IPL 2018: Ideal replacements for Mitchell Santner

Dwayne Smith
Dwayne Smith would cherish a return to the franchise

The New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner will be out for six to nine months due to the knee injury he sustained while playing the fifth ODI against England.

He will undergo a knee surgery after a scan revealed the bone defect. The Chennai Super Kings who bought Santner for Rs.50 lakhs during the IPL 2018 auctions in January, should find a replacement for the injured Kiwi player.

With the CSK having so many options for spin, Santner's injury will not be a severe blow for the 'Men in Yellow'.

In fact, it will be a blessing in disguise for them as they will now look to strengthen their pace department as well the lower middle-order. With much batting firepower at the top and plenty of spin bowlers, let us now look at the replacements that the Super Kings must make for the injured Mitchell Santner.


#1 Dwayne Smith

The T20 specialist, Dwayne Smith played for four different IPL franchises so far- Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions.

Smith has won two IPL titles so far, in 2009 (Deccan Chargers) and 2013 (Mumbai Indians) and has been a consistent performer since the beginning of the tournament.

In the 91 IPL matches, Smith has scored 2385 runs at a strike-rate of 135.20, with his highest score being 87.

His contributions with the ball have been equally good, as he has 26 wickets to his name and can be a useful bowler.

The Chennai fans would love having Smith in their squad once again and Smith too will cherish coming back to the Chepauk.

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#2 Hilton Cartwright

Hilton Cartwright
Hilton Cartwright has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit

The Zimbabwe-born Australian all-rounder plays for Western Australia in the domestic circuit and for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He has won three titles with the Scorchers, who are the league’s most successful team.

In the 20 Big Bash matches, Cartwright has scored 292 runs at a strike-rate of 105.80 and his highest score is 65 not out.

Though he has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit for Western Australia, he represented the National team in two Tests and two ODIs so far. But with his all-round abilities, he can be the next biggest thing in the Australian cricket to emerge from the IPL.

#3 Rovman Powell

Rovman Powell
Rovman Powell could be the next big thing in Carribean cricket

The big-hitting Jamaican might be the next big thing in Caribbean cricket.

The all-rounder who plays for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League, recently made the headlines for his astonishing century against Ireland in the ICC 2019 World cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

Last year, the Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for Rs.30 lakhs during the auctions.

Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to don the jersey for the entire season. Powell, more of a batting all-rounder can be a vital lower-middle order batsman for the CSK.

And with his fast-medium bowling, he can be a useful bowler for Dhoni’s men.

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Edited by Alan John