IPL 2022: 5 Left-arm pacers who may attract decent bids at the mega auction

The Indian Premier League (IPL) will be expanding its base with the addition of two new teams, i.e., Ahmedabad and Lucknow, making it a 10-team affair. The eight existing franchises have announced their retentions and the two new teams now have the window to negotiate with the players and bring them on board before the mega auction.

They will be allowed to pick three players each from the draft, i.e., two Indians and one overseas. The variety of left-arm bowling is a luxury for any franchise to have. The left-arm bowlers provide a distinct perspective, making it tough for right-handed batters to read them and play accordingly.

Left-arm fast bowling is more devastating than right-arm fast bowling when the angle is combined with control and accuracy. All the franchises must be looking to keep a left-arm pacer in their ranks so as to provide variety in their bowling.

In the article, let’s look at five potential left-arm pacers who may attract decent bids at the IPL 2022 mega auction:

1. Trent Boult

The fast bowling spearhead from New Zealand will be one of the top picks for all the franchises ahead of the mega auction. Furthermore, if any franchise is able to bring him on board, the skills he has shown in all phases of the T20 format will be immensely beneficial to them. Boult had a solid career with the Mumbai Indians until being released prior to the big auctions.

The fulcrum of Mumbai Indians’ bowling unit, along with Bumrah, was Boult. Over the course of two years, he took 38 wickets for the five-time IPL winning franchise. His contributions in the powerplay helped Mumbai smother the opponents, resulting in a title victory in 2020. His economy rate of 7.93 was also outstanding, demonstrating that he could bowl at any point of the game.

Boult offers left-arm fast bowling with good control and accuracy. Often regarded as a powerplay specialist, he becomes extremely lethal if there’s some swing on offer. In recent years, he has made significant progress as a death bowler.

He can execute Yorkers and slower ones with command, which will be extremely beneficial to any IPL franchise. He bowls at a blistering pace and has some quick bouncers in his arsenal, making him a popular choice among all the bowlers in the mega auction.