Over the past editions of the Indian Premier League, there have been many instances when the players have shifted from one franchise to another. Apart from the marquee players, retained by the eight teams, every year there have been intense battles at the auction table where there is cut-throat competition among the franchises to buy the best players from around the world for their respective teams.
Some of these players who changed teams have taken their performances a notch higher after switching franchises. Not being able to perform in a certain edition(s) has forced the franchises to release them, but other teams have boosted their squad with the help of these players.
Marcus Stoinis (Royal Challengers Bangalore–> Delhi Capitals)
Australia’s Marcus Stoinis has been a standout performer this IPL when it comes to performances by all-rounders. Winning matches with both bat and ball, Stoinis has been one of the top-ranked players for Delhi Capitals this season. But things were not always bright for Stoinis.
Last year, playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Stoinis had a decent outing (10 matches – 211 runs and 2 wickets). But he was released by the franchise. During the bidding war at the December 2019 auctions, DC management rightly saw the potential in the 31-year-old and bought him for a whopping Rs 4.8 crore.
Repaying the faith, Stoinis this year, has been at a whole new level. He became a household name during the nerve-wracking final over against Kings XI Punjab, that forced the game into a SuperOver, which Delhi eventually won.
Ravi Ashwin (Kings XI Punjab–> Delhi Capitals)
While it is still unclear as to why KXIP decided to trade away their captain Ravichandran Ashwin, the players they have managed to get in return don’t make for good reading for the team.
Jagadeesha Suchith is only 15 games into his IPL career, with only 12 wickets to show for at an economy rate of 8.8. Krishnappa Gowtham, the second player acquired from the Ashwin trade, has picked up only 12 wickets in 22 games, with a highest score of 33 with the bat.
While the latter is likely to play regularly for KXIP, Ashwin would’ve been a far better option with his experience and variations. The Tamil Nadu bowler’s 2019 IPL campaign yielded 15 wickets from 12 games at an economy rate of 7.27, but what is more concerning is the complete lack of tried-and-tested IPL spinners in the side.
The likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin would have benefited majorly from Ashwin’s presence, and even if the management had decided to relieve the off-spinner of captaincy, he could have aided KL Rahul in the decision-making. KXIP might come to regret trading away a bowler who has picked up 125 wickets over the course of a 11-year-long IPL career.
Trent Boult (Delhi Capitals –> Mumbai Indians)
One of the leading bowlers in IPL 2020, and currently the 3rd placed bowler in the Purple Cap race, Trent Boult has been right on the money this year for his new franchise Mumbai Indians.
Traded in from Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2019 auctions, Boult previously played two seasons for Delhi but did not make much of an impact. After a 18-wicket season in 2018, Boult played only 5 matches for Delhi in the 2019 edition and managed to take 5 wickets in that period.
That forced Delhi to release him. But Mumbai, seeing it as a big opportunity, cashed in at the right time to snap up Boult. Along with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and James Pattinson, Boult’s inclusion in Mumbai has bolstered their pace attack and it has looked the most lethal pace combination in the IPL.
Mohammed Shami (Delhi Capitals–> Kings XI Punjab)
Mohammed Shami has been the biggest revelation in the Indian team in the last couple of years. Shami 2.0 has been fast and furious and has been menacing against the opposition. And his performance has exactly been the same for his IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab in the past two years.
After a four-year stint at Delhi, where his last 3 years were well below par — 13 wickets in 20 games across three years, KXIP showed faith in his abilities and bought him in the player auction before the 2019 edition. Making the most of the second chance given to him, Shami was at his lethal best in the 2019 edition for KXIP. With 19 wickets in 14 matches, Shami was the joint fifth-highest wicket taker in IPL that year and the top performer for KXIP in 2019. And in the 2020 edition as well, the 30-year-old has been the bowling spearhead for the franchise looking in top form and finishing with 20 wickets from 14 matches.
Sam Curran (KXIP–> CSK)
Sam Curran didn’t have a great time at KXIP, with 95 runs along with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 9.78 in 9 games.
However, the Englishman would have been perfect for the conditions in the UAE with his cutters and changes of pace. Curran has also developed a potent yorker and could have shared the new ball with Indian speedster Mohammed Shami.
He would’ve offered KXIP something in all departments, and perhaps the only criticism that can be levelled at the current squad is the lack of world-class all-rounders. Curran is a more threatening option than Jimmy Neesham with the ball, while the likes of Chris Jordan aren’t world-beaters with the bat.
The 22-year-old was picked up by CSK in the 2020 IPL auction and his consistent performances whenever called upon by England, coupled with his youth and energy, will make him a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming tournament.
Editors pick
