3 teams who should look to sign Bas de Leede in IPL 2024

Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede continued his memorable 2023 season in the opening game of the ODI World Cup against Pakistan in Hyderabad on Friday, October 6.

The 23-year-old picked up four wickets in the first innings to restrict Pakistan to 286 before scoring a pristine 67 of 68 deliveries in the Netherlands' run-chase.

The son of former fast-bowling all-rounder Tim de Leede, who also played for the Netherlands in the 1996, 2003, and 2007 World Cups, Bas de Leede debuted in International cricket at 18 in 2018.

Following a quiet first few seasons, De Leede became a regular in the Netherlands side last year. However, the World Cup Qualifier was the pace-bowling all-rounder's coming out party.

De Leede entered the limelight by starring in the Netherlands' incredible qualification for the Main Event, finishing in the top-15 in runs scored and third in wickets taken. He scored 285 runs at an average of 47.50 and a strike rate of 101.06 while also bagging 15 wickets at a 22.13 average.

The youngster also became only the fourth player to score a century and pick up a five-wicket haul against Scotland, helping the Netherlands qualify for the ongoing World Cup.

Bas de Leede's consistent all-round performances throughout the year have Indian fans hoping for their favorite IPL franchises to acquire his services for the 2024 season. Here, we look at three teams who should look to sign Bas de Leede for IPL 2024.

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#1 Chennai Super Kings

Bas de Leede can be the heir apparent to Dwayne Bravo.

Although the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won their fifth IPL title in 2023, the side has one glaring hole that reared its ugly head occasionally during the season.

Boasting a flurry of spin-bowling all-rounders like Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mitchell Santner and potent new ball bowlers Deepak Chahar and Akash Singh, the franchise only lacked a middle-overs pace bowler. That is precisely what Bas de Leede has mastered with his ability to vary pace and bowl cutters in the middle overs to provide vital breakthroughs.

The 23-year-old has also been used in the death overs on slower two-paced tracks, similar to the Chepauk pitch in Chennai. Add to that his middle-order batting skills, consisting of several gears from rotating strike to hitting massive sixes, and the all-rounder is the ideal replacement for the retired Ambati Rayudu in the CSK batting order.

He boasts excellent T20I numbers, with a batting average of over 30 and a bowling average of 16.62 in 31 games. With age also on his side for a franchise that has several players nearing the fag end of their careers, De Leede and CSK feel like a match made in heaven.

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#2 Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals had one of their worst IPL seasons in 2023.

Delhi Capitals endured a dreadful 2023 season, with only five wins in 14 games to finish second to bottom on the points table. While several issues plagued the side, the lack of middle-order batting was at the forefront.

The franchise placed a massive faith in South African Riley Rossouw and West Indian Rovman Powell to shore up the middle order and provide a few overs with the ball in the latter's case.

However, both players disappointed, with Rossouw scoring only 209 runs in nine games and Powell a dismal seven runs in three games. It also did not help that regular captain Rishabh Pant was missing due to injury, and other Indian middle-order batters like Manish Pandey and Sarfaraz Khan averaged a miserable 17.77 and 13.25.

Apart from bolstering a teetering middle-order, Bas de Leede also adds an extra option with the ball to a side that had the sixth option in Mitchell Marsh as their leading wicket-taker last season.

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#3 Rajasthan Royals

Royals had a surprising downward slide in the second half of IPL 2023.

One of the bugaboos for the Rajasthan Royals over the last two years has been their susceptible middle-order and the lack of batters that can bowl.

While Jos Buttler's other-worldly season in 2022 masked several of those woes, his poor form in the second half this year exposed the cracks in the Royals' batting lineup. It led to them missing the playoffs after making the final a year ago.

The side has tried to bat Devdutt Padikkal at No. 4 despite the left-hander primarily being an opener with mixed results. Riyan Parag endured another disappointing season at No. 6, leaving Shimron Hetmyer way too much to do.

Rajasthan was also one of the few sides with only five specialist bowlers and the occasional part-time spin of Parag, meaning an off-day for one of their key bowlers proved costly.

Adding Bas de Leede helps the franchise overcome these issues, with the all-rounder adding the much-needed solidity to the middle order and providing a reliable sixth bowling option.