IPL 2020: 5 Bowlers who can open the batting in the tournament

In the 12 editions of IPL concluded so far there were many occasions where a number of lower-order batsmen were sent up the order as pinch hitters. Sunil Narine has opened for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and his quick starts have made a huge difference in the outcome of matches. The shortest format of the game is not just limited to batsman; even the bowlers have to contribute with the bat sometimes to post a competitive total. And it will be a very good option to send someone in top the order asking him to slog from the very first ball. It won’t really matter even if they lose their wicket in this process. Even in the upcoming IPL, we can witness some of the bowlers padding up and destroying the bowling attacks of the opponents in the powerplay. Now let’s look at 5 such bowlers who can be considered to open batting for their respective teams in IPL 2020: – 1. Rashid Khan Rashid Khan of Sunrisers Hyderabad in action. (Photo by Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) The 21-year-old Afghanistan leg-spinner is a fantastic bowler for any franchise and if he can score some runs at the top, one can’t ask for anything more. His fearless batting with his Camel bat can fetch some important runs for the team at the top. Although Sunrisers Hyderabad have some mighty openers in the form of David Warner, Jonny Bairstow and Wriddhiman Saha it’s still a good choice to send the young man along with Warner as he can clear the ropes with his splendid batting skills. His strike rates of 165.08 and 161.15 in IPL and Big Bash respectively are evident that he can be a match winner with the bat also. Currently playing in CPL, he is expected to join the SRH squad before their first game. 2. Sam Curran Sam Curran (Photo Source: Twitter) Sam Curran’s inclusion in the Chennai Super Kings’ playing XI should be a mere formality after the departure of vice-captain Suresh Raina. It will not be a bad idea to send the English left-hander along with Faf du Plessis as he can make an impact similar to KKR’s Sunil Narine. In IPL 2019, Sam picked up 10 wickets and scored 95 runs playing for KXIP. In the process, he exhibited his hard-hitting abilities alongside his new-ball skills. Besides, he also stroked his maiden IPL half-century and finished the tournament with a strike rate of 172. As the Daddy’s Army is in search of a fast bowling allrounder, Sam can be a perfect character to fit into the XI. We never know what’s running in Captain Cool MS Dhoni’s mind and let’s hope he will promote this young lad up the order. 3. Mitchell McClenaghan Mitchell McClenaghan of Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: Twitter) Mitch has already been used as a pinch hitter by then coach Ricky Ponting. When Mumbai Indians were chasing a mammoth total of 188 against KKR in 2016, McClenaghan was promoted to no. 4 to raise the scoring-rate. He did his job by scoring 20 off just nine balls and kept MI alive in the game. He is a strong man and will be able to hit the ball a long way. He has all the power to clear the stands. If he bats in powerplay it would be easy for him to score because fielders will be inside the 30-yard circle. He has a strike rate of 121.2 in IPL and even if he gets out cheaply it won’t be a problem for the team as it is filled with power-hitters down the order. He is currently training in UAE and is expected to play a crucial role in MI’s success this year. 4. Isuru Udana Isuru Udana. (Photo by Richard Huggard/Gallo Images) Udana is going to play his maiden IPL this year for RCB franchise. He is known for his death bowling skills and also developed himself as a useful lower order batsman. Udana is a complete T20 package and that is the reason why RCB picked him in the auction. The Sri Lankan pacer can open the innings for RCB if needed or can be used as a surprise element in the latter stages of the tournament. His six hitting abilities can be an added bonus to the team who are in a hunt for their maiden IPL trophy. He has played 160 T20s all around the globe and picked 170 wickets with an economy of 8.2 which can be considered decent due to the dominance of bat over the ball in this shorter version of the game. Currently he is undergoing his quarantine period in UAE and is expected to be available for the franchise’s first clash with SRH on 21st September. 5. Ravi Ashwin Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) “I won’t be surprised if he (R. Ashwin) opens innings for India in Tests,” said Ashwin’s coach after his century against West indies back in 2016. Ashwin was an opening batsman in his teen and switched as an off-spinner later. With the technique he has with bat he can bat up the order for any team. With Delhi Capitals having many opening options in their squad they can send him as a surprise package in the later stages of the tournament and he has the ability to be the Sunil Narine of the Delhi based franchise. Earlier he hit the ball at a rate of 147 while playing for KXIP in previous years. With 125 wickets to his name in 139 matches he played in IPL, his economy of 6.79 in this batsman dominated era makes him one of the best T20 bowlers. He can play an pivotal role in Delhi’s road to their maiden trophy in the tournament. ~ Written by Uday Gurugubelli

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IPL 2020: 5 Bowlers who can open the batting in the tournament

They have the potential to do a lot of damage, batting at the top of the order.

3. Mitchell McClenaghan

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