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Like in any other T20 league or tournament, finishers play a significant role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well. The most lucrative franchise league in the globe has produced some fantastic finishers over the years.
The legendary MS Dhoni was already an excellent finisher in white-ball cricket when the T20 event began, but he has honed his skills in the league over the years.
The IPL has also played a massive role in the rise of Suryakumar Yadav as a finisher in T20Is. But for the T20 league, he would have been lost to domestic cricket as he wasn’t gaining much recognition despite some impressive performances. The IPL turned him into a batting superstar, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In IPL 2022, the likes of David Miller, Deepak Hooda, Tim David, and, of course, Dinesh Karthik flourished towards the end of the innings. As we prepare for the IPL 2023 auction, which will be held in Kochi on December 23, let’s profile three Indians who might be in demand at the bidding table owing to their finishing skills.
#1 Prerak Mankad
Prerak Mankad was among the players released by Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction. He faced only one ball during the 2022 season and hit a four off it to finish with a strike rate of 400.
The Saurashtra cricketer was recently in the news when he scored a scintillating 61 off only 25 balls in the fourth quarter-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata earlier this month. The knock, which featured seven fours and three sixes, lifted Saurashtra from a poor start and helped them post a competitive 166/8.
Mankad’s knock may have gone in vain as Mumbai won the knockout clash by two wickets, but he certainly left a big impact with his performance. The 28-year-old has played 42 T20 matches, scoring 877 runs at a strike rate of 142.60. Mankad is also a handy medium pacer, which makes him a good utility cricketer.
#2 Sanvir Singh
Punjab’s Sanvir Singh had the best batting strike rate among players who scored more than 100 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23. In five innings, he slammed 119 runs at an average of 59.50 and a strike rate of 205.17.
The 26-year-old dasher hammered an unbeaten 55 off 19 balls (3x4, 5x6) at a strike rate of 289.47 against Hyderabad in an Elite Group B, Round 1 encounter. In the first quarter-final against Karnataka, he hit 27* off 13, which proved significant in the context of the knockout clash as Punjab hung on for a nine-run win in a high-scoring encounter.
In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, Sanvir clubbed 84* off 76 in a match against Uttarakhand at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
The right-handed batter, who can also bowl medium pace, has a strike rate of 186.41, having played 15 T20I. He could be someone IPL franchises might be keen to target at the auction next month.
#3 Rahul Buddhi
Aggressive left-handed batter Rahul Buddhi was part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise for the IPL 2022 season. However, he was released without being given a single game to prove his worth. The 25-year-old should not be disheartened though and should be confident of finding some takers at the upcoming IPL auction.
Buddhi hammered a quick-fire 47 for Hyderabad against Delhi in a losing cause in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23 and an unbeaten 72* off 51 against Manipur after being promoted to open the innings. His ability to bat at different positions in the batting order can be an added asset when teams analyze his overall hitting skills.
Buddhi has already played a couple of impressive knocks in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. He smacked 35* off only 14 balls against Himachal Pradesh and 51 off 36 against Uttar Pradesh. If he carries on in the same vein with the willow, IPL franchises are likely to consider him as a finishing option in their squad.
