IPL 2023 Auction: 5 fast-bowlers with express pace to watch out for
With the IPL 2023 Auction coming up soon, teams would be finalizing their plans to acquire useful players to reinforce their line-ups. Fast bowlers with express pace are an asset in any format. Hence, they would also be on the radar of several IPL sides.
With only four overs to bowl in T20 cricket, bowlers can bend their backs and put in extra effort to unsettle batsmen with raw pace. The likes of Umran Malik, Jofra Archer, Lockie Ferguson, and Anrich Nortje, to name a few who can bowl at express pace, have tasted success in the IPL in the past.
The IPL 2023 auction has a few exciting names that could set the stage on fire with their raw speed. Here is a look at five such bowlers who are a part of the IPL 2023 auction:
#1 Adam Milne
Adam Milne has been a part of four IPL seasons to date. He has represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016 and 2017, apart from playing for Mumbai Indians in 2021.
In the last IPL season, he played a single game for the Chennai Super Kings and has been released by them. He will up for grabs in the IPL 2023 Auction.
@AdamMilne19Adam Milne to miss IPL 2022 due to injury. Wishing him a minnal recovery to be up and running in a flash soon!
#WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 @AdamMilne19
Despite being a part of IPL cricket for four seasons, Milne has failed to get a consistent run and has featured in only 10 matches, picking up seven wickets in the said games.
Milne can touch 150 kms/h on a regular basis and could be on the radar of a few teams at the IPL 2023 auction. He has a decent record for New Zealand in T20Is, having picked up 36 wickets in 35 matches at an average of 26.33.
He also possesses the experience of playing T20 cricket on different kinds of pitches all over the world.
#2 Dushmantha Chameera
The pacer from Sri Lanka can consistently touch the high-140s in limited-overs cricket. He played for the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022 and won the prize for the fastest delivery in the match on six occasions - his fastest being 147.9 kms/h.
Chameera made his debut in the IPL in 2022 and played 12 matches, picking up nine wickets. He bowled at high speeds and unsettled the batsmen with his pace. However, his average of 42.67 and economy rate of 8.73 was on the higher side and that could have been the reason for his release ahead of the IPL 2023 auction.
Chameera, if fit, could be an asset for any team in IPL 2023 and could be picked up in the auction, considering his experience of playing at the international level.
#3 Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi has been released by the Kolkata Knight Riders and will be a part of the mini-auction. The pacer has the ability to bowl at an express pace and will be on the wishlist of a few teams in the auction.
Mavi has played four IPL seasons and has picked up 30 wickets in 32 games at an average of 31.4 and an economy rate of 8.71.
He won the prize for bowling the fastest ball in a game against the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021 when he bowled at 147.8 km/h.
Mavi is one of the rare Indian bowlers who can clock 145 kms/h on a regular basis. The youngster, who first came into focus during the 2018 U19 World Cup, will improve his pace and performance as and when he gets more opportunities to play.
#4 Lance Morris
Lance Morris is an exciting young pacer who is making rapid strides in Australian domestic cricket. He has the ability to clock 150 kms/h and is one of the fastest bowlers in Australia at present.
Morris has made a name for himself in Australian first-class cricket, picking up 59 wickets at an average of 25.08. Not surprisingly, the youngster has been dubbed as the 'Wild Thing'.
NSW captain Kurtis Patterson, who was a teammate of Morris at Perth Scorchers in the last BBL season, said:
"I think that's probably No. 1 [quickest] I've faced in my Shield career. He was fast and it was No. 1 in terms of absolutely consistent pace."
Morris is an unknown player as far as IPL cricket is concerned and could surprise a few batsmen in IPL 2023. For teams looking for an x-factor in their bowling line-up, Morris could be the one to target in the IPL 2023 Auction.
#5 Varun Aaron
Varun Aaron is currently one of the fastest bowlers in India and can bowl regularly above 145 km/h. He has played nine IPL seasons to date and has picked up 44 wickets at an average of 33.66. His economy rate of 8.94 is on the higher side.
Having made his Indian team debut more than a decade ago, Varun Aaron played just two games in IPL 2022, for the eventual champions Gujarat Titans. He still has the ability to bowl at express pace, something that could attract teams at the IPL 2023 Auction.
Aaron is an experienced bowler, having made his IPL debut way back in 2011 and could play his tenth season of IPL in 2023.