IPL 2019: One player from the 90s who would fit in each team

For a moment, let us forget that we are living in 2019 and get back to the 90s. The cricket world hadn’t heard of T20s and all it knew was ODIs and Tests which provided loads of entertainment. One-day internationals, in particular weren’t high scoring affairs and anything about six runs per over was challenging to score. It was because the pitches weren’t flat, the outfield wasn’t quick and the batsmen didn’t play too may unorthodox shots. Along with this, the bowlers were treated with utmost respect.

The teams had the likes of Mohammad Azharuddin, Brian Lara and Steve Waugh who not only batted beautifully but single handedly won games for the team. The bowling department was terrific with Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, and Allan Donald taming every batsman they bowled to.

Irrespective of the conditions and the opposition, these players performed extremely well. Come back to 2019 and imagine them bowling in T20s. They certainly would be brutal with a lot of variety that is being introduced into the game. Let us look at players from that era and where they would fit in each team of the IPL considering the requirement of each team.

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#8 KKR – Michael Bevan

Michael Bevan

KKR has been a top side in the IPL without a doubt. With two IPL titles in their bag, they have enjoyed considerable amount of success. They also hold the record for the longest winning streak by an Indian team in T20s (14). They have had their ups and teams, but they have stuck together as a unit and performed well.

Dinesh Karthik was named the skipper after the 2018 auction. He justified his role by taking his team into the play-offs, but lost to SRH in the second Qualifier. The top order and the middle order were impressive in the last season. In spite of all of this, they don’t have someone who could play an anchor role in the lower middle order whenever the team finds itself in trouble.

Michael Bevan, the greatest finisher as he is regarded by many, would play this role effectively. He has done that time and again for Australia in the past. He wouldn’t succumb to any sorts of pressure which would ensure a win for his team.

#7 Delhi Capitals – Javagal Srinath

Javagal Srinath:

IPL has been very harsh on Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils). They have never played an IPL final and last qualified for the play-offs in the fifth season. From then on, the journey hasn’t been pleasant with a couple of last place finishes. Even after fresh auctions in 2018, the season was another disaster with only five wins out of fourteen matches.

They have changed the name of the franchise to see if luck would turn around. They have an explosive batting line-up with Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer expected to play a big role. The bowling department has been a big let down due to inconsistency and lack of variety.

In this case, Javagal Srinath who was the front-line bowler for team India in the 90s, would have contributed significantly with his pace and bounce. He also had a slower ball to deceive the batsman. His accuracy and precision would revamp the bowling unit.

#6 KXIP – Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh

Kings XI Punjab have tried everything they could, but has made only two playoffs in eleven seasons. They have tried all possible combinations but nothing seemed to go right for them. The only exception was the 2014 season when the team were the table toppers and finished the league as the runners-up. The problem with the team was the captaincy.

From Yuvraj Singh to R Ashwin, there has been constant change in guard. There have been instances when two players had captained the team in the same season (2016). Under Ashwin’s captaincy, the team managed to win six matches in 2018.

Steve Waugh would be the right choice to solve the captaincy issue. He was capable of leading from the front with exemplary batting performances. It’s because of his leadership qualities, he is still considered to be the most successful captain in the longer format with a 72% winning ratio.

#5 RR – Aravind De Silva

Aravind De Silva

Rajasthan Royals have lost their way since they won the first title in 2008. Since then, they have never qualified to the finals of the tournament. In fact, they have made it to the play-offs on only two occasions since 2009. The team made a comeback to the league after two years of suspension. They had a decent season finishing fourth in the points table but got eliminated in the eliminator against KKR.

The bowling line-up looks settled. With the return of Steve Smith, the batting line up would certainly strengthen up, but the middle order still looks weak. Aravinda de Silva, who was a fine player could have played this role in the middle. His unorthodox bowling action in bowling would bag him couple of wickets in every match. Arguably the greatest player that Sri Lanka has ever produced, de Silva would be instrumental in team’s success.

#4 SRH – Chris Cairns

Chris Cairns

SRH have been very consistent right from their debut season in 2013. They have won the championship once in 2016 and have always entertained their fans. Even though the team is underrated, the fact remains that they have the best bowling line-up with the likes of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan in the eleven.

They played extremely well in the last edition finishing at the top of the table in spite of David Warner’s absence. They finished the season as the runners-up after losing to CSK. The top order looks solid with Warner back in the squad. Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan have always performed well in the middle order.

The service of a fast-bowling order would complete the squad which means someone like Chris Cairns would have provided the perfect balance that was required. With more than 8,000 international runs and 419 wickets, his experience would have definitely made a difference.

#3 MI – Nathan Astle

Nathan Astle

Mumbai Indians might not be the most successful team in IPL history, but they too have three IPL trophies in their cabinet. They have also won two CLT20 tournaments. Apart from this, they are the most valuable franchise in IPL with a brand value of more than $113 million.

The 2018 season didn’t go too well for them, winning 6 matches while losing on 8 occasions. They failed to qualify for the play-offs finishing 5th in the table. The team looks strong on the paper, but has its on loop holes. They didn’t get the starts they needed in the last season and when they did the middle order wasn’t able to convert well.

Nathan Astle could be very handy in such type of a situation. He was flexible to play either at the top or in the middle order thereby providing stability to the team. He was also a part-timer who bowled medium pace which would solve the issue of the 6th bowler in the team.

#2 CSK – Lance Klusener:

Lance Klusener

CSK has always been the team to beat in the Indian Premier League. They have won the most titles as well as the most successful team in the league with win percentage of 61.56. They also hold the record of making it to the play-offs in every season they have played.

The team returned to IPL after a two-year break in style by winning the IPL. In spite of this they have often found themselves in soup, when the top order fails or when the frontline bowlers failed to give important breakthroughs. They are in need of a medium-pace all-rounder to which Lance Klusener would be ideal.

He would be the fifth bowler giving four overs consistently in every match at a good economy and with a couple of wickets. His strike rate of 120 spoke a lot about his hard-hitting skills which would qualify him as a lower order batsman. He scored 5500 runs and took more than 270 wickets for South Africa.

#1 RCB – Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram

There is no team in cricket more unfortunate than RCB. Right from the start of this tournament, they have done everything they could to have that trophy in their cabinet, but have failed on all eleven occasions. RCB always had the batting strength they needed to score some big runs. They always had the best top order in the league.

The problem was in the bowling department. In the last two seasons, the bowlers failed to strike at the right moment leading to so many losses. They tried Umesh Yadav who was decent with the new ball but sometimes went for over fifteen runs per over at the death.

They need a strike bowler who can provide them wickets consistently. You cannot find a better bowler than Wasim Akram for his adaptability. His swing bowling, cross seam deliveries and the yorkers at the death would have surely hurt the opponents. Along with this, he would be economical which is very important in a T20. He took over 900 wickets at the international level and his inclusion would have played a huge role in winning their first title.

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