IPL 2019: 5 Unsold batsmen who can come back as replacement players

The auctions for IPL 2019 yet again sprung many surprises. While raw Indian talents like Varun Chakravarthy, Prabhsimran Singh, Shivam Dube and Prayas Ray Barman went for crores, some well-established names of world cricket like Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla and Brendon McCullum found no buyers.

Quite unsurprisingly, some of the unsold players have proved their worth in IPL. But it seems like they do not fit in the scheme of IPL teams anymore.

However, all is not lost for all these unsold players. IPL is a long tournament and teams do not get much time to rejuvenate between two matches which lead to injuries to the players. On many occasions, crucial players get ruled out due to injuries and their respective teams are left in a fix as they do not have an able replacement in their existing squad. This is when these unsold players come into the picture.

Let us have a look at five such unsold batsmen who can make a comeback as replacement players during the forthcoming edition of IPL.

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#5 Reeza Hendricks

Hendricks celebrates his century for Jozi Stars

Reeza Hendricks came into limelight after scoring a century in his debut ODI match for South Africa. The 29-year-old has been in a rich vein of form of late. He was the third highest run-scorer in the Mzansi super league, scoring 412 runs in 10 matches at an average of 58.85 and a strike-rate of 142.56, thus playing a pivotal role his Jozi Stars' title triumph.

Even though he is in contention for a spot in South Africa's World Cup squad, South African players might be available for a major part of the tournament and thus Hendricks might be coming in as a replacement player.

#4 Saurabh Tiwary

Tiwary was part of Mumbai Indians squad in IPL 2018

Since the inception of the IPL, this will be the first occasion when Saurabh Tiwary will not be part of the tournament. Tiwary, a player known for his hard-hitting ability with the bat, played some stunning knocks for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2010.

After the fruitful 2010 season, where he amassed 419 runs, the southpaw was a regular feature in the playing XI for whichever franchise he played for till 2012. However, he could not do justice to his talent and his form dipped considerably. As a result, Tiwary has played just 27 IPL games in the last 6 years. Moreover, he warmed the bench throughout IPL 2018.

But the Jharkhand batsman is still a force to reckon with in domestic cricket and being an Indian player, he might be seen back in action in the upcoming edition of IPL.

#3 Hashim Amla

Amla's IPL numbers are pretty impressive

Hashim Amla not getting picked at every IPL auction is nothing less than a mystery. He is one of the most versatile cricketers in world cricket and has proved his effectiveness as a T20 batsman again and again.

Unfortunately, IPL franchises don't seem to have faith in Amla's abilities. Another reason that makes the decision of not picking up Amla baffling is his outrageous IPL numbers. The stylish right-handed batsman has scored 577 runs in 16 matches at an outstanding average of 44.38 and a healthy strike-rate of 141.76. He also has two IPL tons to his name. He played some useful innings for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2017.

And even though age might not be on his side, with such a fabulous IPL record to his name, Hashim Amla might be considered in case of injuries or unavailability of players.

#2 Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary has been in good form in domestic cricket

One player who did not take the IPL snub too well was Manoj Tiwary. The West Bengal batsman has been part of various franchises in the IPL. Even though his career has been marred by injuries and inconsistent form, Tiwary has played match-winning knocks in the IPL time and again.

He was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad that won the IPL in 2012. After a couple of unproductive seasons, the middle-order batsman looked sharp for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. He played some useful cameos in the lower-middle order for the Pune based franchise. But unfortunately, he couldn't extend his purple patch in IPL 2018 for Kings XI Punjab and scored just 47 runs in 5 games. This led to his release by the franchise.

With the wealth of experience of playing on Indian pitches and his good recent form in domestic cricket, Tiwary's IPL 2019 might not be over yet.

#1 Brendon McCullum

Will we see Baz in IPL 2019?

Brendon McCullum has been an iconic figure in the IPL. The swashbuckling opener has played some memorable innings in the IPL. McCullum is one of those few overseas players who have played in all the IPL seasons. Baz has been part of five different franchises so far and has entertained the crowds with his belligerent batting.

However, the former Kiwi skipper was below par in IPL 2018. After a string of poor scores, he was dropped from the playing XI. Things got worse for the 37-year-old when he was released ahead of the auction.

Even though McCullum is not the force he once used to be, he still has a lot of fire left him. He was the fifth highest run-scorer in CPL 2018 and has been playing in different T20 leagues all around the world.

The thing that might go in McCullum's favour is that he does not play international cricket anymore and will be available for the entire season. Will we see the Kiwi maverick again in the IPL? Only time will tell.