It seems long since we last enjoyed a full-fledged, entertaining and an astounding T20 tournament which could capture our imagination. While the LPL is in full-swing after a few pull-outs and some other issues, it will take some time for the tournament to reach the heights and glory of world-famous leagues like the IPL and BBL. We are done with the IPL last month after months of speculations and introspections threatened to postpone the tournament indefinitely.
The tenth season of BBL will get underway from tomorrow on the same lines as the IPL and the organizers have spared no effort to make it the most successful and innovative one. The introduction of the three new rules namely, the Bash-Boost, X-factor and Power Surge will make sure that cricketing experts and fanatics watch the league closely and give their own takes on the merits and demerits of the rule.
Following the footsteps of the IPL, the BBL organizers have incorporated another rule which permits the teams to include three overseas players in their line-up. The rule enables BBL to widen its scope and reach a larger chunk of the audience, who might know the individual players but not their teams. Thus, the upcoming season of the BBL is high on the commercial and innovational level of the game and that is bound to increase as more international players get the exposure and opportunity to ply trade at Australia’s premier T20 league.
Among these overseas talents, some of the names are standout and are anticipated to perform overwhelmingly in the upcoming season. Here are 5 overseas players who are bound to shine at the BBL 10:
1. Nicholas Pooran
This middle-order batsman from Trinidad is in the form of his life playing for different franchises around the world. He can start smashing bowlers right from the word go and there is no stop-start button to his stroke play.
Representing KXIP during the 2 seasons, Pooran has slammed 521 runs from 21 games at an exceptional strike rate of 165.4. The numbers are a testament to his dominating cricket playing in the middle order and more often not, Pooran accomplishes the target which lies ahead of him.
Apart from his thunderous batting, Pooran can keep wickets if needed or just throw himself around fielding in the outfield. His aerial acrobatics at the boundary line while saving a certain six for KXIP against RR at Sharjah is well documented.
Stars are indeed fortunate to avail his services, who can do no wrong atleast in the shortest format. His cool and gentle demeanour comes of great help during his batting, who appears to be in a better frame of mind to take on the bowlers and dispatch them with authority.
The southpaw, who will join the team late will hope that the Stars would be riding high on the back of a winning momentum and he carries it from there in a bet to secure another prestigious title.
2. David Malan
The no. 1 T20I batsman is turning everything into gold with his Midas touch at the moment. His 99 against South Africa in the recently concluded T20I series helped England in inflicting a whitewash at the Proteas own backyard.
The southpaw has accumulated 855 runs from 19 games at a breathtaking strike rate of 149.48 for England. He forms a solid figure at no. 3 for his country, who is surrounded by plenty of pinch-hitters right from top till no. 9. It is safe to say that Malan balances the aggression and fierceness of the other batsmen with his composed and calculated batsmanship.
Like every other batsman, Malan likes to take some time initially, assessing the conditions and the bowlers. During the building phase, he rotates strike with efficiency and makes sure that scoreboard is moving without taking unnecessary risk. Someone like a Buttler or Roy can then cut loose realising that there is cool-head of Malan at the other end.
Once he gets his eye in, Malan doesn’t take much time to make up for it and remains on the same page as his other clean striking compatriots. The formula has worked beautifully for England in the last couple of years and Hurricanes who have availed his services will hope for a similar temperament and class from Malan, who is rightly placed at the pinnacle of international T20 rankings for the batsmen.
3. Imran Tahir
Age is just a number for this veteran wrist-spinner from South Africa who is defying all the factors which limit the progress of a player. Being on the wrong side of 40 has nothing do with Tahir’s performance with the ball in hand and his trademark celebratory sprints.
Playing for the Guyana Amazon Warriors at CPL 2020, Tahir scalped 15 wickets from 11 games at an incredible economy rate of 5.83. He possesses the same control on the ball as he used to earlier and his release is what bamboozles most of the batsmen. On a rank turner, Tahir is the most destructive weapon a team can ever have.
Inspite of being the purple cap holder in 2019, Tahir hardly got any chances for CSK this time around. The presence of Indian spinners like Sharma and Chawla kept him out of the equation and the prospect as expected didn’t go well with many.
With a proven match-winner sitting on the sidelines, CSK was turning out to be the reason for its own failure. It was the worst season that CSK had in its 11 years long history and the yellow army need to be tactically astute if they dream of turning the tide in their favour and win their coveted fourth title.
As for Melbourne Renegades, Tahir will be used as an aggressive wicket-taking option, who would dry up the runs for the opposition and assist other bowlers in getting their share. The bowling partnership will go a long way in setting relatively comfortable targets for the batsmen to chase and procuring some useful wins at the business end of the tournament.
4. Rashid Khan
The star Afghanistan wrist-spinner has become indispensable in the shortest format of the game. His quick googlies are the reasons for the sleepless nights that the batsmen have, who are scared by the prospect of even facing him.
That’s the name and reputation that Rashid has earned for himself and it will probably rise as he gets older and experienced. In IPL 2020 playing for the Sunrisers, Rashid picked 20 wickets from 14 games at an economy rate of 5.37. The numbers are just part of the leggie’s growing T20 credentials which are getting better day by day and turning the batsman’s game slightly in favour of the bowlers.
It’s not just his quick release or the googlies which work its magic but the consistency of bowling at the same spot entitles him to pick wickets on a regular basis. Rarely you would see, Rashid drifting away from the ideal line and length and bowling freebies. It’s just that one spot which he aims in his mind and remains patient for his wickets.
The bowling has always been his stronger suit, but just that it comes with the added benefit of lower-order batting and phenomenal fielding in the outfield. Rashid can clear the long boundaries with ease given his baseball like bat-swing and gift of timing. The Strikers have often found themselves in commanding positions when the tweaker fires all his ammunition.
They would expect a similar all-round show from the wrist-spinner, who has enough experience under his belt playing for eminent T20 franchises across the globe.
5. James Vince
This stylish right-hander from England has been the mainstay for the Sixers at the top of the order along with Philippe. In 29 games that he has played, Vince has plundered 741 runs at a strike rate of 130.69 and the best score of 75.
Given the field restrictions in the first six, Vince loves to play his shots be it the pleasing cover-drives or the lusty pulls. The momentum thus procured helps in laying a strong foundation for the middle order to capitalise and build on.
Sixers have chased plenty of daunting totals with utter ease on the back of initial aggression shown by the openers and setting the right tone for the rest of the innings.
His right-arm medium-pace bowling can act as a defensive option if the premier bowlers disappear for the plenty. He generates steep bounce off the surface and gets the ball to move enough, creating some doubts in the batsman’s mind.
Come to the curtain-raiser against Hurricanes, Vince will be bestowed with the responsibility of providing flying starts to the team and then carrying the same momentum forward for dealing the final blow.
