The Hundred: 5 players who could feature in IPL this year
The Hundred, cricket’s newest format introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has been the talk of the town since its inception on July 21. With some of the top internationals playing the 100-ball event, the tournament has already got heads turning.
The last few weeks of The Hundred have witnessed some breathtaking finishes with matches going down to the wire. There are also some players who have risen to the occasion, stamping their authority with great aplomb.
With the IPL set to resume from September 19 in UAE, franchises will be hunting for player replacements given some players will be unavailable for the second phase of the marquee event. As most coaches featuring in The Hundred have involvement in the IPL, a few players from the competition could be seen featuring in the cash-rich league.
In this article, we look at five such players from The Hundred who could feature in the second phase of the IPL.
#5. Carlos Brathwaite
The West Indian will be a good replacement player for the second phase of the IPL. Brathwaite has been in decent form in The Hundred, scoring at a strike-rate of 143 batting at the fag end of the innings.
In 2021, the Barbados player has so far picked up 21 wickets in T20 cricket, which is the third-most amongst all bowlers.
#4. James Vince
Top-order batsman James Vince has been in good touch in the first edition of The Hundred. Vince has scored 167 runs so far at a strike-rate of 130.
The 30-year-old had a great outing in the UAE, playing for the Multan Sultans in the PSL 2020-21 season and scoring 174 runs across five innings. The right-hander could be a good option for the franchises looking for a top-order batsman.
#3. Alex Hales
The England international has proved yet again that he still has international cricket left in him. Hales has scored 163 runs across seven innings so far and has been a top run-getter for Trent Rockets in The Hundred.
Given his previous experience playing in the IPL, Alex Hales could be in the reckoning as a replacement player.
#2. David Willey
All-rounder David Willey has led from the front in this season of The Hundred. Willey has racked up 125 runs at a stupendous strike-rate of 154. The southpaw has the ability to get early wickets with the new cherry and is more than a handy batsman at the back-end of the innings.
The 31-year-old last featured in the IPL in 2018 playing for the CSK side.
#1. Tabraiz Shamsi
Tabraiz Shamsi has been in rollicking form in The Hundred. The chinaman bowler has scalped seven wickets across five games playing for the Oval Invincibles.
Shamsi has been the leading wicket-taker in T20Is this calendar year with 24 wickets. The South African spinner has a knack for bamboozling batsmen and can be a handy bowler on the surfaces of the UAE.