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The player trade window ahead of the IPL 2020 auctions saw quite a few franchises playing out their strategies to build their squads prior to the auction in Kolkata on 19th December.
A total of 11 players shifted teams in the player window that ended on 15th November, with India internationals Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane two of the biggest names in the list which also featured foreign stars Trent Boult and Sherfane Rutherford.
Of the eight teams set to feature in IPL 2020, three teams namely the Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Capitals and Rajasthan Royals were the busiest during the trade window. R Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane joined DC, while Sherfane Rutherford, Trent Boult (Both MI), Jagadeesha Suchith (KXIP) and Rahul Tewthia (RR) were the other players off-loaded.
Apart from R Ashwin, the Kings XI Punjab also let go of seamer Ankit Rajpoot while the Rajasthan Royals released Dhawal Kulkarni, who will represent the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020.
An interesting and yet confusing trade was that of Mayank Markande, who was initially traded to the Delhi Capitals from Mumbai Indians before the Royals confirmed that Markande, along with Tewthia were both signed by the 2008 champions.
In a last ditch-attempt to get involved in the trade window, the Kolkata Knight Riders drafted Siddesh Lad from the Mumbai Indians, which was the last deal that took place as the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings were the only two teams which did not take part in the pre-auction window.
With the trade deadline having come to a close, in this article, we rank the 11 trades that happened with respect to their possible impact for their new teams.
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Feel free to let us know how you rank these trades in the comments section below!
#11 Rahul Tewatia (Delhi Capitals to Rajasthan Royals)
Easily one of the most confusing trades, after Rahane, of course. Granted that Shane Warne is in the coaching staff, but with Shreyas Gopal having cemented his place in the squad, Tewthia looks like he could be warming the benches for the whole season.
Also, Riyan Parag made quite a statement with his all-round show last season and will be certainly backed to come good in IPL 2020 as well. While Tewatia was no mug with the bat last season, the Royals have some quality batsmen through Ben Stokes, Steven Smith, Jos Buttler among others.
It remains to be seen as to how Tewatia fits in RR's plan for the upcoming season.
#10 Dhawal Kulkarni (Rajasthan Royals to Mumbai Indians)
In a team boasting names such as Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga and most recently Trent Boult, adding Dhawal Kulkarni to the mix seems a little odd. While he does bring a lot of experience into the team, Kulkarni has fizzled out in recent times, with just 10 wickets from 18 games across the last two seasons.
While MI will certain have a plan to bring the best out of the 'home' talent, there are quite a few youngsters such as Tushar Deshpande, Ishan Porel among others who could have added fresher legs to their side.
#9 Mayank Markande (Mumbai Indians to Delhi Capitals to Rajasthan Royals)
Mayank Markande made his IPL debut with the Mumbai Indians in 2018 and made quite an impression, picking up 15 wickets from 14 matches. However, he lost his place to Rahul Chahar in the 2019 edition of the league and featured in just three matches from which he picked up a solitary wicket.
Drafted to the Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2020, Markande will be one among the rich haul of wrist spinners in RR's squad. With Markande having to compete with the likes of Shreyas Gopal, Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewthia in the squad, it seems likely that he would not be fielded in too many games.
RR will be a spinner short with Krishnappa Gowtham moving to KXIP, but they could be looking for a quality all-rounder from the auction, and given that Markande isn't too much of a batsman, making sense of this trade is slightly a tedious ask.
#8 Jagadeesh Suchith (Delhi Capitals to Kings XI Punjab)
Under newly appointed head coach Anil Kumble, it seems as if KXIP's squad is shaping up to play to Kumble's strengths. With KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair part of the squad from the previous season, ahead of the auctions this year, KXIP have also drafted in K Gowtham (from RR) and most recently, J Suchith from the Delhi Capitals.
Signing Gowtham made sense as a good replacement for R Ashwin, but Suchith seems a puzzling one, and while he adds value to the bench, the left-arm orthodox spinner might not land too many chances for a spot in the playing XI.
Given that the KXIP have stuck with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Murugan Ashwin, Punjab certainly have their task cut out to make the most out of Suchith's all-round abilities.
#7 Sherfane Rutherford (Delhi Capitals to Mumbai Indians)
One of the most exciting all-rounders in the current scenario, Mumbai Indians have clearly signed a like-for-like replacement for Kieron Pollard, in case the big Trinidadian faces injury issues or fails to find form during the season.
Although Sherfane Rutherford was not in the best of form last season for the Capitals, the southpaw is someone who can win games with his big-hitting and will certainly be a perfect fit to slot alongside Hardik Pandya lower down the order.
While Rutherford will need to warm the benches early on in the season, his presence in the dugout is certainly a massive boost for MI.
#6 Siddhesh Lad (Mumbai Indians to Kolkata Knight Riders)
When Siddhesh Lad was announced as the latest member of the KKR squad, not a lot of people could make sense of the move. However, with the Knight Riders having released the likes of Robin Uthappa and Chris Lynn, two key members from the batting unit, Lad can certainly play a big part in their middle order.
This will allow Shubman Gill to move up the order and partner Sunil Narine at the top, assuming KKR do not intend to re-sign Lynn and free up a spot in the middle order for an attacking batsman. Certainly, KKR have done well to sign a talented middle-order batsman.
#5 Ajinkya Rahane (Rajasthan Royals to Delhi Capitals)
Easily one of the most technically-sound batsmen in the global circuit, Ajinkya Rahane's accomplishments in the Test format are unquestionable, but his move to the Delhi Capitals has arrived as quite a riddle.
While the Royals have lost out on a quality player from the top of the order, the Capitals might have quite a few issues to sort out in their own top order. The Capitals already have Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw to open the batting, and that begs the question - Will Rahane have to come in at No.4?
The move does probably make a little sense since the Capitals needed someone to anchor the innings in the middle overs, and with Rahane having enjoyed a top IPL 2019 with 393 runs from 14 matches, the right-hander is certain to add value to the side.
But then, if he stays till the end overs, can he accelerate? Will the Capitals be okay with going in with an all-Indian batting lineup? These questions will only be answered when the season begins next April.
#4 Ravichandran Ashwin (Kings XI Punjab to Delhi Capitals)
Probably one of the biggest trade moves for the Delhi Capitals since Ravichandran Ashwin is certain to contribute with his mixed bag of tricks in the powerplay overs and middle overs. Ashwin was pretty decent for KXIP last season, as he finished with 15 wickets from 14 matches at an economy rate of just 7.27 RPO.
With Mayank Markande and Rahul Tewthia traded off to RR, Delhi were in need of a spinner, and with Ashwin adding quite a few variations to his skill-set, he could be a perfect fit for the side. In an alliance alongside veteran wrist-spinner Amit Mishra, Ashwin could have a big role in slowing down the run-rate while the pacers go about their task at the death.
Also, not to forget, Ashwin has produced quite a few cameos lower down the order, and those runs could prove invaluable for the Capitals.
#3 Ankit Rajpoot (Kings XI Punjab to Rajasthan Royals)
Ankit Rajpoot was plagued by injuries throughout the last season as he featured in just four matches and picked up just three wickets at an economy rate of 9.50 RPO. KXIP's leading pacer last season, Rajpoot was traded to the Rajasthan Royals in the trade window, and this might only benefit Rajpoot and in turn, the Royals.
In the company of Jofra Archer, Rajpoot could blossom into a good death overs bowler and could be pipped to do a slightly better job than what Jaydev Unadkat could do last season. Additionally, the pitch at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium produces quite a lot of swing, something Rajpoot could use to trouble the batsmen early on.
Overall, with Unadkat also being released from the team, bringing in Rajpoot makes quite a lot of sense, and he will be itching to do well upfront and at the death.
#2 Krishnappa Gowtham (Rajasthan Royals to Kings XI Punjab)
One among the most talented all-rounders in India's domestic circuit, Krishnappa Gowtham's shift to the Kings XI Punjab is certainly one deal that will add a lot of value to KXIP's squad as they build their team for yet another shot at a maiden IPL title win.
Although Gowtham had a terrible season with the Rajasthan Royals in 2019, he has made a mark for Karnataka in the domestic circuit and could be expected to slot in seamlessly lower down the order for KXIP.
Gifted with an ability to clear the boundaries with ease in the slog overs in addition to dishing out economical spells in the powerplay overs, Gowtham is the whole package, and with familiar faces in the KXIP squad, he could be an 'X-factor' for Anil Kumble's side.
#1 Trent Boult (Delhi Capitals to Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai Indians have certainly landed a jackpot deal by adding Trent Boult to their squad, with the Kiwi pacer certain to form a lethal pace trio alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga.
MI had a few issues on the bowling front last season with none of Jason Behrendorff, Mitchell McClenaghan and Alzarri Joseph unable to make much of an impact. Boult could solve this issue, with his experience in the powerplay and death overs as well.
Additionally, MI have always prided themselves on variety in the bowling attack and Boult would bring that in abundance. Moreover, his ability to bowl upfront could free up the likes of Bumrah and Malinga to be unleashed solely in the death-overs, a tactic that might not be music to opposition batsmen.
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