The dust has settled. Steve Smith and David Warner have been handed one-year bans by Cricket Australia in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal at Cape Town last week. Subsequently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India also toed the line, barring the Australian duo from representing their respective franchises for the upcoming season.
Smith and Warner had stepped down as the captain of Rajasthan Royals and Surisers Hyderabad respectively before BCCI announced their decision. Left with big holes to fill, in leadership and in batting expertise, Sunrisers and the Royals are now left looking at options from the usold players’ list with less than ten days left for the mega event to kick off. Here are some of the foreign options who are front-runners to take their place:
Hashim Amla
It remains a mystery how the South African batting ace goes unsold auction after auction, despite possessing good numbers in the shortest format of the game. Last year, Amla smashed two centuries while respresenting Kings XI Punjab before leaving for international duties. With both teams needing reinforcements at the top of the order, Amla should be one of the frontrunners but his steep base price might prove to be a stumbling block.
Base price: Rs 1.5 crore
Martin Guptill
With proven white-ball credentials, Martin Guptill can knock the daylights out of any bowling attack on his day. Like Amla, the New Zealander also played for KXIP last season, but failed to make much of an impact. Many a Sunrisers win was set up by the brilliant starts given by Shikhar Dhawan and Warner at the top of the order. Out of those, Dhawan – in the form of his life at the moment – usually plays the sheet anchor’s role. The India opener can continue to bide his time at the crease with Guptill at the other end.
Base price: Rs 75 lakh
Luke Ronchi
Don’t be surprised if the Royals and Sunrisers are engaged in a tug-of-war to sign the New Zealand keeper. The Australia-born tore bowling attacks to shreds in the Pakistan Super League, picking up 435 runs which came at an astounding strike-rate of 182. Ronchi was adjuged the Man-of-the-match in the final for smashing a 26-ball 52 and setting up Islamabad United’s title win. He also walked away with the Man-of-the-series title.
Base price: Rs 75 lakh
Kusal Perera
Kusal Perera’s pyrotechnics in the recently concluded Nidahas Trophy would have not gone unnoticed. The southpaw can be a destructive force on his day but worries over his ability to last a campaign remain. Perera can also double up as a keeper and can bat in a number of positions in the batting order and comes at a modest base price. On Friday, Times of India reported that SRH are seriously considering signing on Perera.
Base price: Rs 50 lakh
Heinrich Klaasen
The swashbuckling Klassen may emerge as Smith’s replacement in the Royals camp. The South African was not a part of the original list of 578 players that went under the hammer. Klassen is also a keeper and was at his thrilling best against India during the limited-overs, filling in for Quinton de Kock. The ease at which the 27-year-old counter-attacked wrist-spin duo Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav would have not gone unnoticed.