IPL Auction 2020: Why Delhi Capitals buying Jason Roy might turn out to be redundant
The IPL auction held on 19 December 2019 in Kolkata had its usual share of pomp and excitement. As many as 62 players were sold on the day, and the eight franchises spent a total amount of over INR 140 crore in order to get the right balance in their respective squads.
Pat Cummins grabbed the headlines as Kolkata Knight Riders pouched the Australian for a staggering amount of INR 15.5 crore. There were a total of 29 overseas players sold in the auction, and one of the more notable ones was England opener Jason Roy being acquired by the Delhi Capitals for INR 1.5 crore.
While on the surface this seems to be a good bargain, on digging deeper you realize that Roy might turn out to be a redundant purchase by the franchise.
The Delhi Capitals already have three Indian openers in the squad in the form of Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and the talented Prithvi Shaw. While the likes of Dhawan and Rahane have been former captains of IPL franchises and have played over 100 IPL games, the diminutive Shaw has shown plenty of promise at a young age of 20.
Dhawan and Shaw were the openers for the franchise throughout the 2019 edition, and it is unlikely for the management to tinker with that combination. Moreover, Rahane was brought in by the franchise in the trade window to act as a backup for the already strong top order.
So where does Roy fit in amid this abundance of opening riches? Roy is the fourth opener in the squad, and it is unlikely that he will get a lot of chances in the starting XI given that Dhawan and Shaw are the regular openers for the franchise. Also, there is the experienced Rahane waiting in the wings as the next option.
It is also unlikely that Roy will find a place in the middle order. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant are permanent fixtures in the side, and have the responsibility of carrying the team in the middle overs. And now that Shimron Hetmyer has been added to the squad, he is almost guaranteed to start in the playing XI too.
The Delhi Capitals might have spent just INR 1.5 crore for the England opener, but given the composition of the squad even that seems too much. Roy is a quality batsman in his own right, but he seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with Delhi.