IPL 2021: 10 Unsold players who can come back as replacements for the UAE leg

The fourteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed everything possible. The tournament had a great start as most of the teams managed to put up a high level of competition. Even after many players opted to stay home, the remaining participants ensured that the fans got their share of entertainment. However, things turned haywire for the IPL. Things started to get worse as soon as a few players from the KKR camp were tested positive for COVID 19 virus. Later on, after a couple of days, BCCI decided to suspend the tournament. The rising cases in the country meant that fans had to face disappointment. But, recently, there has been a glimmer of hope for every cricket fan. Recently, the board has decided to conduct the remaining matches of the league in the UAE during the month of September-October later this year. With the unpredictability of COVID, this seems a smart move by the BCCI. This will give BCCI ample time to prepare for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. With many players being unavailable for the second leg, here are 10 unsold players who can make a comeback as replacements: 1. Sandeep Lamichhane Sandeep Lamichhane. (Photo Source: Twitter) The Indian Premier League is well known to provide the perfect platform for youngsters to shine on the big stage. Adding on, the tournament can be a perfect opportunity for players from Associate teams to make a mark. Sandeep Lamichhane is the only player from Nepal to make it to the IPL. The talented spinner was, however, unsold during the 2020 and 2021 auctions. He was a part of the Delhi Capitals squad in 2018 and 2019. Sandeep’s skills were enough to enable him to make it to the Capitals squad as an overseas player. But, a poor season in 2019 meant that he had no bidders in the 2020 auctions. However, the second leg might open up a door for him to make a comeback. It is important for Nepal’s cricket circuit that Sandeep makes it to the IPL. He can play the role just like Rashid Khan did for Afghanistan. Till now, Sandeep has played 9 games in the IPL. With a decent economy of 8.34, he can bowl during the middle overs. 2. Alex Hales Alex Hales. (Photo Source: Getty Images) One of the most surprising moments of the 2021 IPL auction was when Alex Hales went unsold. Even after playing impactful knocks during the Big Bash League, Hales had no bidders. Adding on, he has no place in the T20I team as well. But, the second leg might allow him to make a grand comeback in the English squad. With the T20 World Cup knocking on the door, Hales could use the opportunity to grab the attention of the national selectors. In 60 T20I games, he has scored 1644 runs with a strike rate of 136.66. Adding on, he has a century to his name, his best score in T20I is 116. Hales could play the role of an opener for the teams that were struggling during the first half of the tournament. 3. Devon Conway New Zealand’s Devon Conway. (Photo by DAVID ROWLAND/AFP via Getty Images) It is almost certain that most franchises would pay any sum of money for Devon Conway to play for them. Well, he was unsold during the auction and now, he is the next big thing in international cricket. With terrific form, he can be the greatest asset for any franchise. Currently, he has been the best performer for the New Zealand national squad. Conway has played 14 T20Is so far. With the highest score of 99 and a strike rate of 151.12, he has been dominant in the shortest format. In the 50 over format, Conway has managed to score a century in three games. He averages 75 in ODIs, which showcases his talent with the bat. Recently, he scored a brilliant 200 at Lord’s against England. He timed the ball to perfection and managed to play safe shots during his innings. His ability to score quickly by playing conventional cricketing shots makes him a dangerous player. Even if he skips the UAE leg, every franchise would be rooting for him during the 2022 auction. 4. Varun Aaron Varun Aaron. (Photo Source: Twitter) Varun Aaron was cited as the next big thing in Indian cricket. He could generate raw pace. But, injuries and inconsistency have been a big hurdle in his career. Just when he was on the verge of making comebacks, he got injured. Adding on, the emergence of many effective bowlers under the leadership of Virat Kohli meant that he was out of the national team. Well, his inconsistency with the line and length never helped him. Even if he bowled at a high pace, he leaked runs. But, the IPL could be the perfect opportunity for someone like Aaron to make a comeback. He has played 50 IPL games so far and has picked up 42 wickets. With a high economy rate of 8.89, he had to warm the benches for most of his career. Now, as some franchises are missing out on a fast Indian bowler, Aaron could be a great addition to the squad. 5. Ankit Rajpoot Ankit Singh Rajpoot. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Ankit Rajpoot belongs to that list of fast bowlers who had the potential to make it to the national squad, but their inconsistency and the tough competition got the better of them. He has been in the IPL circuit since 2013 but is yet to find a team that included him in the playing eleven regularly. Rajpoot has been in and out of multiple franchises. Unfortunately, he was unable to find any bidders during the 2021 auction. After 2013, his next appearance was in 2016 for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Later on, he was a part of the then KXIP squad. He picked up 5 wickets for 14 runs during a game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, his economy rate was not on the bright side during most parts of his career. In 29 games, Rajpoot has picked up 24 wickets. With an economy rate of 9.23, he has been inconsistent. But, if he gets more chances, his numbers would improve significantly. Well, the second leg of the IPL might provide him the perfect opportunity. 6. Tushar Deshpande Tushar Deshpande. (Photo Source: Twitter) Tushar Deshpande was one of the members of a strong Delhi Capitals bowling lineup. With the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, it was difficult for anyone to get into the playing eleven. The Capitals managed to get a solid start to the season. But, they lost their way during the final stages of the tournament. This meant that they had to include an Indian player into the squad as there was a change in the playing eleven. Tushar Deshpande was the pick for Ricky Ponting. But, he failed to get going. In five games, he picked only three wickets with a poor economy rate of 11.29. When a team is struggling, that economy rate is never acceptable. Hence, he was dropped from the side. To make matters worse, he was released from the team before the 2021 auction. During the auctions, he found no bidders and went unsold. Well, the second leg might enable him to make a comeback. Even though DC has a packed squad, some franchises like Punjab or Sunrisers might include him in their team. 7. Aaron Finch Aaron Finch. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) It is somehow surprising to see that the Australian limited-overs captain went unsold during the 2021 auction. Even though he has a below-average IPL record, he can tear apart any bowling attack on his day. Aaron Finch has been a great servant to Australian cricket but it seems like the franchise needs more consistent players. However, the second leg of the IPL might be the key to Finch’s return to the toughest T20 tournament. In 71 T20I games, Finch has scored 2346 runs with a healthy average of 38.46. He has a healthy strike rate of 152.14 and has the highest score of 172. Whenever required, he can play solid innings as an anchor and he can provide quick starts too. Apart from that, he is a great captain as well. Talking about his IPL records, Finch has scored 2005 runs in 85 innings. But a strike rate of 127.71 never helped him to stay at one franchise. With the upcoming mega auction in 2022, he could make it to a squad if he fails to make a comeback this year. Finch is an asset to any team he plays for. 8. Glenn Phillips Glenn Phillips. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images) Glenn Phillips is a part of the dominant Kiwi side which is achieving great heights under the leadership of Kane Williamson. He is an attacking wicketkeeper-batsman who can score quickly. With the level of competition rising every passing day, Glenn would be a valuable addition to any franchise. Well, if CSK is looking for the future, he might be the perfect man for them. In 25 T20I games, Glenn has scored 505 runs with an average of 28.06. His strike rate of 149.41 is a healthy one and he could be used as an opener if required. Because of his clean ball-striking ability, Glenn could be the next big thing in international cricket if given proper chance. Well, IPL could be a perfect platform for this. Teams like SRH, KKR, and CSK should look forward to picking him up. These teams need a wicketkeeper for the future and Glenn could be their go-to man. He has bowled in T20Is too. He has picked up 2 wickets in his career. His economy rate is 7.6. 9. Rassie van der Dussen Rassie van der Dussena. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Rassie van der Dussen has been a part of the South African side since 2019. He has held the middle order together since ABD retired. Rassie has played 20 T20I games for South Africa and has been consistent till now. In a few games, he has taken up the role of leadership as well. But, even for a player like Rassie, it was really hard to get into an IPL franchise. He got no bidders for the 2021 auction. However, his stats are sufficient enough to get him an IPL contract. He averages 41.87 in the shortest format of the game. Rassie can adapt to situations. Hence, he could be a valuable addition to any team he plays for. With KKR struggling to find their perfect combination, he could settle in as a middle-order batsman. Well, the upcoming second leg might give him the perfect chance to experience the nature of IPL. 10. Adil Rashid Adil Rashid. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Adil Rashid was one of the big names who went unsold during the 2021 IPL auction. Recently, he has been England’s premier spinner in the limited-overs format. Under the captainship of Eoin Morgan, Rashid has been an attacking leg spinner who can pick wickets at regular intervals. Till now, he has played 57 T20Is and 109 ODIs. Rashid has picked 55 wickets with an economy rate of 7.55. He has the best bowling figure of 3/11 till now. In 109 ODI games, Rashid has picked 158 wickets at an economy rate of 5.66. He also has a bowling average of 26.62 in T20Is. Leg spinners play a vital role in the limited-overs format. And in a competition like the IPL, Rashid can be a match-winner for any franchise he plays for in the future. He could restrict the batsman from one end during the middle overs. Adding on, he is a proven match-winner.

IPL 2021: 10 Unsold players who can come back as replacements for the UAE leg

A number of stars, who took part in the first leg of IPL 2021, may not come back.

5. Ankit Rajpoot