IPL 2022 auction: 3 reasons why Usman Khawaja will be a great acquisition

Usman Khawaja is one of the biggest underdogs and underappreciated international cricketers of this generation. He started his career as a talented young Queenslander but often lacked the work ethic required at the international level. Khawaja played his first T20 for Australia in 2016.

He has endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines since 2019 and made his return to international cricket in the Ashes this year. In that same period, Usman Khawaja has grown exceptionally as a cricketer.

Usman Khawaja also played in the IPL back in 2016 with Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS). Unfortunately, in that star-studded team, which lasted for only two years, Khawaja could get enough games to prove his worth. The last time he participated in the IPL auction in 2019, Khawaja went unsold.

At the 2022 IPL mega-auction, Khawaja has registered himself at a base price of INR 1.5 crores. We take a look at why he is an excellent acquisition for any side.

#3 He is a proven T20 batsman

When Usman Khawaja was drafted to play for Sydney Thunder in BBL, he was not considered a regular player in playing XI. Yet in the 2015-16 season, Khawaja was selected to play in the playoffs for the team.

This was the first time the team had reached the playoffs and they were desperate to turn their fortunes around. In only his third match of the season, Usman Khawaja scored a remarkable century of 104* in just 59 balls to take Thunder to the final. He topped that performance with yet another match-winning 70 off 40 balls to help the Thunder to their first and only championship in the BBL.

Khawaja played just four matches that season and only finished behind Chris Lynn with the second-most runs with two centuries and two fifties in the tournament.

#2 He is adaptable

Although he did not play many matches at the international level, Usman Khawaja is now turning out to be an adaptable batter in multiple formats. He was selected to play the fourth Ashes Test in which he scored centuries in both innings.

Immediately after the Ashes ended, Khawaja rejoined his BBL team for their playoff matches. In the first match after the Ashes in the T20 format, Khawaja scored a stellar 77-run to almost single-handedly carry the Sydney Thunder over the finish line.

Although Cameron Boyce's exceptional four-wicket hat-trick overshadowed Khawaja's return to the BBL, his adaptability and ability to change his game according to the format must be applauded.

#1 He is a proven leader

Even before being appointed as the captain of the Sydney Thunder for the 2021 season, Usman Khawaja was the team's leading run-scorer with over 1700 runs, with two centuries to his name.

Khawaja has also captained Australia's A-side and his Sheffield Shield team Queensland. Under his leadership, Queensland won back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.

While talking about his captaincy style, Khawaja explained:

''It's not about reinventing the wheel. Everyone has their way of captaining a team. I think it's important to be who you are. I never change who I am just because I am a captain. I am usually a bit of a jokester around the team, which doesn't change as a captain. I know when to deliver a message that is serious and when we can be a little more relaxed."

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