IPL 2022 Auction: 3 players who will be the only representatives from their nations
The 2022 IPL Mega Auction is just a few days away and the excitement levels are already soaring high. The prelude to the Great Indian Summer Fest has always been action-packed ever since it was held for the first time on February 20, 2008 ahead of the inaugural edition of IPL.
Over the years, players from several cricketing nations have shown immense interest in registering themselves for the IPL auction.They have also taken the league to another level with their on-field performances post acquiring lucrative million-dollar contracts.
A total of 590 players will be going under the hammer this year, out of which 370 are domestic players while the remaining 220 are from other countries. Players from 14 different nations will be up for grabs during the two-day affair to be held on February 12 and 13th in Bengaluru.
On that note, let's look at the three players who will be the only representatives from their nations at the upcoming 2022 IPL auction.
#3. Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe)
The right-arm fast-medium bowler will be Zimbabwe's only representative at the 2022 IPL auction. The talented pacer has so far represented his nation in six Tests, 30 ODIs and 21 T20Is, picking up 19, 39 and 25 wickets, respectively. Muzarabani, who is currently plying his trade for the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scalped ten wickets in six matches for Multan when they won the title last year.
He shot into the limelight during Zimbabwe's limited-overs tour of Pakistan in November-December 2020. The 25-year-old produced a Man of the Match-winning performance thereby handing Zimbabwe to their solitary win on that tour in the third and final ODI of the series at Rawalpindi.
th birthday today!
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#BIRTHDAY: It's Blessing Muzarabani's 2⃣5⃣th birthday today!
We wish you many more and may you continue to scale new heights! 🎂 🥳
#HappyBirthdayMuzarabani | #BowlOutCovid19 https://t.co/F4ZEgxi5EG
Chasing 279 runs for a series whitewash, the hosts' batters were tormented by Muzarabani, who finished with his career-best figures of 5/49. The match, which ended in a tie as Pakistan too managed 278 runs (278-9) after 50 overs, went into super overs to decide the winner.
The Murewa-born Muzarabani replicated his sensational performance in the Super Over as well by picking up two wickets, having given away just two runs. Needing just three runs, Zimbabwe chased it down off the third ball of the over, thereby scripting one of their most memorable away ODI wins.
The 6 ft 6 inch wicket-taking bowler has the ability to generate good pace apart from using variation and bounce to perfection. Given his international and PSL experience, Muzarabani, who has displayed his credentials at the highest level, will be eyeing his maiden IPL contract this time having set his base price at ₹ 50 lakhs.
#2. Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal)
Sandeep Lamichhane has become a household name in the IPL having played nine matches in the league so far for the Delhi Capitals across the 2018 and 2019 IPL seasons. The 21-year-old, who was bought by the Delhi Capitals for ₹ 20 lakhs during the 2018 auction, was retained by the franchise ahead of the 2020 IPL in which he unfortunately had to warm the bench for the entire season.
This is gonna be a nail-biter!! #BBL11 https://t.co/oh3JqtFrKY
The Syangja-born spinner was eventually released by Delhi ahead of last year's auction, where he went unsold at a base price of ₹ 40 lakhs. Given his experience of playing for several teams across various T20 leagues, Lamichhane, who already has 152 T20 wickets at an economy of 6.98, will certainly be a good buy for any franchise.
Hopefully Lamichhane, one of the brightest prospects that Nepal has ever produced, will be eyeing a return to the IPL after finding no buyers at last year's auction.
#1. Ali Khan (United States of America)
The Pakistan-born right-arm fast medium bowler, who plays for the United States of America, was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2020 season. Despite coming in as a replacement for the injured Harry Gurney, Ali Khan unfortunately couldn't feature in a single game for them having been ruled out due to a side strain.
CASTLED!!! Ali Khan with a Spectacular wicket picks up our @fun88eng magic moment from match 30. #CPL21 #SKNPvTKR #CricketPlayedLouder https://t.co/ihVEfAdOkB
The 31-year-old has been a pivotal member of the Trinibago Knight Riders franchise, picking up 42 wickets since joining them in 2018. The Knight Riders have won the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title twice in the last four seasons. Apart from the CPL, he has also played in other T20 leagues and has also featured in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.
The fiery pacer, who has set his base price at ₹ 40 lakhs, will be looking for a change of fortunes at the upcoming auction having gone unsold last year. With Khan already proving his worth on several occasions in various leagues, he might acquire a much-deserved contract this time in Bengaluru.