The IPL is scheduled to commence on the 19th of September in the UAE this year. After much debate about whether the tournament would be held, to begin with, fans breathed a sigh of relief when the announcement was made. However, avid cricket fans from around the world might still be disappointed by the line-ups and starting fives for the respective teams, with some of the most well-known, and loved, players likely to take a back seat for the IPL 2020.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
For those who have been keeping track of the live cricket score for years, it might be surprising to see that Dale Steyn, who is known for giving batsmen a really hard time, might not be as big of a feature as he was in previous IPL tournaments. This is because Steyn has struggled with frequent injuries which resulted in him being stripped of his title as an automatic starter for the team.
After being bought by RCB, Steyn showcased his skill and the potential impact he could make in a game by picking up four wickets over two games. Unfortunately, he was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament last year due to a niggle. The South African pacer might be warming the bench this season due to the long list of strong Indian pacers such as Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj at RCB’s disposal. Unfortunately for Steyn, his recent history with injuries has opened doors for more reliable Indian talent on the pacer front.
Mumbai Indians
The defending champions of the IPL, the Mumbai Indians, have been making headlines lately showcasing the team, and the players, to be in fine form for another victory. The team has a strong line-up and great talent at their disposal. This makes it very interesting to see how the team will find space for Chris Lynn. Chris Lynn was acquired by the Mumbai Indians in an auction last year and was considered their prized acquisition.
Lynn has certainly proved himself to be an asset for the KKR where he was a batting legend for many years. However, the Mumbai Indians usually feature two foreign or overseas bowlers in their line-up, and with players like Quinton de Kock and Kieron Pollard being automatic starters, it makes it difficult to see where exactly Lynn will fit in. The only possible way that Lynn would be guaranteed game time would be if De Kick or one of the Sharma’s get injured, which is not an ideal outcome for the team.
Delhi Capitals
Before the IPL auctions last year, cricket fans were surprised by an unexpected trade where AjinkyaRahane moved from the Rajasthan Royals to the Delhi Capitals. Rahane was both the batsman and the captain of the Royals prior to his move to the Delhi Capitals. The team management decided to shake things up and allow Rahane to leave the team last year, in hopes that a change would result in a victory for this year’s IPL.
Rahane will certainly uplift the batting for Delhi Capitals but he might struggle to make it into the starting five. The team already has a set opening combination that performed very well in last year’s tournament. The Delhi’s are also boasting a jam-packed middle line-up order which puts Rahane in the position of waiting his turn to get into the starting five for the Delhi’s capital in the upcoming IPL.
Conclusion
The coming IPL has promised to be action-packed with so many big names in the line-up that some great players might be left out in the cold. Harbhajan Singh recently opted out of this IPL, effectively saving himself from being in a similar position as the players mentioned above.
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