IPL 2020 auction: 3 hard-hitting batsmen from associate and new Test members that the franchises will keep an eye on

As the date for the Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) auction gets closer, the various franchises have begun strategizing how their squad for the upcoming edition should look. Planning is a major part of putting an IPL team together; the auction matters as much as the on-field tactics in the tournament.

The biggest challenge for any franchise at an IPL auction is how to get the balance of the squad right. While everyone needs at least one superstar player, it is equally vital to pay attention to the versatility of players and their specific T20 skills.

Further, thanks to the growing popularity of the T20 format, a number of players from weaker cricketing nations are also coming to the fore by putting up rather awe-inspiring performances.

Here, we look at three players from new Test members and associate nations who have made a significant impact in the T20 format, and who would be on the radar of most of the IPL franchises.

#3 George Munsey (Scotland)

George Munsey

Scotland opener George Munsey made the entire cricketing world sit up and take notice of his talent when he slammed an unbeaten 127 from only 56 balls in the second T20 of the Ireland Tri-Nation Series last month, against Netherlands. The Dutch were made to regret their decision to bowl first after winning the toss as Munsey took on their bowlers in a fearless display of stroke-making.

Munsey smashed as many as 14 sixes to go with his five boundaries. He also featured in a 200-run opening stand with captain Kyle Coetzer, who contributed 89 from 50 balls with 11 fours and five sixes.

Scotland ended up posting 252 for 3, and won the match by 58 runs despite Pieter Seelaar’s counter-attacking 96 not out from 49 balls.

Munsey recently blasted 86 from 41 in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier warm-up match against Ireland, which Scotland narrowly won by one wicket. The 26-year-old has a bright future in T20 cricket, clearly. In 38 T20 games thus far, he has 988 runs to his name at a strike rate of 165.77, with one hundred and four fifties.

#2 Paras Khadka (Nepal)

Paras Khadka

Former Nepal skipper Paras Khadka created T20I history last month, when he became the first ever captain to hit a T20I century while chasing - a feat even Indian skipper Virat Kohli, renowned as the best chaser in the world, is yet to achieve.

Opening the innings, Khadka blazed his way to 106 from 52 balls, an innings laced with seven fours and nine sixes. Nepal chased down the target of 152 set by Singapore with ease, winning the game by a comprehensive margin of nine wickets. Khadka took 49 balls to reach his hundred, making it the fourth-fastest T20I century by an Asian batsman.

A few days after the resounding feat, Khadka again made news as he resigned as Nepal captain, a day after the ICC reinstated the country as an Associate Member.

Khadka is a by a distance Nepal’s best batsman. In January 2019, he became Nepal’s first ODI centurion, with a hundred against UAE in a winning cause.

Khadka, who will turn 32 soon, has played 50 T20s and has 1224 runs to his credit at a strike rate of 123.63, with one hundred and seven fifties. Khadka has also claimed 25 wickets at a strike rate of 26.2.

#1 Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan)

Hazratullah Zazai

The 21-year-old Hazratullah Zazai has achieved some incredible feats for Afghanistan in a short T20 career, most notably smashing an unbeaten 162 from just 62 balls in the second T20 of the series against Ireland played at Dehradun earlier this year.

Zazai hit an incredible 16 sixes apart from 11 fours in the innings, which rocketed at a strike rate of 261.69. He featured in a mammoth 236-run opening stand with Usman Ghani, who contributed a comparatively sedate 73 from 48 balls.

Ireland utilised the services of as many as eight bowlers in the innings, but in vain. Afghanistan posted 278 for 3 and won the match by a comprehensive margin of 84 runs.

Zazai had taken a liking to Ireland’s bowling very early in his career. In only his second T20 game on 20 August 2018, he smashed 74 from 33 against the same opposition at Bready. Just a couple of days later he did an encore, this time blasting 82 from 54 balls, smashing seven sixes.

Zazai’s penchant for big hitting saw him become the third batsman in T20 cricket to hit six sixes in a over. He achieved the feat batting for Kabul Zwanan against Balkh Legends in the Afghanistan Premier League 2018, Abdullah Mazari being the unfortunate bowler.

During the course of the innings, he also equaled Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle’s record for fastest T20 fifty, reaching the landmark in 12 balls.

In 41 T20 games, Zazai has 1319 runs to his credit at a strike rate of 157.58 with two hundreds and six fifties.