In T20 cricket, it is the bowlers who are tasked to keep the batsmen quiet and also get through crucial overs without conceding too many runs.
When the eight teams sit down for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 auction at Kolkata on Thursday, they will have all those qualities in mind including the ability to take wickets when they look to bag the best on offer. We take a look at five bowlers who could fit the bill:
Pat Cummins (AUS)
The demand for overseas quicks is expected to be high with all six franchises barring Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians looking for a seasoned pacer. Cummins, the No.1 Test bowler, is the best option with Mitchell Starc opting out of the auction. In the 2017 IPL, he was the leading wicket-taker for the Daredevils (now Capitals) with 15 wickets. Cummins has control and guile which is vital for the format besides his wicket-taking ability.
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Jaydev Unadkat (IND)
Unadkat was the most expensive Indian player in the last two auctions and it is because of his left-arm pace and knowledge of Indian conditions that franchises favour him. He has variations and experience in the format to cause batsmen trouble and his features may again lure franchises to go for the Saurashtra captain.
Adam Zampa (AUS)
Adam Zampa's leg-spin could attract franchises to get him on board as the middle overs is when he has been effective in the past and is a regular feature of Australia's white-ball cricket team. Zampa has a base price of 1.5 crore which could be steep for some who don't want to invest solely on a spinner but to stem the run flow, he is a useful buy.
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Andrew Tye (AUS)
Tye got 24 wickets in 2018 and although he was released by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the auction after a poor 2019 edition, the Australian is always a T20 specialist bowler who has the knack for picking wickets and also bowling well in the death overs.
Sheldon Cottrell (WI)
His ever-trending salute celebration aside, Cottrell has the appetite to put pressure on batsmen and take wickets in the shortest format of the game. In the ongoing series against India, he has been impressive. The West Indies left-arm fast bowler has an economy rate of 7.46 over 83 T20 matches.
War Chest
Chennai Super Kings: Rs 14.60 crore, Delhi Capitals: Rs 27.85 crore, Kings XI Punjab: Rs 42.70 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders: Rs 35.65 crore, Mumbai Indians: Rs 13.05 crore, Rajasthan Royals: Rs 28.90 crore, Royal Challengers Bangalore: Rs 27.90 crore, and SunRisers Hyderabad: Rs 17 crore.
As many as 332 cricketers (186 Indian, 146 overseas players) will go under the hammer at the auction at a plush hotel at Kolkata.
The auction will be broadcast LIVE on Star Sports channels – Star Sports 1/HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi/HD, Star Sports Select 1/HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Kannada, Star Sports 1 Telugu, Star Sports 1 Bangla, Star Sports First. It will also be live-streamed on Hotstar.
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(With IANS inputs)
