Three spinners that the new teams can target in the IPL 2022 Auction

The deadline for the eight pre-existing IPL franchises to announce their retentions is fast looming. The ice will break come Tuesday (November 30) when each team's pre-auction retentions become official.

All eyes will then be on the two new franchises based out of Lucknow and Ahmedabad. They will be allowed up to three picks from those not retained. Considering the plethora of talent that will be up for grabs, both the Lucknow and Ahmedabad teams will be spoilt for choices.

One of the major defining features of a T20 team's bowling attack is the quality of spinners in its ranks. With this in mind, both Lucknow and Ahmedabad will be on the lookout for quality spinners to bolster their stocks for their debut season.

Quite a few of these spinners might just be let go of by their existing teams. We take a look at three such options that the teams from Lucknow and Ahmedabad can look to add to their side ahead of the 2022 IPL season:

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#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin - an artist with the ball. (Picture Credits: Faheem Hussain/Sportzpics/IPL).

Ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's prowess needs no restating. The 35-year old has accumulated an abundance of experience across all formats of international cricket, as well as the IPL over the years.

With a quality off-spinner adding immense value to any T20 side, fewer options are better than Ravichandran Ashwin. Having recently made his comeback to the Indian T20 setup as well, Ashwin is bound to attract significant attention during the player auction.

What Ashwin also brings to the table is a sharp mind and the experience of having captained a team in the IPL before. Ashwin led the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) during the 2018 and 2019 seasons and— an attractive credential for the two new IPL teams looking to start from scratch.

Thus, the new franchises from both Lucknow and Ahmedabad would do well to look at Ravichandran Ashwin for their respective teams. A pre-auction pick from either of them should not come as a surprise.

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#2 Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar is one of the more sought-after spinners in the Indian crop

Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar has had a successful run in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians, having been picked up for INR 1.9 crore in the 2018 player auction. Chahar's consistency and match-winning prowess has come to the fore for Rajasthan in domestic cricket as well.

At just 22 years of age, Rahul Chahar has a full career ahead of him. His selection in the Indian team for the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup indicates selectors are keeping him high on their radar. With his ability to bowl quickly through the air and extract turn by tossing it up, Chahar falls into the category of genuine wicket-takers in the middle-overs.

With Mumbai Indians spoilt for choice in terms of their retention choices, it is almost certain that Rahul Chahar will be back in the auction pool. His availability provides an opportunity for either the Lucknow or the Ahmedabad team to procure his services as part of their plans for the long run.

Chahar could very well go on to heavily feature for India in the years to come. Sky is the limit for the young leggie and he is one of the best options available as far as a long-term investment is concerned.

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#3 Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar - a long and bright future ahead (Picture Credits: Faheem Hussain/Sportzpics/IPL).

Washington Sundar's swift rise to international cricket was down to a superb campaign for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) during the 2017 IPL season. Having replaced the injured Ravichandran Ashwin in the side, Sundar, originally a batting all-rounder, made a name for himself as an astute Powerplay bowler.

Washington Sundar has been a regular in the Indian T20 side thereafter, consistently tying down batters in the powerplay. He has donned the same role for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL since 2018 as well.

Sundar's batting prowess has not been documented substantially in the IPL. However, his match-defining knocks for India in Test cricket have brought that aspect of his game to the fore. Technically sound and capable of opening the batting if required, Sundar offers an exciting package to any side that secures his services.

The franchises from Lucknow and Ahmedabad would have a good deal on their hands should they go for Washington Sundar at the upcoming player auction. Acquiring Sundar would add an additional degree of safety in the powerplay. The tall lad is equally adept at bowling against both left-handers and right-handers, making him highly sought-after.