Best replacement players in IPL history
Over the years, franchises have brought in players who weren’t even in the original plans but went on to guide their team’s fortunes.
3. Lendl Simmons (IN); Jalaj Saxena (OUT) for Mumbai Indians in 2014
IPL 2014, West Indies batter Lendl Simmons was acquired by Mumbai Indians as a replacement for Jalaj Saxena. The decision turned out to be one of the most impactful mid-season signings in IPL history. Making his IPL debut, the right-handed batter made an immediate impact with 394 runs in just eight matches, including a memorable century against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), helping MI reach the playoffs after a poor start.
Simmons’ biggest contribution came in the 2015 season, where his opening partnership with Parthiv Patel played a crucial role in the side clinching their second IPL title. Scoring 540 runs at an average of 45, he was the backbone of MI’s batting lineup and finished as the joint second-highest run-scorer that year. Although injury hampered his 2016 season and he played just one game and returned in 2017, adding another title to his name. In his IPL career, he scored 1079 runs in 29 matches at an average of 39.96 and a strike rate of 126.64, including one century and 11 fifties.
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