1. Adil Rashid
The Chennai Super Kings’ spin bowling attack is critical to their progress. And if Josh Hazlewood withdraws from the upcoming season, Adil Rashid is the best choice they have. Over the past two years, the leg spinner has been in outstanding form for England. And he keeps shocking everybody by picking up wickets with beautiful deliveries.
Adil Rashid has so far featured in 57 T20I matches and taken 55 wickets. In T20Is, he has a respectable economy score of 7.55. Furthermore, his best bowling figures of 3/11 confirm his status as one of the world’s most talented spinners. Rashid is now England’s top spinner, and he should have been a valuable addition to every franchise.
He has appeared in 109 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in addition to T20Is. He bowls at a 5.66 economy pace in ODIs, which is also a great number. As a result, Rashid could be a significant player for the Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni also seems to be the right replacement since he is more familiar with spin bowling.
2. David Willey
David Willey is a left-handed pacer who can also bat at the bottom of the order. Willey is one of a group of Englishmen who have transformed the game of limited-overs cricket. Willey’s batting abilities have secured him a spot as the Chennai Super Kings’ opening batsman. He has been a solid player for the English team, both with the bat and the ball.
After Mitchell Santner and Kedar Jadhav were hospitalised, Willey was called up to the CSK team. This meant that management had enlisted Willey’s support. However, the all-rounder had a poor season, taking just two wickets and never having a chance to bat for the side. As a result, he was freed prior to the 2019 auction.
However, since CSK has suffered greatly due to a lack of match-winners, the management can search for ways to improve their lineup. David Willey is one of the best solutions open to them. Captain Eoin Morgan has benefited from his ability to take wickets at frequent intervals. As a result, the CSK management could be tempted to cash in on this gifted all-rounder.
3. Tim Southee
Tim Southee is New Zealand’s most successful fast bowler, having led the bowling attack for more than a decade. His ability to bowl those devastating outswingers will give any batsman nightmares. He also merits a spot in the IPL as a bowler who has been on the circuit for over a decade. Perhaps we’ll see him back to the CSK camp this time.
Southee has so far appeared in 81 T20I matches, taking 96 wickets at an economy rate of 8.39. This could seem to be a little pricey, but with the smaller size of the grounds in New Zealand, Southee has done an excellent job. Apart from that, he stands in for Captain Williamson while he is unavailable.
CSK’s speed attack is shallow. They put a lot of confidence in their spin and medium-pace teams to get the job done. Southee, a premier fast bowler, will be called upon to provide early wickets. In addition, he was a member of the CSK franchise throughout his early career. This could make him fit in with the rest of the team.
4. Sheldon Cottrell
During the 2019 World Cup, Sheldon Cottrell became a household name in cricket. The slinging movement of the left-arm pacer helps him to produce more speed. The addition of Sheldon Cottrell to a squad that is highly reliant on spin bowling will help the pace department. He might get a chance to replace Josh in the CSK squad because they both have the potential to produce speed.
Sheldon has played in 35 One-Day Internationals so far. In those 35 games, he has 49 wickets at a 5.88 economy average. Apart from that, he has a 7.9 economy rate in T20I cricket. He is the West Indies’ strike bowler, with 37 wickets in 30 games. He was a member of the KXIP bowling lineup that made a fantastic return last year.
Rahul Tewatia, on the other hand, escorted Sheldon into the stands. He smashed him for five sixes in an over, completely turning the game on its head. Sheldon has six wickets with an economy rate of 8.8 in six IPL games. If he is given more opportunities to play, he has a chance to shine under Dhoni’s leadership.
5. Oshane Thomas
During the year 2018, Oshane Thomas was a regular member of the West Indies limited-overs team. He is tall and has the ability to generate raw pace that will unnerve any batsman. Since his match-winning success in a CPL match in 2017, he made headlines. And it was because of this that Thomas was able to make the national team.
Thomas has proved himself to be a competent bowler. In the 20 ODI matches he has played, he has taken 27 wickets. In T20Is, he has 18 wickets to his credit, including a five-wicket haul. Thomas previously played with the Rajasthan Royals.
He has only featured in four IPL matches. He has taken 5 wickets in his career, with the best bowling figures of 2/6. Since Josh Hazlewood has opted to miss this year’s IPL, Thomas would have a once-in-a-lifetime chance if he is selected.