Gone are the days when fans would look up to the overseas players with hopes of taking their teams to victory. Along with the recently capped players, many uncapped Indian players are also asserting their presence in IPL 2021.
Spending the majority of their auction purse on foreign players is no more a solid strategy for IPL teams. There have been quite a few examples in recent years where the most expensive players have failed to make any significant impact.
Punjab Kings bought Glenn Maxwell at the 2020 auction for a whopping INR 10.47 Crores. The Australian batting all-rounder scored just 108 runs in that season at an average of 15.42.
Mumbai Indians – Leading The Way
While there are some overseas players who deliver consistently, it is the local players whose contributions make a big difference. A case in point is the 5-time champions Mumbai Indians.
MI features overseas players such as Quinton de Kock, Pollard and Trent Boult. However, it is the likes of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar, and Jasprit Bumrah who drive the MI juggernaut.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – A Cautionary Tale
Contrastingly, this is exactly where Sunrisers Hyderabad have struggled in the recent past. The orange army heavily relies on Warner, Bairstow, and Williamson in the batting department. A lack of execution and consistency from the Indian players will impact their chances of winning the IPL 2021 title.
Whether it was Deepak Hooda making most of his opportunity at number 4 for Punjab Kings or Chetan Sakariya picking up 3 for 31 on his debut IPL match, Indian players have shown great promise at the start of the 2021 season.
In a T20 World Cup year, the significance of a good IPL season is even higher. With T Natarajan, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav as an inspiration, the next generation cricketers in IPL will be eager to play match-winners for their respective teams.