IPL 2022 is set to begin from March 26 onwards in Maharashtra. Keeping the COVID-19 situation in mind, the BCCI has allotted the IPL matches only to two cities, namely Mumbai and Pune. All eyes will be on the Indian and the overseas players
Last month, the IPL Mega Auction happened in Bengaluru, where 204 players were signed by 10 teams. Out of them, 67 were overseas stars. The overseas players hold a special place, and the foreign strength can make or break a team’s IPL winning chances.
In this listicle today, we will rank the 10 IPL teams as per their overseas players for the 2022 season.
10. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad retained captain Kane Williamson before the mega auction and built the squad around him. They do not have any other foreign player who has proven himself as a match-winner in IPL.
Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shephard, Marco Jansen, Sean Abbott, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Glenn Phillips are talented T20 players, but it will be interesting to see how they perform in the IPL.
9. Mumbai Indians will have a stronger group of overseas players next year with Jofra Archer
Mumbai Indians will not have Jofra Archer’s services for IPL 2022. They do have Kieron Pollard in the squad, but the other overseas stars are inexperienced. It will be interesting to see how the likes of Tim David and Dewald Brevis perform.
Also, Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith and Tymal Mills have not played much cricket in India. Their skills will be tested.
8. Rajasthan Royals
RR’s top two foreign players are Jos Buttler and Trent Boult. James Neesham, Shimron Hetmyer and Nathan Coulter-Nile can perform well if they remain fit.
Obed McCoy, Rassie van der Dussen and Daryl Mitchell will look forward to showcasing their talent on Indian pitches.
7. Gujarat Titans
Like Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans have two big foreign players – Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson. They will give immense strength to the bowling attack.
GT lost Jason Roy before the season. They have David Miller and Matthew Wade in the batting department, while Alzarri Joseph, Dominic Drakes and Noor Ahmad are the other bowling options.
6. Chennai Super Kings have two good experienced overseas players
Chennai Super Kings have a stellar group of Indian players, but the same cannot be said about their foreign stars. They have seasoned campaigners like Dwayne Bravo and Moeen Ali, but the overseas bowlers Maheesh Theekshana, Chris Jordan and Adam Milne will have to prove themselves.
Even Devon Conway does not have any experience of playing in India. Along with him, Dwaine Pretorius will be the player to watch out for because even he performed well in the T20 World Cup but has never played in IPL.
5. Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals have three match-winners in their overseas section. David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Anrich Nortje can turn matches single-handedly. Even Rovman Powell has a good record in T20s.
With Mustafizur Rahman and Lungi Ngidi present in the pace attack, DC have a solid group of foreign stars.
4. Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings had a memorable mega auction as they roped in Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Odean Smith, Liam Livingstone and Nathan Ellis.
They also have decent backups like Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Benny Howell. Overall, their group of overseas players looks strong on paper.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders have three overseas players from their previous squad – Pat Cummins, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. Sam Billings has done well in the past, while Mohammad Nabi and Tim Southee are great backups.
With Alex Hales available to play, KKR have a fantastic group of foreign stars for IPL 2022.
2. Lucknow Super Giants
Both teams in the Top 2 are deserving of the number one spot. Lucknow did an excellent job at the mega auction. They have a lot of depth in their squad.
Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Mark Wood and Dushmantha Chameera seem to be their primary foreign stars. The team management will have a tough time picking the XI.
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore have four match-winners in their group of overseas players
While RCB lost some of their big Indian names at the auction, they signed the trio of Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood and Faf du Plessis who will join Glenn Maxwell in the overseas players section.
Even though AB de Villiers is not available, RCB have a strong pool of overseas players, with Jason Behrendorff, Sherfane Rutherford, David Willey and Finn Allen completing the section.
