3 players who would have earned the attention of new IPL 2022 teams during T20 World Cup 2021
The 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup culminated last Sunday in Dubai, with Australia winning their maiden title. The Aussies beat neighbors New Zealand in the summit clash to capture the trophy.
Unlike previous T20 World Cups, there was a Super 12 round in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, where 12 teams competed against each other. Before that, the ICC organized a qualifying round featuring eight teams, four of which qualified for the Super 12s.
Players from across the world participated in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, and the following five star performers would have earned the attention of the two new teams ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction.
#1 David Warner
While none of the eight existing franchises have released their lists of retained players for IPL 2022, former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain David Warner has confirmed that he will be part of the mega auction.
SRH dropped Warner from the playing XI during IPL 2021 and benched him for many matches. Several fans questioned whether Warner's career was over, but the left-handed batter proved his critics wrong by winning the Man of the Tournament award at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
The two new teams in IPL 2022 could target Warner because he has a ton of IPL experience and can captain the side as well.
#2 Matthew Wade
Matthew Wade performed well in the T20I series against India last year, but none of the IPL teams bid for him at the IPL Auction 2021. The wicket-keeper batter can now return to the IPL this year because of his T20 World Cup 2021 heroics.
Wade batted only thrice at the mega event and aggregated 74 runs at an average of 74. Most importantly, the southpaw played a whirlwind knock of 41 runs in the high-pressure semifinal against Pakistan to take Australia to the final.
The two new teams will need a wicket-keeper in their team, and Wade will be a decent choice.
#3 Dwaine Pretorius
South African players have done well in the IPL, and a new Proteas star who could bag an IPL deal in 2022 is Dwaine Pretorius. The pace-bowling all-rounder made his T20 debut back in 2010, but he came into the limelight during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Pretorius was the joint-highest wicket-taker for South Africa, scalping nine wickets at a brilliant strike rate of 9.7. His economy rate was less than seven, and given that he has a T20I career batting strike rate of more than 160, Pretorius can be a fantastic all-rounder for any IPL team.
The two new teams will have their eyes on the South African star at IPL Auction 2022 because he could be an asset for them in the 2022 IPL season. It will be interesting to see if Pretorius makes his Indian Premier League debut next year.