We have often witnessed the likes of Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, AB de Villiers shine in the Indian Premier League over the years. The quality the foreign players bring to the T20 league is second to none which makes the 2-month long tournament much more exciting for the cricket fans. Over the years we’ve always seen the players from Test-playing nations shine in crunch situations in the IPL but there have been Instances when associate players have graced the field in sublime style for the franchises.
From Ryan Ten Doeschate for Kolkata Knight Riders to Sandeep Lamichhane for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) to Dirk Nannes for Chennai Super Kings, a handful of players from the associate nations have made headlines in the past. Though this season we have the likes of Ali Khan from the USA participating in 2021 IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders, we should also keep a watch on few star performers who have a probable chance of getting picked in the 2021 IPL auction.
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Let’s take a look at 3 Associate Players To Watch Out For In The 2021 IPL Auction:
1. Rahmatullah Gurbaz
The new age opener from Afghanistan is one of the most promising under-20 players you’d find in today’s World. After a decent 2020 Lanka Premier League for Colombo Kings where he gave his side the much needed explosive starts was handed an ODI debut in Abu Dhabi against Ireland wherein in his debut match for Afghanisthan, he ended up notching up a 127 run knock off 127 deliveries.
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Even in the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 league, Gurbaz has looked in fine form for the Delhi Bulls franchise under the leadership of Dwayne Bravo. The way Gurbaz has been going about his cricket in the last few months there’s a high chance, a lot of franchisees will be having their eyes on the young player from Afghanistan.
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2. Qais Ahmed
Qais Ahmed is a typical leg spinner with all the variations in his luggage, Qais once foxed Andre Russell during the T10 Abu Dhabi League with a dreadful bouncer which almost knocked him off, though Russell dodged the delivery unhurt, it really didn’t go down well with Dr. Russ as he was batting without a helmet on.
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Talking about Qais Ahmed’s performance in the T20 leagues around the World, He finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League where he picked up 12 wickets in 9 matches for his side Colombo Kings. In the Afghan Premier League which took place in 2018, Qais was again the third-highest wicket-taker behind Isuru Udana and Sayed Shirzad with 15 wickets in 9 matches.
With the kind of impact Qais Ahmed has brought into the limited amount of matches he’s played so far, it would be safe to say that the spinner is following the footsteps of his senior national team colleague Rashid Khan. Franchises like Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals can look to acquire the services of Qais since they’re low on foreign spinners in the side.
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3. Rohan Mustafa
The Pakistan born Rohan Mustafa has been representing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2012. Mustafa who bats left-handed and bowls right-handed has been an asset In the shortest format of the game. Predominantly known for his off-breaks, Mustafa is often used in the death overs for his sheer ability to bowl right in the black hole making his difficult for the batsman to score any runs off him.
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Being one of the most economical off-spinners, Rohan Mustafa could be an asset for teams like Chennai Super Kings if there were to play at Chepauk. In addition to Mustafa’s bowling, he’s a very handy batsman who occasionally opens for his national side and often bats down the order whilst playing in franchise cricket.
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