IPL 2018: 3 batsmen Delhi Daredevils should have bought instead of Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell has been a massive failure in IPL 2018. Bought for a whopping Rs 9 crores in the 2018 auction, the Australian dasher has failed to light up the tournament. In 10 games this season, Maxwell has scored only 142 runs at an average of 14.

He has not been able to register a single score of 50+ in the tournament and was eventually dropped by Delhi Daredevils when they played Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.

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Why the Maxwell discussion now?

Maxwell was Delhi Daredevils’ most expensive signing in the 2018 auction. He is one of the most devastating batsmen in the Twenty20 format right now. The 29-year-old has played some incredible T20 knocks in the past. Daredevils’ season rested a lot on Maxwell’s form but in the end, it was a complete disaster. With the amount of money that Delhi has spent on the Australian, they could have made some shrewd signings.

On that note, let’s take a look at the batsman Delhi Daredevils should have bought instead of Glenn Maxwell.

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#1 Ross Taylor

Ross Taylor could have provided balance to DD's middle order

Ross Taylor is arguably one of the best-limited overs batsmen in the world right now. The 34-year-old has played more than 200 ODIs and 80 T20I for New Zealand. Taylor has played a total of 245 T20 games in his career and has scored 5426 runs at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 133.48.

He is not new to playing on Indian pitches. The New Zealand batsman has played 55 games in IPL and has scored more than 1000 runs. He is a good player of spin and particularly strong on the leg side.

Also, he averages 88 in his last 11 ODIs, which includes a massive 181 against England at Dunedin. He is in great form at the moment and his last seven ODI scores are 45*, 52, 1, 59, 113, 10, and 181. He also has also played well in the New Zealand tour of India in October.

#2 Luke Ronchi

Ronchi was phenomenal in the PSL

Luke Ronchi is one of the most underrated cricketers in the world. The 37-year-old has represented Australia and New Zealand in the international arena. In 161 T20 games, he has an average of 25 and a strike rate of 157.

He was the highest run-getter in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). He played for Islamabad United in the tournament and had led them to the title. He finished the tournament with 435 runs in 11 games, which included five scores of more than 50. He scored all those runs at an average of 43.50 and a strike rate of 182.

Unfortunately, Ronchi has played only five games in IPL so far. Franchises often ignored him and he never got a run of games to show his potential. Ronchi is a versatile batsman, who can open the batting and also play in the middle order. Given his current form, he could have certainly helped Delhi Daredevils.

#3 Shaun Marsh

Marsh has scored a lot of runs in IPL

The Australian top order batsman is one of the most successful overseas batsmen in IPL history. Marsh has played 71 IPL games so far and scored 2477 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 133, which includes 20 fifties and a hundred.

In a batting lineup full of young, inexperienced and energetic batsmen like Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant, Shaun Marsh could have brought a sense of calmness, composure, and experience.

The 34-year-old batsman from Western Australia has played quite a few match-winning knocks for Kings XI Punjab in his previous IPL stints. He is Kings XI Punjab's all-time leading run scorer. He also was the orange cap holder in IPL 2008.