After the existing eight IPL franchises retained a total of 27 players, the two new teams – Ahmedabad and Lucknow – are now given a chance to draft up to three players each from the remaining player pool. From David Warner to KL Rahul and Rashid Khan, there is still plenty of exciting talent available to be poached, so here are five players the two new IPL franchises should look to draft ahead of the 2022 IPL Auction.
1. KL Rahul
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The number one player on both new teams’ wishlist must be the top scorer in the IPL over the past four seasons, KL Rahul. Rahul is the best franchise player available in the current player pool – an India regular who can also keep wickets and captain the side. Rahul had arguably the greatest season from an opener in IPL history in 2018, scoring 659 runs at a strike rate of 158. Although Rahul has abandoned that free-scoring spirit in recent seasons due to the inferior quality of Punjab’s batting lineup, the Bangalore opener is still the perfect modern-day anchor as someone who can switch through the gears effortlessly and adapt to any situation.
2. Ishan Kishan
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Another Indian keeper-batter who should be in high demand is Ishan Kishan. The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakout season with Mumbai in 2020 – scoring over 500 runs at a strike rate over 145 – and played a crucial part of the MI team that won two consecutive IPL’s. Kishan can play anywhere in the top order, and his mixture of high intent and ability to score quickly off both pace and spin make him one of the most explosive batters in Indian cricket.
3. Hardik Pandya
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Although it is unlikely the two new IPL teams will look towards Hardik Pandya, the Indian all-rounder is one of the most high-profile players that wasn’t retained by his existing franchise. A fully fit Hardik Pandya is a unicorn in Indian cricket, possibly the only player who can bowl up to three overs of medium pace and strike at over 150 when coming in at the death. The obvious question with Pandya surrounds his fitness and back injury, but that is a risk either new team should be willing to take given the potential upside from drafting a player with his skillset.
4. David Warner
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Some might say signing a 35-year-old overseas player – who has shown signs of decline – as a franchise player might not be the wisest decision. However, given his pedigree and experience, David Warner is still one of the best T20 openers in world cricket who would be an excellent addition to the two new teams. Warner has been the epitome of consistency in the IPL, averaging 604 runs a season between 2013 and 2020 to go along with his IPL career strike rate of 140.
Warner suffered a dip in 2021, scoring just 195 runs in eight matches for SRH before getting axed from the team. But the Australian opener reversed his fortunes in style at the T20 World Cup, winning the Man of the Tournament award for his 289 runs in seven innings.
5. Rashid Khan
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Another SRH overseas star who should be on the retention list for the two new teams is Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan leg-spinner has dominated the IPL since arriving in 2017, taking 93 wickets at an average of 20. More impressively, Khan has the lowest economy rate in IPL history – 6.33 – for those who have bowled a minimum of 250 deliveries and can also contribute with the bat down the order.
Overseas spinners are a rare breed in the IPL due to the quality of the local talent, but Khan is the perfect player for a new IPL team to build a team around, given his age, record and experience on the T20 circuit.
Shivaan Shah