IPL 2019: 3 interesting trends noticed at the auctions

#2 All-rounders becoming the face of T20 cricket

Carlos Braithwaite, a backup for Andre Russell, was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders at 5 crore

The number of all-rounders included in the playing XI has steadily been increasing in T20 cricket. All-rounders offer flexibility and balance to the team, which is very vital in this format. Unexpected things happen in T20 cricket, and all-rounders are being preferred because of their contribution to both departments of the game.

This fact was emphasized in the recent auctions where all-rounders were in huge demand. Players like Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Axar Patel and Carlos Braithwaite went for huge money despite them not having proven themselves so far in the league.

We have seen teams such as Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians become successful because of the presence of strong all-rounders in the team, and most other teams have started to follow them.