IPL is the longest T20 League to have ever existed. As every team has to play a minimum of 14 matches, it gets tough for all the players to play all the matches, and hence many of them tend to get injured. Injuries are part and parcel of the game, and thus many teams call up unsold players as injury replacements.
There were quite a few big names that went unsold as well. At times, the IPL auction can be pretty harsh. Multiple big stars who are consistent performers at the international level are ignored. This occurs mainly because teams already have players who perform the same role as the unsold player, sometimes it could be their high base price. IPL has seen quite a few iconic moments where unsold players have gone on to do incredible things after making a comeback as injury replacements. Today we shall be looking at 5 such unsold players who might be called replacements for injured players.
1. Carlos Brathwaite
Probably every cricket fan would “RememberThe Name”. Carlos Brathwaite has been one of the best all-rounders from WI for quite a while now. He’s been reasonably successful in the IPL as well, Add to the fact that he could bowl too. The former WI skipper is a valuable asset in T20 cricket, and thus it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s called as a replacement for an injured player during the tournament.
2. Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa going unsold, was one of the biggest shockers of the IPL 2020 auction. He is not only one of the best T20I spinners going around but is also one of the most challenging bowlers to hit. He has the 3rd best bowling figures in the history of IPL and has been relatively successful in the 2 IPL seasons he played in. Zampa would be a perfect replacement for any injured player.
3. Tim Southee
Despite having a bad IPL 2019, it was shocking to see the NZ legend going unsold in the IPL 2020 auctions. Tim Southee has taken the most number of wickets by any NZ bowler in the game’s shortest format. He has been a veteran in the IPL as well; it won’t be surprising if he’s called as a replacement for an injured pacer.
4. Alex Hales
There was a time when Hales was considered as one of the best T20 players of this era. Alex Hales has been one the best batsman in T20 leagues across the last 12 odd months. He was excellent in the recently concluded BBL, MSL, and PSL. He would be a perfect replacement for any injured batsman as he has an excellent record in the game’s shortest format. Since he has improved his game against the spin of late and this edition IPL is going to be taking place in UAE, it won’t be surprising if Hales is the first player to be called as a replacement for an injured batsman.
5. Colin Munro
Colin Munro was the first player to score three hundreds in T20Is. He has been one of the best T20I openers for quite a while now and has a fantastic T20I record. He has a batting average of nearly 31 and a fine strike-rate of 160. Munro can take the game away from the opposition in no time and can give his team a flying start as well. The fact that He can chip in with a few good overs with medium pace helps his cause, and hence, He would be an ideal replacement for an injured opener.
