5 Stars From The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Who Can Wreck Havoc In IPL 2021 Auction

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21 just finished on last Sunday (31st January). Due to the upcoming IPL 2021 auction, the franchises keenly observed the recently concluded SMAT.

In the latest SMAT, Tamil Nadu won the trophy for the sixth time after beating Baroda in the final by 7 wickets. While it was the first domestic tournament in India since the stoppage of the domestic cricket due to COVID-19 pandemic, many Indian cricketers were excited to give their best in this shorter-format tournament.

Some talented cricketers showed their positive energies on the field during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21. Some of these cricketers can make storm during the upcoming IPL 2021 auction.

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5 Stars From The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Who Can Wreck Havoc In IPL 2021 Auction

Vishnu Solanki

The 28-year-old Baroda cricketer Vishnu Solanki played a huge role for his domestic team to finish as the runners-up in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21. The right-handed batsman finished this tournament as the fifth most run-scorer by scoring 267 runs in 8 matches (average 53.40 and strike-rate 128.36). Solanki hit two half-centuries in this tournament.

Solanki became the media attraction after his heroic batting secured Baroda to advance for the semi-final. He not only scored 71 not out off 46 balls in that quarter-final match against Haryana, but he also smashed 6, 4 and 6 in the last three balls of that match when they required 15 runs in the last three balls. In this tournament, he also impressed with his proper helicopter shots. Even in the final match, he fought really well with the bat for his team by scoring 49 off 55 balls.

Teams’ with struggling top-order batting can put strong bids for Vishnu Solanki in the IPL 2021 auction. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI) etc are some names who can put strong bid for Solanki in the IPL 2021 auction.

Jalaj Saxena

The 34-year-old Kerala all-rounder Jalaj Saxena is now known as a consistent and effective player in Indian domestic cricket. He is a good off-spinner and effective right-handed lower-order batsman.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21, Saxena bagged 10 wickets in five matches. Apart from his bowling average of 11.90 and bowling strike-rate of 11.4, he was also economical in that entire tournament as his economy rate was 6.26.

In the IPL 2021 auction, the franchises can target Jalaj Saxena to fill up their off-spinner spot. So, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) etc. can make some strong bids for him.

Though Saxena was earlier bought by Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC), he hasn’t made his IPL debut yet.

Lukman Meriwala

The 29-year-old Baroda left-arm fast-medium Lukman Meriwala can be a crucial name for the franchises during the IPL 2021 auction.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21, Meriwala got 15 wickets in 8 matches, including one fifer (5/8). At the end of this tournament, he finished as the second most wicket-taker.

During this SMAT season, Meriwala became the first bowler to claim three five-wicket hauls in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history. In the same time, he became the only second Indian bowler, after the Indian right-arm pacer Ankit Rajpoot, to claim three five-wicket hauls in T20 career. In his T20 career, he has got 72 wickets in 44 matches. He was also the leading wicket-taker in the 2013/14 SMAT when Baroda won this trophy for the first time.

In the IPL 2021 auction, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) can put some strong bids for Meriwala as they have currently no left-arm pacers.

Kedar Devdhar

The 31-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Kedar Devdhar was another hero for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21. The opening batsman scored 349 runs in 8 games (average 69.80; strike-rate 113.68) with the help of two half-centuries, and he finished as the second most run-scorer in the latest SMAT.

In the absence of Krunal Pandya from the middle stage of this SMAT season, Devdhar led the Baroda team to the final, where they ultimately lost against Tamil Nadu.

During this SMAT season, while Devdhar scored 99 not out off 71 balls against Maharashtra in the Group Stage, he also scored 64 runs off 49 balls in the semi-final against Punjab. Moreover, he played three more 40+ knocks in this tournament, which shows how powerful he is as an opening batsman.

In the IPL 2021 auction, Kedar Devdhar can be a strong name for the teams who are searching for opening batsman or wicket-keeper. So, Rajasthan Royals (RR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) etc. can target him for the opening batting position and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) can chase him for both opening batting position and wicket-keeper spot.

Kedar Devdhar has played only one IPL match during the IPL 2011 when he was serving for now-defunct Deccan Chargers.

Mohammed Azharuddeen

The 26-year-old Kerala cricketer Mohammed Azharuddeen has already grabbed the attention of the Indian sports media due to his aggressive batting as an opener.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020/21, Azharuddeen scored 214 runs in 5 matches (average 53.50; strike-rate 194.54). During this tournament, he came to the limelight after scoring his firing 37-ball century against Mumbai as he scored 137 not out off 54 balls with the help of 9 fours and 11 sixes. His other scores in this tournament were 30, 0, 12 and 35 runs. The right-handed batsman smashed a total of 15 sixes during this tournament.

Mohammed Azharuddeen has the potential to become a strong opening batsman. So, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) etc. franchises can go big for him in the IPL 2021 auction.