IPL 2021: 5 Players who can replace Pat Cummins in the UAE leg

It is safe to say that Pat Cummins is one of the best bowlers of this era. One wouldn’t find too many players as valuable as him. Not only has he been sensational for Australia but he has also been superb for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

After acquiring the services of the Aussie superstar for 15.5 crore rupees back in 2020, KKR have always had Cummins in their XI whenever he has been available. He was more than decent in the first half of IPL 2021 as well. He picked nine wickets in the seven matches and also scored 93 runs with the bat in the first phase of IPL 2021.

However, if reports are to be believed then Cummins is all set to miss the second phase of IPL 2021 which is all set to take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month. With KKR languishing at the bottom of the table, they will need to have a good replacement for the Aussie seamer. Today we shall be taking a look at

5 players who can replace Pat Cummins in IPL 2021

5) Billy Stanlake

Big billy might just be an ideal replacement for Cummins. He has already had a fair share of experience playing in the IPL. The Aussie speedster is a former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) player.

The tall and lanky pacer has played 6 IPL games and has picked 7 wickets. His bowling average and strike rate in the Indian T20 league are 28.57 and 20.57 respectively. His USP is his abilities with the new ball.

He has a knack for troubling batsmen with his pace and bounce early on. His T20I record is superb as well. Stanlake has picked 27 wickets in 19 T20I innings. His bowling average and strike rate are 20.15 and 15.56 respectively.

4) Oshane Thomas

When cricket experts saw Oshane Thomas for the first time, he managed to impress them instantly. Thomas is superb with the new ball. His extra pace tends to trouble the best of best batters more often than not.

He might go for a few runs but he always manages to fetch a few wickets in that process. The big Caribbean unit has played 16 T20I games. In these 16 T20I games, he has picked 19 wicked at an average and strike rate of 26.53 and 17.37 respectively.

He has played a handful of IPL matches for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as well. The Caribbean pacer has picked five wickets in the four IPL games in which he has played so far. He has a decent economy rate of 7.9 as well.

3) Tim Southee

In terms of experience, Southee is right there with the best. It is safe to say that Southee has been one of the most underappreciated pacers of this time. If KKR are searching for a like-to-like replacement for Cummins, who is better than the Kiwi legend?

Southee has been a veteran in the IPL as well. He can get the ball to swing early on in the innings. Not only is he superb with the new ball but he is decent in the middle overs as well. Not to forget his hitting ability with the bat.

The Kiwi pacer has picked 99 T20I wickets in the 80 T20I games he has played so far. His bowling average and strike rate in this format are 24.82 and 17.76 respectively. Not to forget that he has also picked 28 wickets in 40 IPL games he has played so far and hence can replace Cummins in the coming days.

2) Isuru Udana

Isuru Udana is one of the better Sri Lankan players of the current generation. He is a valuable asset in the shortest format of the game. Not only can he bowl at the death, but he can also hit a few lusty blows with the bat.

Despite the fact that he was below average for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2020, KKR can definitely try their luck by replacing Cummins with him as he is experienced in this format. The Lankan all-rounder has played 34 T20I matches and has picked 27 wickets. His bowling average and strike rate in this format are 33.89 and 23.37 respectively.

He has also scored as many as 256 runs in this format with the bat. His batting average and strike rate are 18.29 and 137.63 respectively. Thus, Udana is a worthy contender to replace Cummins in the second phase of IPL 2021.

1) Sheldon Cottrell

Sheldon Cottrell has managed to impress one and all over the last few years. His ability to pick wickets in the powerplay overs is an absolute gem of a quality to have. When it comes to new-ball bowlers, he is arguably one of the best.

The Windies pacer has the reputation of being a fearsome bowler. He represented the Punjab Kings (Then Kings XI Punjab) in 2020 and was decent. Barring the one game in Sharjah where Rahul Tewatia took him to the cleaners, he was good in the other games.

The muscular Jamaican has picked 6 wickets in the 6 IPL games he has played so far. He has also picked 42 wickets in 32 T20Is. His T20I bowling average and strike rate are 21.9 and 16.84 respectively