IPL Auction 2020: Top 5 performers from Syed Mushtaq Ali 2019 who could go for big money
The 2019-20 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy witnessed an exciting final as defending champions Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu by one run in Surat. The T20 tournament is seen as a great platform to impress the franchises of the Indian Premier League.
A pool of uncapped IPL players take part in the tournament every year, some of whom make a transition to the Indian T20 extravaganza after performing well. This year, the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy was organised before the Ranji Trophy for this very purpose – to scout talent for the IPL ahead of the mega auctions to be held in Kolkata on December 19.
Here we take a look at the top five players from the 2019-20 edition, who can go for big money in the forthcoming auctions.
R Sai Kishore – Bowler, Tamil Nadu
R Sai Kishore finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker and also with the best economy rate – 4.6 runs per over. What stood in out his bowling, though, is the fact that 15 of his wickets came in the power-play overs. The closest that the finger-spinner has got to the IPL is when he was used as a net-bowler for Chennai Super Kings’ practice sessions. The 23-year-old left-arm spinner went unsold in the last two IPL auctions, but there are high chances that he could land a contract this season.
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In a recent interview, the young bowler had said that going unsold in the IPL auctions motivated him to work on his performances, which reflected in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season.
Tushar Deshpande – Bowler, Mumbai
Mumbai’s Tushar Deshpande, who was seen bowling at 146 kmph against Madhya Pradesh, is one of the fastest pacers in domestic cricket. The right-arm pacer took 51 wickets from 22 games across formats in the 2018-19 domestic season and was the architect of Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare title win with 15 wickets.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali, he grabbed 21 wickets – highest wicket-taker for his team and second highest in the tournament. While these stats are from last year, Tushar was not given enough opportunities this season, which became a matter of controversy. In fact, despite the feats from last season, the 24-year-old was not picked for Mumbai's Syed Mushtaq Ali initial squad, and only after it became a matter of debate in newspapers, Deshpande was included in the team.
He played five games this season, from which he took 10 wickets while maintaining an economy of under six. His stats from last year were registered after the IPL auctions which is why they will matter this year.
Rohan Kadam – Batsman, Karnataka
The top run-getter of the tournament last year, Rohan Kadam helped Karnataka defend their title this year with 258 runs in seven innings, with his most impressive knock being a 71-ball 47 against Mumbai.
Last year, he scored 536 runs in 12 innings while striking at a rate of 130. The 25-year-old missed the IPL trial last year as the dates clashed with the Vijay Hazare knockouts. But the aggressive batsman has given enough reasons to the scouts to pick him for the T20 extravaganza this year.
Virat Singh – Batsman, Jharkhand
In the recently-concluded edition of Syed Mushtaq Ali, Virat Singh scored 343 runs from 10 matches, averaging 57.17 at a strike rate of 142. While the team lost all their games in the Super League phase, the Jharkhand middle-order batsman stood out with his performances. He hit three half-centuries, including an unbeaten 44-ball 76. Virat had also top-scored for Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year with 335 runs in seven innings.
With all those big knocks having come at the right time, IPL franchises definitely will be keeping an eye on him.
Aditya Waghmode – Batsman, Baroda
Aditya Waghmode topped the run charts for Baroda with 364 runs in 10 innings, striking at 153.58. The 30-year-old finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer, which is surely a feat that will attract IPL bidders. Overall, in 39 T20s, the southpaw has 1108 runs at an average of 34 and strike rate of 126.
Last year in the Vijay Hazare trophy, his knock of 148 powered Baroda to 378 for seven. He is also a useful part-time bowler and can bowl a few tight overs.