Winner: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 4 runs.
Scores:RCB 181/0 – RR177/9
Player of the Match: Devdutt Padikkal
Best Figures
Mohammad Siraj – 3/27
Chetan Sakariya – 0/35
Most Runs
Shivam Dube – 46 (32)
Devdutt Padikkal – 101* (52)
Stars of The Day:
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatiarescue RR to a respectable total. Rajasthan were struggling at 18/3 and later 43/4. Shivam Dube’s counterattack with support from Riyan Parag – 25 (14) & Rahul Tewatia – 40 (23) got RR to a respectable 177/9. Unfortunately, this was never going to be enough at the Wankhede.
When RCB last reached the final in 2016, Virat Kohli opened the batting and scored 973 runs. Moving from Chennai to Mumbai, the flow came back to his batting with a steady 72*. The star of the day was Devdutt Padikkal. At one stage, Padikkal was on 80* (36) while Kohli was still in his twenties. That is domination. One to watch out for sure. With Maxwell & AB De Villiers already performing, Kohi-Padikkal’s form at the top is yet another box ticked.
Speaking of which, RCB finally have their death bowling figured out. Mohammad Siraj & Harshal Patel have been the pick of the bowlers. Siraj is giving RCB ideal starts with eye catching in-swinging deliveries while Harshal Patel’s off cutters are too hot to handle. While Patel is the purple cap holder with 12 wickets to his name, Siraj is #6 on the economy charts with a miserly 6.06 economy to go with his five wickets.
Honorable Mentions:
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: RR’s Campaign Going South Quickly
Manan Vohra is not giving RR the starts that they want. With only 3 fifties in more than 50+ IPL games, it is not a particularly impressive record. Ben Stokes’ injury, release of Robin Uthappa, and Liam Livingstone going home (due to bio bubble fatigue), these are not good signs for RR. Already at the bottom of the table, they need a few Tewatia shows to rescue them from that position.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 231 runs (DC, 4 matches)
Harshal Patel – 12 wickets (RCB, 4 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4
4
0
0
8
+ 1.009
2. Chennai Super Kings
4
3
1
0
6
+1.142
3. Delhi Capitals
4
3
1
0
6
+0.426
4. Mumbai Indians
4
2
2
0
4
+0.187
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4
1
3
0
2
-0.228
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
4
1
3
0
2
-0.7
7. Punjab Kings
4
1
3
0
2
-0.824
8. Rajasthan Royals
4
1
3
0
2
-1.011
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
MI takes on PBKS tomorrow. What are your thoughts?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Stars of The Day: CSK’s Left Arm All-Rounders – Sam, Moeen, Jadeja
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Chetan Sakariya with his second 3-fer in the IPL. He had a dream day with scalps of Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, & MS Dhoni, India’s former middle order. Oh yeah and he also got the duo of Agarwal-KL Rahul in the first game. Happy for him, after he endured some tough days personally.
When Jos Buttler performs, RR qualifies. As easy as that. At 87-2 in 11 overs, things were looking in RR’s favor. With Jadeja’s wicket of Buttler & Moeen Ali in tandem, RR collapsed to 95-7.
Sam Curran & Moeen Ali again show their worth. Sam finished things off with 13 (6) before his 3-0-12-2 spell (taking Manan Vohra and Sanju Samson) put the initial breaks on RR. Moeen Ali – 26 (20) with 2 sixes and sealed the game with 3-0-7-3. Glad to see CSK utilizing these English talents better than the England cricket team themselves.
Sir Jadeja is Everywhere. 2 wickets, 4 catches (on different parts of the ground). Looks like IPL 2021 has only 5 contributors in the field:
In the 20th over, there was a Sam Curran & Shardul Thakur (stranded) run-outs, no-ball yorkers, Dwayne Bravo’s bat flying everywhere, and a huge six. It was all happening at the Wankhede. Comedy of errors at its finest.
IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!
Shikhar Dhawan – 186 runs (DC, 3 matches)
Harshal Patel – 9 wickets (RCB, 3 matches)
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
3
3
0
0
6
+ 0.75
2. Chennai Super Kings
3
2
1
0
4
+1.194
3. Delhi Capitals
3
2
1
0
4
+0.453
4. Mumbai Indians
3
2
1
0
4
+0.367
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
3
1
2
0
2
-0.633
6. Rajasthan Royals
3
1
2
0
2
-0.719
7. Punjab Kings
3
1
2
0
2
-0.967
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad
3
0
3
0
0
-0.483
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
Tomorrow is the first double header!
MI takes on DC tomorrow. What are your thoughts?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
Moments of The Day: Unadkat, Miller, & Morris Come Back In Style
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Rajasthan Royals have had two major purchases in the last few years—Jaydev Unadkat & Chris Morris. While Chris Morris has not had a major IPL season since the 2015 season with Delhi (Daredevils), Unadkat has been bitterly disappointing at RR. Today Unadkat ended up with 4-0-15-3, devouring the entire DC top order. Morris, who had been denied a run by Samson in the first game, came back with 36 (18) with 4 sixes.
The Fizz (Mustafizur Rahman) was the big positive for today. Post-injuries, his impact had dramatically reduced from the heights of his dream debut year. He was finally hitting speeds of 135 kph+ and putting revolutions on the ball. The dismissals of Stoinis & Curran were especially satisfying. With Unadkat-Fizz occupying the ‘specialist off-cutter’ position, & Sakariya/Morris for support, this is turning out pretty nicely for RR.
The fielding is finally doing justice to the standard of the IPL. After a horrendous few days, RCB-SRH brought things back on track. Today, it got even better—Samson’s flying screamer, Parag’s run out of Pant, Tewatia’s running back catch, Miller’s run out of Ashwin, & Dhawan’s 3 catches (6 in total this IPL).
Honorable Mentions:Lalit Yadav impresses; Rishabh Pant almost bails out DC with a 50; Avesh Khan’s 3 wickets
T20 World Cup Spotlight: South Africa, the Dark Horse?
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the various T20I World Cup squads.
There was a point today where Miller & Morris partnership were facing Kagiso Rabada. Miller’s career can be divided into three phases:
Killer Miller (Pre-2016)
Where Is Miller? (2016-2020)
Accumulator Miller (Post-2020)
Frankly, if this third phase is anywhere close to ‘Killer Miller’ phase, South Africa might just have a chance for the T20I World Cup. With AB De Villiers’ return possible, the young SA squad impressing against Pakistan(Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, Russie Van der Dussen, Klassen, Linde, Shamsi), & the IPL experience of Faf-ABD, QDK, Miller, Morris, Rabada-Nortje-Ngidi, count this Protea team out at your own peril.
The Chris Woakes & Tom Curran Conundrum – Woakes ended up with 15* & 4-0-22-2 today & 2/18 in the first game, while Curran had figures of 21 & 3.4-0-35-0 & 1/40 in the last game. Curran has played 28 T20I for England, while Woakes only has 8, last of which came in 2015. Time for a straight switch.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Delhi’s Team Selection
Although the Capitals made a game out of a 148 score, their tactics should still be questioned. Why was Amit Mishra dropped? What is Rahane’s role in the team? Smith-Hetmyer? Frankly, DC’s depth is so good, but I am just afraid the constant changing & chopping will not help in the stability.
RR already dealing with Jofra Archer’s injury have been dealt with Ben Stokes being ruled out of the tournament. Hopefully he recovers well, but maybe blessing in disguise given David Miller & Liam Livingstone’s form.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
2
2
0
0
4
+0.175
2. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
3. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+0.2
4. Delhi Capitals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.195
5. Rajasthan Royals
2
1
1
0
2
+0.052
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
0
0.00
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
2
0
2
0
0
-0.4
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The PBKS take on the CSKin Mumbai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
KKR Vs MI– IPL 2021 Match #5 Quick Review! The Mumbai Indians sure know how to win games & Kolkata Knight Riders sure know how to lose them. As a KKR fan, the ending was hard to watch. Great heist from MI nevertheless.
What Actually Happened: Collapse of Epic Proportions
Winner: MI won by 10 runs
Scores:MI152/10 VsKKR 142/7
Player of the Match: Rahul Chahar
Best Figures
Andre Russell – 5/15
Rahul Chahar – 4/27
Most Runs
Suryakumar Yadav 56 (36)
Nitish Rana 57 (47)
Moments of The Day: Rahul Chahar Turns The Game
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Andre Russell, the bowler had a dream of a game. Barely able to lift himself with all the injuries & muscle, he came up with figures of 5-15 in 2 overs. Cleaned up the tail pretty nicely.
Rahul Chahar turns the game, literally. Chahar was the catalyst of the collapse that turned 72-0 in 8.4 overs to 142/7 in 20. Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan, & most importantly, the well set Nitish Rana. The ball that dismissed Tripathi was the ball of the tournament so far. Rana unnecessarily danced down the pitch (to Chahar’s last ball by the way) & Shakib threw it away back-to-back sent panic into the KKR dressing room. DK-Russell lost their natural games trying to preserve their wickets, and in the process, gifted MI the game.
Honorable Mentions:Bumrah’s 19th shows his class; Russell’s 2 dropped catches a blessing in disguise
T20 World Cup Watch: Suryakumar, Krunal Strengthen Their Cases
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the T20I World Cup squad.
In a pitch where nobody got going, Suryakumar Yadavbatted beautifully – 56 (36) with 2 sixes. SKY is going from strength to strength after the India debut. He has a foot inside that World Cup squad.
The difference between the two sides was Krunal Pandya. From 126/7 in 17.3 overs, Krunal’s 15 (9) in 3 overs took MI to a respectable 152. When KKR were in a comfortable position, a miserly spell of 4-0-13-1 stalled KKR’s chase. He has been in-and-out of the T20I side, and this performance will just push him up the ladder.
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: KKR Fans
The senior KKR batsman fail to live up to the hype. The strength of KKR was supposed to be their star-studded middle order—Eoin Morgan 9 (9), Dinesh Karthik 8* (11), Russell 9 (15), & Shakib 9 (9) this season. Yet, their only victories in the last two seasons have been due to Rana-Tripathi-Gill or Varun-Lockie.
DK not being able to finish the game & not even hitting a boundary was quite unlike him. Morgan hit one boundary, Shakib’s only 4 was an under edge against Rohit Sharma, & Russell’s only 4 was off of a free hit. Andre Russell, the batsman, has been especially disappointing over the last two seasons. 2019 apart and his contributions from the bat are minimal, especially with the likes of Lockie Ferguson & Ben Cutting on the sidelines.
Shah Rukh Khan summed it up perfectly.
Disappointing performance. to say the least @KKRiders apologies to all the fans!
Also hope Rohit Sharma is okay – twisted his ankle before his first ball. Ended up completing the over, but given his injury history, definitely a concern.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals
1
1
0
0
2
+0.779
2. Mumbai Indians
2
1
1
0
2
+0.225
3. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.2
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore
1
1
0
0
2
+0.05
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
2
1
1
0
0
0.00
6. Rajasthan Royals
1
0
1
0
0
-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
1
0
1
0
0
-0.5
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Sunrisers Hyderabadtake on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
The IPL is full of surprises and memorable moments. Here are my moments of today:
Chetan Sakariya & Arshdeep Singh – In a match aggregate of 438 runs, the highest wicket takers (and almost most economical) were 22-year old Arshdeep & 23-year old Sakariya. They were both smart with their variations and were given death bowling responsibilities—an area where even international level bowlers fail, they excelled. Oh and Sakariya took a blinder to dismiss Pooran while Arshdeep’s caught and bowled off Manan Vohra received much deserved praise from coach Jonty Rhodes.
KL Rahul Keeps On Going – Probably India’s best batsman of this generation, KL Rahul’s consistency in the IPL has been stellar. Last 3 seasons – 659, 593, & 670 runs. Today he struck it nicely with a wonderful 91, batting until the final over. Hope his that strike rate picks up from last year.
Given that the T20I World Cup is around the corner, and pandemic induced rules has changed the rules to 23-player squad, we will be analyzing the impact of each match on the T20I World Cup squad.
Despite India having Hardik Pandya, India are missing power hitters down the order. Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, & Dinesh Karthik might be smart, impactful finishers, but out-and-out hitters are missing. Think Yusuf Pathan or Andre Russell type players. Yesterday Abdul Samad impressed hitting 2 sixes against Pat Cummins, and today Deepak Hooda 64 (28) – 6 sixes & Riyan Parag 25 (11) – 3 sixesthrilled with their clean striking.
Wildcard entry for one of them?
Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Samson So Close Yet So Far
Sanju Samson was the highlight of the day, even in a losing cause. After Stokes was dismissed for a duck and 2 down pretty, not many would have given RR a chase, but Buttler, Parag, Dube, & Samson took the game really slow. 5 needed off 2, Samson took responsibility on his own shoulder. Should he have run or not? What do you say?But as it turned out, Samson swatted away the last ball and what initially looked like a last-ball six turned out to be meters short. Broken Cricket Dream of the Day. Well played, lad.
Catches Lose Matches….or at least that is what the last 4 days (and IPL 2020) have showed us. Today, it was even worse. Stokes, Tewatia, Buttlerdropped catches from the Royals, while Murugan Ashwin, KL Rahul, & Mayank Agarwaltook turns for the Kings. Take out the dropped catches, and this is no longer a high scoring game.
I am not saying all fielding standards are bad, but it seems to be all or nothing these days. Blinders from Sakariya, Arshdeep, and Tewatia, and comical drops all around. Even Shami’s caught & bowled had miscommunication written all over it.
IPL 2021 Points Table
No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table. We will keep updating it in every article!
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Tied No-Result
Points
Net Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals
1
1
0
0
2
+0.779
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.5
3. Punjab Kings
1
1
0
0
2
+ 0.2
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore
1
1
0
0
2
+0.05
5. Mumbai Indians
1
0
1
0
0
-0.05
6. Rajasthan Royals
1
0
1
0
0
-0.2
7. Sunrisers Hyderabad
1
0
1
0
0
-0.5
8.. Chennai Super Kings
1
0
1
0
0
-0.779
IPL 2021 Points Table
Tomorrow’s Preview
The Mumbai Indians take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai. Who do you think will win this one?
Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
From the young Ravindra Jadeja in 2008 & Manish Pandey in 2009 to the inspirational stories of Natarajan & Chakravarthy last year, the IPL has a habit of thrusting new faces into limelight. In 2020, uncapped players like Ravi Bishnoi, Abdul Samad, and Devdutt Padikkal had breakout seasons. Here are some of exciting candidates for 2021:
Finn Allen signed as a replacement for Josh Philippe and announced himself to the international stage with a whirlwind 71(29) against Bangladesh. Will he get a match though in the star-studded RCB line-up?
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy graduates Mohammad Azharuddeen (WK/batsman), Shahrukh Khan (finisher), and R Sai Kishore (spinner) would be quite handy if they carried their devastating forms earlier this year.
Surprise Packages Paul Valthaty & Rahul Tewatia became household names after bizarre IPL seasons. Would love to watch a Chetan Sakariya, Lukman Meriwala, or someone we have not heard much about (yet) rising to the occasion.
2. Can the Discards Find Their Way Back to the Pack?
Due to COVID-19, ICC events have allowed up to 23-player squads. For India, this has provided the window for discarded players like Prithvi Shaw, Dinesh Karthik, & Sanju Samson to squeeze into the T20 World Cup squad in October later this year.
Since the World Cup is scheduled to be held in India, it is also a golden opportunity for players from other countries like Liam Livingstone, the Currans, & Dawid Malan (England), Allen & Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand), & Riley Meredith & Jhye Richardson (Australia) to impress their selectors.
Eoin Morgan has made it clear he wants England to hold both the World Cup trophies. He has even gone as far as suggesting that rivals Rajasthan Royals will open with Buttler-Stokes combination (to help England prepare for the World Cup).
3. This is it, isn’t it?
Christopher Henry Gayle is 41 and has recently stated his desire to win a third T20I World Cup and even play for 5 more years. Imran Tahir at 42 and Harbhajan Singh at 40 are still spinning oppositions.
It is unlikely any of them will play all the 14 games, but their experience will be crucial in pressure situations.
We should just sit back and enjoy because this might be the final chance we get to watch players like MS Dhoni on the field. With IPL 2022 having a large auction, this year is definitely the end of an era.
4. Can Cricket Get Any Longer? Rule Changes For IPL 2021
The limited overs series between India and England have caused direct rule changes to this IPL. Some of those T20I games took up 5 hours and Suryakumar Yadav’s soft-signal caused uproar. Last year, the double super overs went well into the next day. For IPL 2021,
Teams have been accommodated 90 minutes per innings including the Strategic Time Outs. Penalties have been raised for violation.
No soft-signal for catches and obstruction of field appeals.
Time capped for multiple Super Overs. If time elapses, the game will be declared a tie (one point each).
5. The World Must Come Together as One
Before we can enjoy the spectacle, the real question is will we even have a complete IPL due to the pandemic?
The PSL showcased brilliant display of cricket…for two weeks before the insecurity of the bio-bubble packed up the tournament.
Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood & Philippe have already withdrawn days from the IPL, and the likes of Axar Patel & Padikkal have tested positive for coronavirus. Cases are rising in India, and several travel concerns still remain.
With mental health, bio-bubble fatigue, and financial security all at stake, only time will decide the fate of this tournament. Let’s just hope that this virus is defeated, the spirit of the IPL remains alive, and the surprises keep on coming.
If you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:
There used to be a time when frugal IPL auction buys and uncapped Indian players was the norm for RR. Now it is the complete opposite. They are overdependent on foreign players.
If Buttler has a great season, they make the top 4. Otherwise, same old story. Here is the preview.
8th. Except for Jofra Archer maiden overs, Ben Stokes opening century, Riyan Parag’s Bihu dance celebration, & a glimpse into Kartik Tyagi’s potential, not much to write home about.
Injury & COVID-19 News
Jofra Archer is bound to miss at least 4 matches due to a hand injury. Given that the T20I World Cup is England’s focus right now, it is unlikely that Archer will be risked much.
Rumors suggest that England captain Eoin Morgan has inside information from rival camp of Rajasthan Royals. Maybe a Buttler-Stokes opening partnership to better help England prepare for the upcoming World Cup?
I would still start out with Jaiswal as an opener. (But then I am no captain of the best limited overs side in the world).
Will David Miller get another season on the bench? (Or one game before a 0 (0) run out benches him for the rest of the season).
Watch Out For
Chris Morris. Has been sold for plenty at the auction, but some signs he is getting back to his best. Since his breakthrough season with Delhi a few years ago, he has not made a huge mark on the IPL. Is this the year?
Sanju Samson went from India’s #4 in the Australia tour to out of the squad. With an extended 23 men squad available for the T20I world cup, can he impress the selectors once again?
Buttler-Stokes in the top order.
Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Royals?
Lack of pace. The Fizz, Tye, Unadkat, & even Morris are arguably the world’s best off cutter bowling combination in the world. Without Jofra Archer though, they might fail to defend scores in Mumbai, Kolkata, & Bangalore.
Only so many Tewatia specials can save the Royals.
Venues & Fixtures
Venues
Mumbai- 5, Delhi – 4, Kolkata – 3, Bangalore – 2
Fixtures
12 April: RR vs PBKS (Mumbai)
15 April: RR vs DC (Mumbai)
19 April: CSK vs RR (Mumbai)
22 April: RCB vs RR (Mumbai)
24 April: RR vs KKR (Mumbai)
29 April: MI vs RR (Delhi)
2 May: RR vs SRH (Delhi)
5 May: RR vs CSK (Delhi)
8 May: RR vs MI (Delhi)
11 May: DC vs RR (Kolkata)
13 May: SRH vs RR (Kolkata)
16 May: RR vs RCB (Kolkata)
18 May: KKR vs RR (Bangalore)
22 May: PBKS vs RR (Bangalore)
25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)
Prediction
Prediction
7th
Most Runs
Jos Buttler
Most Wickets
Mustafizur Rahman
Emerging Player
Mr. Liam Livingstone, I presume?
Surprise Package
Shivam Dube
X Factor
Jos Buttler
Broken Cricket Dream
David Miller
Rajasthan Royals Preview Predictions
What do you think of the Rajasthan Royals Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?
Indian Premier League Auction 2021 – It is time for yet another iteration of the IPL.
The IPL held just last September provided joy to many amidst the pandemic, provided several life lessons, and had its share of Super Overs. Now, in the final season before the overhaul and big auction (may expand to 9 or 10 teams in 2022), a short auction was held last week.
The auction had its moments—Chris Morris, the most expensive player EVER, RCB splurging on lower order allrounders, and Sunrisers just present for the participation points (only bought 3 players).
Here is our review of Indian Premier League Auction 2021: The winners, the losers, early predictions, and expected starting XIs.
Here is a quick review of all the international players sold by country.
Afghanistan (Afg): Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Australia (Aus): Steven Smith, Ben Cutting, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christan, Riley Meredith, Nathan Coulter Nile, Jhye Richardson, Moises Henriques
Bangladesh (Ban): Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman
England (Eng): Moeen Ali, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone
New Zealand (NZ): Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham
South Africa (SA): Chris Morris, Marco Jansen
West Indies (WI): Fabian Allen
Australia were the big gainers with 8 picks (even though the likes of Aaron Finch and Marcus Labuschagne did not find a team), while Sri Lanka had 0 picks. It seems that the era of West Indies T20 freelance monopoly is coming to an end. England is snatching this tag given their marvelous limited overs depth.
Indian Premier League Auction 2021: Auction Highlights, Starting XI, and Early Predictions
*Note: The prices are in Indian Rupees as in the auction (Conversion: $1 U.S. dollar = 73 Rupees)
*Teams highlighted in their respective jersey colors
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Auction Highlights
Indian Internationals: Cheteshwar Pujara (50 lac)
Indian Uncapped: Krishnappa Gowtham (9.25 crore), Harishankar Reddy (20 lac), Bhagath Verma (20 lac), C Hari Nishanth (20 lac)
Foreign Recruits: Moeen Ali – Eng (7 crore)
Verdict: Pujara finally gets an IPL deal while Gowtham & Moeen Ali can add the much needed zeal in the CSK lineup. Balanced bowling line up, local Chennai lads in the squad who lifted the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy, and experience in the batting. Final round for Dhoni, Bravo, Uthappa, and Tahir?
Early Prediction: Barely miss the top 4 due to net run rate (The irony)
Squad:Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, R Sai Kishore, Cheteshwar Pujara, Narayan Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, KM Asif, C Hari Nishanth, Harisankar Reddy, K Bhagath Varma
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Auction Highlights
Indian Internationals: Umesh Yadav (1 crore)
Indian Uncapped: Ripal Patel (20 lac), Vishnu Vinod (20 lac), Lukman Meriwala (20 lac), M Siddharth (20 lac)
Foreign Recruits: Steven Smith – Aus (2.2 crore), Tom Curran (5.25 crore), Sam Billings (2 crore) – Eng
Verdict: Good buys for the reserves with Umesh, Steve Smith, Tom Curran, and Billings (Smith most likely to warm the bench). Settled XI, great balance, but can they capture the big moments and maintain momentum?
Early Prediction: The 2020 finalists go one step further? Champions?
Squad: Ajinkya Rahane, Steven Smith, Sam Billings (WK), Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Avesh Khan, Lukman Meriwala, Lalit Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Praveen Dubey, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod (WK)
Indian Uncapped: Sheldon Jackson (20 lac), Vaibhav Arora (20 lac), Venkatesh Iyer (20 lac)
Foreign Recruits: Shakib Al Hasan – Ban (3.2 crore), Ben Cutting – Aus (75 lac)
Verdict: Shakib & Ben Cutting big steals for KKR, but not too sure about Harbhajan Singh & Pawan Negi? Envious finishing prowess, inexperienced Indian fast bowlers the concern, but the real question is—will Brendon McCullum’s notes produce the correct line-up?
Indian Uncapped: Yudhvir Singh (20 lac), Arjun Tendulkar (20 lac)
Foreign Recruits: Adam Milne (3.2 crore), Jimmy Neesham (50 lac) – NZ, Nathan Coulter-Nile (5 crore), Marco Jansen (20 lac) – SA
Verdict: Backups in the form of Chawla, Milne, Neesham & Zaheer Khan the mastermind behind the 20 year old left arm pacer, Marco Jansen. IPL 2021 is just an exercise to see how many different ways Mumbai Indians can come with to win the trophy.
Early Prediction: Just to change things a bit, they fail to qualify for the Top 4. Champions in the reverse direction (Who am I kidding?)
Foreign Recruits: Jhye Richardson – Aus (14 crore), Riley Meredith – Aus (8 crore), Dawid Malan – Eng (1.5 crore), Moises Henriques – Aus (4.2 crore), Fabian Allen – WI (75 lac)
Verdict: Dawid Malan, current word’s best T20 batsman, & Fabian Allen were quite the deal. Looking forward to Shahrukh Khan, the finisher, and hopefully Jalaj Saxena, the first class veteran. Definite contenders this time around. The change of name to PBKS to bring the luck?
Early Prediction: Top 4 Finish
Expected Starting XI
KL Rahul (C/WK), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Dawid Malan/Chris Gayle, 4. Nicholas Pooran, 5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Shahrukh Khan, 7. Fabian Allen/ Moises Henriques, 8. Arshdeep Singh, 9. Chris Jordan/ Jhye Richardson, 10. Mohammad Shami, 11. Ravi Bishnoi
Foreign Recruits: Chris Morris – SA (16.25 crore), Mustafizur Rahman – Ban (1 crore), Liam Livingstone (75 lac)
Verdict: All weak points from IPL 2020 fixed. With Shivam Dube and Chris Morris, the double Rs may not have to rely on Tewatia magic alone. The foreign 4 pick themselves, but Miller, Livingstone, the Fizz, and Andrew Tye are T20 specialists themselves.
Early Prediction: Top 4 Finish…in the first half. Then momentum is lost, and they end up in the bottom two. The usual.
Foreign Recruits: Kyle Jamieson – NZ (15 crore), Glenn Maxwell – Aus (14.25 crore), Daniel Christian – Aus (4.8 crore)
Verdict: They won the Indian Premier League 2021 Auction battle—Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, & Dan Christian. Finishing problems fixed. With basically the entire Indian bowling lineup returning from Australia’s success, promising uncapped openers, & the golden touch of Christian, RCB may finally cross the line.
Early Prediction: Finalists.
Expected Starting XI
1. Mohammed Azharudeen, 2. Devdutt Padikkal, 3. Virat Kohli (C), 4. AB de Villiers(WK), 5. Glenn Maxwell, 6. Daniel Christian, 7. Washington Sundar, 8. Kyle Jamieson/Daniel Sams, 9. Mohammed Siraj, 10. Navdeep Saini, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal
Foreign Recruits: Mujeeb Ur Rahman (1.5 crore) – Afg
Verdict: Kedhar Jadhav is a good backup choice for Vijay Shankar in case of injuries & Nabi-Rashid-Mujeeb together in Hyderabad, wow! They have the options, but can they figure their best XI in time?
Early Prediction: SRH lose several matches at the start, out of contention early, but will break the dreams of the teams in the middle at the backend of the tournament. Bottom 4 Finish.
Expected Starting XI
David Warner (C), 2. Wriddhiman Saha (WK), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Kane Williamson, 5. Vijay Shankar/Kedar Jadhav, 6. Priyam Garg/Abdul Samad, 7. Rashid Khan, 8. Jason Holder/Mohammad Nabi/ Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. T Natarajan, 11. Sandeep Sharma
Since this is the final IPL before the big auction in 2022, this small auction was expected to have several players unsold.
Broken Dreams of IPL 2021 Auctions:
Hanuma Vihari—hero of Sydney. Unpicked in the first couple of rounds, his name was called again for the final auction round. Still unsold. Insult to injury. Literally. (The only prominent currently in the Indian setup to not have a deal since Pujara was picked).
Aaron Finch—one of the best T20I players of all-time just could not manage a consistent IPL season.
Shaun Marsh, an end of an era. Along with Shane Watson, was the bright overseas star. KXIP stalwart in the early years, Orange Cap of IPL 2008, but could not buy any buyers.
Alex Hales. Enough said.
IPL Auction 2021: Entire Unsold List
Foreign: Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Evin Lewis, Aaron Finch, Glenn Phillips, Alex Carey, Kusal Perera, Sheldon Cottrell, Adil Rashid, Ish Sodhi, Qais Ahmad, Sandeep Lamichhane, Rovman Powell, Shaun Marsh, Corey Anderson, Devon Conway, Darren Bravo, Rassie van der Dussen, Martin Guptill, Marnus Labuschagne, Oshane Thomas, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jason Behrendorff, Naveen Ul Haq, Ben Dwarshuis, Thisara Perera, Ben McDermott, Matthew Wade, Sean Abbott, Josh Inglish, Scott Kuggeleijn, Wayne Parnell, Reece Topley, Chris Green, Isuru Udana, George Linda, Jack Wildermuth, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David
Your Opinion Matters: Was Maxwell Overpriced & Hales Unlucky?
Let us know what you thought about the auction by commenting here below:
Was Glenn Maxwell overpriced? Is 2021 the year or are we still carrying IPL 2014 nostalgia?
The likes of Adil Rashid and Alex Hales do not find a team. First team England ditch Hales & now after top scoring in the BBL, no buyers. Contender for the unluckiest player of All-Time?
Steal of the Auction: Shakib Al Hasan, Dawid Malan, Fabian Allen, or Ben Cutting?
KKR’s buy of Harbhajan Singh? Why?
Here were my biggest winners and losers from Indian Premier League 2021 Auction. What did you think? What are YOUR predictions? Comment Below!
Well, well, well, the IPL is here. It is that time of the year. Okay not quite, 2020 is weird. Anyway, six months delayed, but IPL-13 is finally here.
Cricket has restarted and England has done their part in hosting West Indies, Pakistan, and Australia. Now it is time to jump ship across to the U.A.E. for the Indian Premier League.
ESPNCricinfo recently did a series on all-time IPL XI teams. Although we agree on some players, I have a different take on most teams. So for the next few days, we will be doing IPL All-Time XI, 2 teams each day.
Why not start with the teams that inspired the IPL craze? Yes, I am talking about the winners of the 1st IPL, Rajasthan Royals, and Kolkata Knight Riders for whom Brendon McCullum blazed 158 in the first game of the IPL.
All-Time XI – Rules
First, we will first give you a chance to vote on who you think should be in the All-Time XI and then display our All-Time XI.
Limit to 11 players per team (you can play around with the balance of the team)
Maximum of 4 foreign players in the XI
Needs to be able to field a team (a wicket-keeper and 5 bowling options at least)
Note, with major auctions every three years, several players may be in multiple All-Time XI teams.
