NEW DELHI : The second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season will resume from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Reigning champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
However, many foreign players have withdrawn from the second leg of the tournament due to various reasons like fitness, family, and focusing on the upcoming m'n's T20 World Cup 2021 starting right after IPL 2021 ends.
Due to this, teams have included players who will be in action for the first time in the IPL. We have a look at the new overseas picks of IPL 2021:
Wanindu Hasaranga (Royal Challengers Bangalore) : Hasaranga's addition to the RCB squad is a big boost for the leg-spin all-rounder from Sri Lanka. He had a brilliant white-ball series against India in July, picking up nine wickets at an economy rate of 5.58 in the T20I series, including 4/9 in the final match. He proved to be a bowler difficult to read for the Indian batsmen in Colombo. Though he will leave RCB after the group stage ends, the conditions in UAE will be tailor-made for him to excel.
Dushmantha Chameera (Royal Challengers Bangalore) : Chameera is the second Sri Lankan player to be signed up by RCB after Hasaranga. In 28 T20Is, he has picked 30 wickets at an economy rate of 7.74. The Lankan pacer, who can clock up to 145kph, can prove to be critical in UAE conditions. In June, Chameera took six wickets in three T20Is against England. During the T20I series against India in July, Chameera was the second-highest wicket-taker after Hasaranga for the hosts with four wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 5.25.
Tim David (Royal Challengers Bangalore) : David became the first cricketer from Singapore to be selected in the IPL. In the past year, he has made a name for himself across T20 leagues in the world. In 14 T20Is for Singapore, David has made 558 runs at an average of 46.50 with a strike rate of 158.52. He made heads turn at the 2020/21 Big Bash League playing for Hobart Hurricanes, scoring 279 runs at a strike rate of 153.29. He did well for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2021, scoring 180 runs at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 166.66. After fruitful stints in T20 Blast, Royal London One day Cup, and The Hundred, David is currently with Saint Lucia Kings in CPL 2021.
Adil Rashid (Punjab Kings) : Overlooked in the auctions in February, Rashid finds himself with an IPL gig in UAE. A regular in England's limited-overs team, Rashid has picked 65 wickets in 62 T20Is at an average of 24.29. Now the leg-spinner will ply his trade for Punjab Kings in the IPL, replacing Jhye Richardson. The 33-year-old's stint in the IPL will be perfect for him to finetune his preparation for the T20 World Cup in UAE.
Glenn Phillips (Rajasthan Royals) : Phillips has so far played 25 T20Is with 506 runs for New Zealand. He has scored a hundred and two half-centuries and has a strike rate of 149.70. In November 2020, Phillips smacked a 46-ball hundred, breaking Colin Munro's record of fastest T20I hundred by a New Zealand batsman. The 24-year-old Phillips has had stints in England's T20 Blast (Gloucestershire) as well as the Hundred (Welsh Fire) apart from the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings) : Ellis recently was in the limelight after becoming the first Australian to take a hat-trick on international debut with 3/34 in the third T20I against Bangladesh in August this year. The right-arm pacer is also one of the three reserv' players in Australia's T20 World Cup squad. The 26-year-old was one of the standout performers of the 2020/21 Big Bash League. He was the leading wicket-taker for his team Hobart Hurricanes taking 20 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 8.31.
George Garton (Royal Challengers Bangalore) : The all-rounder from Sussex caught everyone by surprise with Bangalore announcing him as a replacement player. He has featured in 38 T20s and has taken 44 wickets with an average of 20.06 and an economy rate of 8.26. Garton was the joint-third highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets from nine matches for Southern Brave in The Hundred. He also took nine wickets in six matches in the T20 Blast with an economy rate of 7.50. He was called up to England's squad for the white-ball matches against Sri Lanka in June and July but didn't make his international debut.
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