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel. Let’s take a look at three players from North and East based franchises who can lead the team in the All Stars match.
#3. Eoin Morgan
England’s 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan can be a strong contender to lead the North-East India XI in the All Stars match. The left-hander was purchased for an impressive amount of INR 5.25 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL 2020 auction. Morgan led Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10 league. With the bat, he amassed 175 runs in just six matches at an excellent strike rate of 186.
Morgan’s IPL career hasn’t kicked off so far. Having represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, KKR, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab over the years in the T20 league, he has scored 854 runs in 54 matches at a strike rate of 121.13 with four fifties. That could change this year with Morgan’s stint at KKR.
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The England captain stunned world cricket with a breathtaking 148 off only 71 balls against Afghanistan in their World Cup encounter at Old Trafford. He has earned the respect of world cricket as a leader, and hence it wouldn't be surprising if he is named leader of North-East India XI for the All Stars match.
Note: All statistics as of February 1, 2020