3 sides that can pick Eoin Morgan as their captain ahead of the IPL 2022 season
The mega auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is set to take place next month, with two new franchises making their debuts in the tournament.
Apart from the eight franchises that were present last season, Lucknow and Ahmedabad will be the two new franchises in IPL 2022.
The eight existing franchises have been allowed four retentions each. Meanwhile, the two new franchises will be allowed to pick three players each from the remaining player pool.
There have been plenty of rumors about possible retentions and signings ahead of the retention deadline i.e., 12pm on November 30th.
Ahead of the mega-auction, quite a few franchise players will enter the player pool and the auction, if not retained by their respective sides. One of these players will be Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Eoin Morgan.
After an off-colour start in the first half of the IPL 2021 season, KKR turned things around dramatically in the second half, with Morgan leading them to the playoffs.
However, Morgan's form with the bat has been far from his best in recent times and KKR are all-set to let go of the services of their skipper.
This opens the door for other franchisees to sign not only the chance to sign one of the most successful captains in white-ball cricket but also a proven middle-order batter who has been going through a rough patch recently.
We take a look at three IPL franchises that could target Eoin Morgan in the upcoming auction:
#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had one of their worst campaigns in the IPL last season. While the saga around dropping David Warner was the big story of their season, their performances on the field were nowhere near the standards they have set in recent seasons.
The franchise is likely to go through a full overhaul before the upcoming auction and could look to Eoin Morgan to lead them into a new era. While Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan seem to be the obvious retention picks (if any), Morgan could still slot into an SRH middle-order that lacks firepower and experience.
#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore
With Virat Kohli stepping down as captain, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will need to look for capable candidates to lead the franchise. RCB could certainly see Eoin Morgan as someone who could lead them to that elusive title.
Morgan also allows the Bangalore franchise to achieve two targets with one stone. AB de Villiers, one of the mainstays in the middle-order for RCB, has announced his retirement from all formats of the game.
Morgan offers an ideal replacement to add some experience and firepower and fill the AB de Villiers-shaped hole in the side.
#3 One of the new IPL franchises (Lucknow, Ahmedabad)
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With two new franchises looking to leave an instant mark on the IPL, Eoin Morgan would be one captain they could certainly consider. While reports suggest that Lucknow will be signing KL Rahul as captain, the door will be open for Ahmedabad.
Eoin Morgan is one of the most decorated captains in recent times and knows the ins and outs of the shortest format. While Morgan might not be picked for the initial player retentions, the England captain will certainly have some bidders in the IPL 2022 Auctions.