IPL 2022 Auction: 3 teams that are a perfect fit for Jason Holder
West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has listed himself at a base price of โน 1.5 crore for the IPL 2022 player auction to be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
The IPL, on Tuesday, released the final auction pool of 590 names, trimmed down from the initial list of 1,214 players who had registered, after consulting with the 10 franchises.
Jason Holder is among 34 players from the Caribbean who have registered for the auction.
He spent the last two seasons at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), having initially been brought in as a replacement player for Mitchell Marsh, who had picked up an injury in the first match of IPL 2020.
He has also had stints with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the past.
Holder's stats in T20s, and indeed in the IPL, are not very flattering. However, he is an experienced player who can be a match-winner for his team with his all-round skills.
He is also in terrific form, having powered the West Indies to victory in the series decider against England as he took four wickets in four balls in the final T20 International (T20I).
It was Holder's first five-wicket haul in T20s and his 'double hat-trick' was a thrilling way to end a remarkable series.
He also became the first West Indies male cricketer to take a T20I hat-trick.
The fact that he has ample captaincy experience also adds value to his stock and certain franchises will do well to snap him up in the IPL 2022 auction.
Here are three teams that would be a good fit for Holder:
#1 Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) like to have a fast-bowling all-rounder and with their previous recruits Kyle Jamieson and Chris Morris not available, Holder is a good bet for them.
With Virat Kohli having stepped down as captain, Holder may even be a good option to lead the team while they groom a younger player for the role.
Holder could be a good partner for Md Siraj with the new ball, and he has also improved his bowling at the death, which RCB will be looking at.
Holder could also be a floater with the bat, coming in early to stabilize in case of a top order collapse or freeing his arms at the death to utilize his six-hitting abilities.
Overall, the lanky all-rounder and RCB may be a great fit for each other.
#2 Chennai Super Kings
The MS Dhoni-led team likes to bat deep and released two of their pace-bowling all-rounders from last season -- Dwayne Bravo and Sam Curran.
Curran has opted out of the IPL 2022 auction as he is recovering from an injury, while Bravo may be in demand from other teams too. Even if CSK do get Bravo, getting 14 matches out of him may be difficult, given his age and fitness.
Holder can be a great option for CSK, either for the first time or for squad rotation.
The 30-year-old's experience is something Dhoni and head coach Stephen Fleming will value highly as well.
#3 Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals retained Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler and Yashaswi Jaiswal, ensuring that their top order stays intact.
All three are naturally aggressive players and having someone like Holder in the side, who can protect them from a collapse, could be a good strategy for them.
It would give the top order the freedom to attack, knowing that there is someone who can shore up the batting if needed.
Of course, Holder will also be a good option with the ball as well, and with no bowlers retained, an all-rounder like him will be of great value.