A total of 332 players will go under the hammer for the IPL 2020 mini auction on Thursday at Kolkata. As the eight teams ponder various combinations, we take a look at which teams is most suited for each of the players who have placed themselves in the top base price bracket.
Players with the top Base Price (USD $315,000): Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Dale Steyn & Angelo Mathews
Pat Cummins – Chennai Super Kings
Led by MS Dhoni, the men in yellow have always gotten by with a bowling attack that has seldom had an aggressive fast bowler. While Lungi Ngidi is very much part of the squad, the young South African isn’t experienced and is also prone to injury.
Thus picking one of the world’s best to fill one of their two overseas slots will be a great bit of business for the three-time Champions.
Adding Cummins to the attack that already includes Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, will massively improve their bowling unit and for the Australian, it would be an opportunity to lead this rookie pace attack.
Chris Lynn – Rajasthan Royals
While the Royals might be tempted to sign an all-rounder and finisher like Glenn Maxwell, the option of signing Chris Lynn would possibly work out cheaper and will allow Jos Buttler to bat further down to provide stability to the middle order.
Lynn is terrific fielder and with the bat he can change the game in the power play. He too will be keen to play for Australia in the upcoming T20 World Cup and has been in good form off late, scoring big in the recently concluded T10 League.
Highest Scores in Aldar properties Abu Dhabi T10! Chris Lynn 91* & 89 and Tom Banton 80.#AbuDhabiT10 #t10league #inAbuDhabi #aldarproperties pic.twitter.com/FtE5NC8woA
— T10 League (@T10League) December 9, 2019
With countryman Steve Smith leading the team and with the legendary Shane Warne serving as the head coach, a move from east to west would be a breeze for the opening batsman.
Mitchell Marsh – Kings XI Punjab
The perpetual under performers of IPL have gone for a new captain in KL Rahul and a new coach in Anil Kumble for the upcoming season.
By trading their former captain Ravichandran Ashwin, the team has no quality all-rounders in their squad. Mitchell Marsh would be perfect for them as he has improved leaps and bounds as a cricketer.
The 28-year-old is a big-hitting middle-order batsman, who also provides a good right-arm medium-fast option with the ball.
If Kings XI could ensure padded dressing room walls, they would find good value in picking Mitch Marsh.
"He just told me I'm an idiot basically."
— AFP Sport (@AFP_Sport) October 17, 2019
Mitchell Marsh earns a rebuke from the Australia coach after fracturing his right hand by punching a wall, an injury that will see him miss the opening Test against Pakistanhttps://t.co/2Ju3h67dhe pic.twitter.com/TAJVtQyBYX
Glenn Maxwell – Mumbai Indians
This is a move that could work well for the team and the player himself.
For a person who recently took a break from the game due to mental health issues, playing for a consistent team with reliable players, Glenn Maxwell may not be under pressure to be the main man.
For MI, deploying Maxwell at No.3 or at No.4 could work wonders as he could take apart any attack in the middle overs.
A batting unit of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Glenn Maxwell, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard is as formidable as it gets.
A reunion with his old franchise gives Big Max an opportunity to better his ordinary record in the IPL.
Dale Steyn – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Virat Kohli’s team had a dismal campaign in 2019 and their bowlers could manage only 14 wickets in the entire tournament.
The pace attack of Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj could do with a leader and who better than one of the best of all time.
Steyn is in good form as well, picking up 15 wickets in 8 games in the recently concluded Mzansi Super League.
Dale Steyn's @MSL_T20 performance has been a reminder that his experience would be invaluable at next year's T20 World Cuphttps://t.co/T90XGiykJE pic.twitter.com/XzCnU4jHFy
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 12, 2019
His experience and his wily variations may just be what the RCB need to give their bowling attack a tweak. A move to RCB will also mean that Steyn would have to bowl to AB de Villiers only in the nets!
Josh Hazlewood – Kolkata Knight Riders
A fiery pace attack of Lockie Ferguson, Kamalesh Nagarkotti and Shivam Mavi could do with a steady bowler whose strength is essentially late swing and consistently bowling a nagging line outside the off-stump.
Josh Hazlewood hasn’t played T20I cricket since 2016 but will be keen to prove his credentials in the shorter format before the ICC T20 World Cup.
The Knight Riders have four overseas slots to fill and bringing in the Australian new ball bowler would provide them with a different option and improve bench strength.
Angelo Mathews – Sunrisers Hyderabad
The Sunrisers Hyderabad will be without the services of Shakib Al Hasan as the Bangladesh all-rounder will be serving a ban.
Replacing him with the experienced Angelo Mathews will provide solidity to the middle-order and the likes of Vijay Shankar could develop as an allrounder under his tutelage.
Mathews did bowl a solitary over in the 2019 World Cup and even picked up a wicket. While he will in all certainty play as batsman, he could still prove an invaluable addition to the team.
