IPL 2022 Auction: Ishan Kishan, franchises and the prospect of a bidding war

The IPL 2022 Auction will be a two-day event that will start on 12 February in Bengaluru. There are rumours that it could be the last mega auction, at least in a long time. Also, the inclusion of two new sides will make it even more exciting. Here we take a look at factors, that […]
 
?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4
IPL 2022 Auction: Ishan Kishan, franchises and the prospect of a bidding war

The IPL 2022 Auction will be a two-day event that will start on 12 February in Bengaluru. There are rumours that it could be the last mega auction, at least in a long time. Also, the inclusion of two new sides will make it even more exciting. Here we take a look at factors, that may make Ishan Kishan one of the most sought after players in the auction.

Ishan Kishan: a complete package

Kishan, who isn’t a part of the marquee set, brings a lot to the table:

– a fine T20 batter, flexible with batting positions

– adds a Left-hand batting option

– a wicket-keeper

IPL 2022 Auction: Ishan Kishan, franchises and the prospect of a bidding war

– a young Indian prospect

Having a solid Indian core is a non-negotiable aspect of constructing an IPL side that can enjoy sustainable success. A good example is Delhi Capital’s recent success, they had Shaw, Dhawan, Iyer, Pant, Axar, Ashwin and Avesh. As they kept fine-tuning their Indian core, they achieved excellence in the competition.

While it would be naive to suggest that teams shouldn’t look for instant returns in the upcoming season, the long-term planning can’t be ignored either. The 23-year-old Kishan fits the bill perfectly. Not that he can’t deliver the goods now, he will get only better with time.

ALSO READ: How Ishan Kishan came of age

Even though a wicket-keeper’s contribution in a T20 game isn’t very significant, having a good wicketkeeper-batter is a very important part of any team construction. RCB, for example, have suffered from this issue. They played an under-developed Josh Philippe and AB de Villiers was forced to perform the wicket-keeping duty. Next, they played KS Bharat but they would’ve still liked a better option than him.

The lack of excellent options to fill the void also play in Kishan’s favour. Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow, Nicholas Pooran and Dinesh Karthik are the other few good options. However, age could be a factor with Karthik and availability could be an issue with Bairstow.

Ishan Kishan, the batter:

IPL 2022 Auction: Ishan Kishan, franchises and the prospect of a bidding war

Ishan Kishan had a good IPL 2020 | Pic Credit: BCCI/IPL

 

Kishan and Pant together played the Under-19 World Cup in 2016. While Pant is almost a certain pick in the Indian side across formats and has established himself as a top IPL batsman, Kishan’s development and returns haven’t been close to his peer. This could be a hard pill to swallow for Kishan, but he is still good enough to make it to any IPL side.

The southpaw’s IPL record isn’t great: 28.47 average & 136.34 strike rate. In the last five seasons, he had an excellent run in 2020, a poor time in 2019 and the other seasons were quite middling. The youngster can also complain a bit of being under-backed in a highly successful Mumbai Indians set-up.

 

Contrasting to his overall stats, Kishan’s numbers are terrific while opening the innings. Averaging 55.5 with a strike rate of around 156 in 13 outings as an opener, he has registered five 50+ scores while maintaining a balls-per-boundary ratio of exactly 4. It has a direct co-relation with Kishan enjoying the powerplay cushion, which allows him to cover up some of his limitations.

 

Ishan is good at clearing the 30-yards circle against pacers in the powerplay. Averaging exactly 71 against fast-bowlers, the left-handed batsman has a strike rate of over 140 in this phase.

However, he still needs to improve his game vs pace, to become an all-around batsman. Kishan isn’t comfortable while playing well-directed bouncers. He has a decent base to work with, and he has shown glimpses of his ability by smashing the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

As far as his game against spin is concerned, he needs to make his conventional gameplan more robust, particularly on the slow and sluggish decks. While slow decks are uncommon in T20s, it will help Kishan in the long run. He will gradually improve his batting against the away-turning and fast spin-bowling.

He is an excellent hitter on good decks, though. With his brute power and intent, Kishan can play slog sweeps and at the same time can dance down the track to hit sixes in the leg-side region.

His extraordinary qualities are intent, power, rapid scoring ability and six-hitting ability. In his best IPL season (2020), the young lad was the leading six-hitter (30 sixes) in the tournament. IPL 2020, which was held in the UAE, majorly had batting-friendly decks, plus Mumbai Indians enjoyed nice surfaces in most of their games.

Kishan's role may differ according to the assembled squads. He can bat at any position in the top-four. If the team can afford his volatility, he should bat at No. 4; else, in the top-order.

Top-contenders to get Ishan Kishan:

As of now, Kishan would do better in a set-up where he is a support player, and not the main man. Some franchises may not afford him to due to budget issues or have different priorities because of their retention picks.

For example, Chennai Super Kings have locked four out of their top-7 players. Also, Kishan’s limitations on the slow pitches of Chepauk might hurt them. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have picked three top-order players including two wicket-keeper options. Delhi Capitals are also unlikely to go after Kishan.

Mumbai Indians have retained three out of their top-six batters, and it remains to be seen if they can afford him. However, they do need a wicketkeeper-batter (and a LHB). Also, they already have a premium pacer in Jasprit Bumrah, which gives them a bit of cushion of spending a bit more on other players.

KKR also don’t have any wicket-keepers, however, they may focus more on getting pace-hitters and Indian as well as overseas pacers. The two new franchises might also go after Kishan.

ALSO READ: Full List of Players for IPL 2022 Auction

Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have a heavy purse, can go all-out after Kishan. Punjab have just one batter in Mayank Agarwal while Sunrisers have only one top-order batter in Kane Williamson.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have struggled with the wicket-keeper problem in the past, as mentioned earlier, should also try to get Kishan. The good batting pitch and short boundaries of the M. Chinnaswamy stadium should suit Kishan. Also, if they’ve learnt their lessons well, they will be bidding hard for a LHB in their set-up.