5 Benched overseas players who deserved a place in IPL 2020

Dubai International Stadium played hosts to the grand finale of the 13th Indian Premier League (IPL) amidst an unprecedented silence in the stands. As the high-voltage match meted out with a one-sided victory, fans cheered with the sense of enthrallment from the comforts of the homes. Mumbai Indians handed Delhi Capitals a five-wicket comprehensive defeat in the final showdown of the season.

With this triumph, Mumbai Indians became the first outfit to win five trophies in the cash-rich tournament. The champion side stamped their authority from the word go. It speaks volumes about the strength of the team. The star-studded MI did not require the services of power-hitter Chris Lynn and pacer Mitchell McClenaghan at all.

In the similar line of sequence, this article throws an eye on the top overseas players who could not don the team’s jersey despite their statistics favouring them. Apparently, the strict restriction of playing with only 4 overseas players may have hindered their chances to make it to the playing XI.

Here are 5 benched overseas players who deserved to play in IPL 2020:

1. Sandeep Lamichhane

Nepal-born cricket prodigy Sandeep Lamichhane was bought by Delhi Capitals in 2018 at his base price of  INR 20 Lakhs. Doing wonders for the team during the 11th edition, the 20-year-old grabbed 5 crucial wickets in the 3 outings. Eventually, his name started to reverberate across the cricketing fraternity as he went up for grabs in multiple franchise cricket all across the globe. The right-hander featured in the likes of Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League and many more.

The ruthless tweaker accumulated 13 wickets for the Delhi-based outfit in the last two seasons. Although the spin-king was retained by the franchise, he could not find his name in the playing XI throughout the cricketing carnival.

Hence, Sandeep could be termed as unlucky this season. He will be hoping to play in the next edition and if the mega auction, DC might end up releasing him.

2. Oshane Thomas

The West Indies speedster Oshane Thomas has been a go-to bowler for his national team. The tearaway fast bowler plied his trade for Rajasthan Royals in the recent season. The franchise bought the player in the 12th IPL auction. Known for his profound pace and aggressive runup, the 23-year-old could not live up to the billing.

Oshane managed to pluck 5 wickets in 4 matches at the expense of 79 runs. Although he was retained prior to the auction, Rajasthan team management was in no mood to hand him the opportunity to feature in the playing XI.

Thomas can decimate any batting line-up on his day. Given the fact that he warmed the bench throughout the season, it goes without saying that he will leave no stone unturned to get into the right groove in the next IPL.

3. Billy Stanlake

Billy Stanlake leaves no stones unturned when it comes to showing the propensity of brilliance with the ball. He is a ruthless bowler who has a plethora of prowess under his belt to prove his worth in the contest against the best. Subsequently, Sunrisers Hyderabad got him under the orange hammer in 2017.

Featuring in 6 matches for the franchise, Billy provided 7 crucial breakthroughs to the team. But he could not don the orange jersey this time around. Despite Bhuvneshwar Kumar getting injured, the team didn’t pick him due to the availability of other top overseas players in the side.

The lethal seamer will surely put his best foot forward if given a chance to represent Hyderabad in the next season. SRH might even release him to get more opportunities with the other team.

4. Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn has proven his mettle with the bat on countless occasions. The top-order decimator can trounce World-Class bowlers without any mercy. Boasting the heavy arms, Chris is considered as the true entertainer for his ability to hit massive sixes. The swashbuckler plied his trade for Mumbai Indians this season.

Having played the IPL since 2012, the 30-year-old has mustered 1280 runs at a stellar strike rate of 140.65. Statistics suggest that his insane batting brilliance can weather the opposition storm with ease. However, the right-hander could not even a single game. Mumbai had plenty of arsenals under their belt and they didn’t even need to think of Lynn.

It will be interesting to see if they release him ahead of the next season given the fact that De Kock is unlikely to be left out for the next season.

5. Mitchell McClenaghan

Mitchell McClenaghan holds the potential to wreak havoc on the opposition batsmen on any given day. Mumbai Indians rightly roped in the brute bowler as he paid rich dividends in the erstwhile season.

After playing 56 matches in the IPL, Mitchell has bagged 71 wickets giving the team an edge over opponent team. Moreover, he has one 4-wicket haul to his name.

However, he could not find his name in the playing XI owing to an impeccable rendition with the leather by his compatriot Trent Boult. The left-arm seamer was exceptional in the powerplay and also the rest of the overseas players did their job perfectly for MI to not need McClenaghan’s services at all.