IPL Auction 2020: 3 teams that could target Mustafizur Rahman

The IPL Auction 2020 is now just a few hours away and the reverse countdown has begun for the kick-off event of the next IPL season. The auction plays a major role in deciding the fortunes of the teams because this is the final opportunity for the team managements to fill in all the gaps in their respective squads.

Over the years, the fans have witnessed several masterstrokes (and also massive blunders) at the player auctions.

Talent always received its due and in the auction tomorrow, there will be a rare talent from Bangladesh among the several players vying to make the cut. After missing out on the 2019 edition of the cash-rich league, Mustafizur Rahman would love to make a comeback this year.

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Known for his wicket-taking abilities, the Bangladeshi pacer can also keep a check on the run flow. He is up for grabs tomorrow and here are three teams that are most likely to sign him this year:

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#3 Kings XI Punjab

Kings XI Punjab need an overseas pacer

Kings XI Punjab will enter the auction with the biggest purse and will look to build a high-profile squad. They already have the likes of KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Karun Nair, Nicholas Pooran, and Mayank Agarwal in the batting department but their bowling attack appears to be lacking 'the fizz' (pun intended).

The franchise's new team management released the duo of Andrew Tye and Sam Curran from the squad and is now on the lookout for their replacements. Rahman, being a left-arm pacer himself, can easily replace Curran.

Though he is not as good as the Englishman in the batting department, he is a much better bowler than him. Given that the wicket at Mohali offers assistance to the faster bowlers, Rahman would enjoy bowling in the home games of the Punjab franchise.

#2 Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals will also try to sign a foreign fast bowler

Delhi Capitals already possess a strong bunch of Indian players. They already had the quartet of Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Shikhar Dhawan, and to further bolster their squad, they recruited Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin during the trade window.

The Capitals' batting line-up has incredible talent but they need a few fresh recruits to strengthen their bowling attack. Kagiso Rabada and Ishant Sharma are the biggest names present in the pace bowling section and the addition of a left-arm pacer like Rahman would help create a formidable pace attack for team Delhi.

If recruited, the Bangladeshi will be able to form a terrific combination with Rabada in the slog overs while Sharma can handle the proceedings in the initial ones. The Delhi-based franchise has a plethora of Indian batsmen and including two foreign fast bowlers would not impact their team combination much. Also, Rahman can be a like-for-like replacement for Trent Boult, who got traded to Mumbai.

Thus, Delhi would enter IPL 2020 as a force to reckon with if they grab the Bangladeshi star in the auction tomorrow.

#1 Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders released quite a few big names ahead of the auction

The franchise which grabbed the headlines for releasing several of its players ahead of the auction requires to put in a lot of hard work in the auction room tomorrow. Firstly, they need a talented fast bowler to lead their bowling attack.

Although they have the likes of Andre Russell, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Harry Gurney, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Shivam Mavi in their arsenal, none of these players have played in the IPL much. While Russell and Krishna have gathered some experience, they cannot be deemed as the leaders of the pace bowling attack.

The other players in their attack are extremely prone to injuries and, therefore, the Kolkata franchise needs a player who can play all the matches and lead the bowling department with aplomb. Rahman is the perfect candidate for this role as he can bring in the ‘X-factor’ to the team. He can form a magnificent partnership with the Indian pace bowlers and wreak havoc on the opposing batsmen.