Yesteryear Indian Players who fits Perfectly in IPL 2020

In their prime, these 8 classic Indian players have the potential to address the gaps of the teams for IPL 2020. 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is nothing short of a revolution in Indian cricket. Apart from its immense contribution in terms of economy, IPL has given a solid platform to many budding cricketers from the remotest part of the country. 

Mang budding players from remote locations didn’t have much exposure to cricket in the ’60s, ’70s, and even ’80s. Had IPL been there at that time, many such cricketers could have had a healthy career. Nevertheless, we might have not achieved that, but what if we could bring some of the legendary Indian players to life in IPL 2020. 

Naturally, most teams still have gaps in their squads, and with India flaunting a rich heritage of talented cricketers, a few of them could have easily gotten into these squads with them being in their prime. So, In this article, we look at 8 such classic Indian players who could ideally resolve the gaps in each Team for IPL 2020. 

CSK || Kris Srikkanth (Opening Batsman)

A team brim with experienced professionals, Chennai Super Kings seems to be lacking the cutting edge when it comes to their batting line-up. While the likes of Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis are safe enough openers, a fearless batsman at the top with exceptional hitting prowess could have helped the team- much like what Haydos, Mccullum, Vijay, and Dwayne Smith did in the past. 

Looking at yesteryear’s options, a naturally aggressive opener, Kris Srikkanth could have fit the bill perfectly. Srikkanth’s career strike-rate hovers around 72, and amongst the openers of the bygone era, he was one of the best. He could have easily adapted the aggressive role with Watson, Rayudu, or Faf playing the supporting hand. Moreover, being from Chennai, ‘Chika’ would have been adored by the fans. 

DC || Kapil Dev (All-rounder)

If there is one factor that makes Delhi Capitals vulnerable, it is their lack of a genuine all-rounder. Looking at the current squad, the uncapped Harshal Patel and the bowling all-rounder, Keemo Paul is the maximum the team can afford in this position. 

Now, when it comes to all-rounders of the game, it is impossible to go past the ‘Haryana Hurricane’. A nightmare for the batsmen on swinging pitches, and a destructive batsman in the lower-order, Kapil Dev is the threshold reference for the missing clue in DC’s puzzle of winning the IPL.

He could have also easily lead the Delhi Capitals squad with the young Shreyas Iyer being his deputy. With Kapil Dev’s inspirational leadership, Delhi Capitals could have finally looked-up to winning their maiden IPL title.   

KXIP || Javagal Srinath (Pacer)

Mohammed Shami and Ishan Porel are the only two domestic Indian pacers who look likely to play for KXIP. While Shami can tend to leak runs, Porel is still dealing with his baby steps. Hence, KXIP have a serious gap in this department.

Talking about fiery Indian pacers, ‘Mysore Express’ Javagal Srinath comes quickly to our mind. Keeping aside his raw pace, Srinath had swing and off-cutters as a major part of his armoury. This is a boon for any T20 pacer, and with a couple of Karnataka lads already in the camp, Srinath’s inclusion would have been a chemistry-booster.

KKR || Chetan Sharma (Pacer)

Kolkata Knight Riders have a plethora of young Indian pacers, but they lack an accomplished Indian pacer in their ranks. Although the foreign contingent with Cummins and Ferguson looks good, for the sake of balance, the team could have been happier with an established Indian pacer in the squad.

The first bowler ever to take a hat-trick in a World Cup, Chetan Sharma is our choice to get into KKR. Raw pace and sharpness marked Chetan’s career, and this is exactly what could have helped the Knight Riders. Moreover, the Ludhiana born player is known to get quick runs lower down the order; something that’s a bonus in the T20 format.

MI || BS Chandrashekar (Spinner)

Three-time champions, Mumbai Indians looks stocked in every division except for the spin-bowling unit. Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar are great options, but unfortunately, there is experience lacking in both of them.

The simple yesteryear resolution to this problem is BS Chandrashekar. The man is a terrific leg-spinner with so many variations up his sleeve that the contemporary T20-modified spinners would be proud of. Googlies, top-spinners, drifters, you call it, and BSC has the best version it. Hence, BS Chandrashekar is our pick to go into the Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2020. 

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ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians (MI) Pre-Tournament Squad Report Card

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RR || Roger Binny (Bowling All-rounder)

With Jofra Archer being the only potent pace option in the squad, Rajasthan Royals could have trouble with their bowling next season. Of course, youngsters adorn this team nicely, but the value of experience and maturity in this format is priceless.

Here is where Roger Binny could have been a nice pick for the Royals. Father of former RR player, Stuart Binny, Roger was India’s highest wicket-taker in the triumphant 1983 World Cup. A master at swinging the ball, picking wickets consistently, and breaking partnerships often comes instinctively to the player. He might have been the perfect ingredient to help RR achieve grand success. 

RCB || Vinod Kambli (Middle-order Batsman)

While Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers tick the boxes heavily in the middle-order, barring them, the slate looks blank. Another experienced domestic middle-order batsman would have caused wonders for this squad given Moeen Ali is their best bet currently with backups in Finch, Dube, and Gurkeerat. 

Scanning the players of the yesteryear, we feel that the enormously talented Vinod Kambli could get a look in here. A decent striker of the ball, Kambli would have been the perfect man to help VK-ABD play freely. His International career didn’t have a happy ending, but IPL could have given a different boost to Kambli. Of course, Kambli’s glamour element fits perfectly for this franchise.

SRH || Mohammad Azharuddin (Middle-order Batsman)

Lack of domestic middle-order batsmen has been a perennial problem for the 2016 IPL winners. Due to this absence, the team has often been forced to compensate with their foreign talent which has affected their balance.

Now, for a Hyderabad-based team, the answer to this problem lies in their own catchment area. Having played over 300 ODIs, and scoring close to 10000 runs, Mohammad Azharuddin is the numero-uno yesteryear option for SRH. While his century of 62 balls is still remembered, Azharuddin’s local presence would have been a boost for the team given currently they have none. 

So, these are the 8 classical Indian players who rightly fit into the IPL Teams based on their capabilities.

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