IPL 2021 Auction: 3 Teams Which Can Target James Pattinson

After having been released by the Mumbai Indians, Australian pacer James Pattinson is all set to go under the hammer in the IPL 2021 auction.

Pattinson might have been released by MI but it wasn’t as if he had an ordinary 2020 season. He featured in 10 games for the Mumbai Indians in the last IPL season. He fared decently well, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 29.09.

And, so one should not be surprised if the franchises go all out for his services in the upcoming auction.

Here’s a look at 3 teams that could go for James Pattinson in IPL 2021 auction:

 

Royal Challengers Bangalore

After having released a whole host of players from their 2020 squad, the Virat Kohli-led RCB will once again on a buying spree in the upcoming IPL 2021 auction.

And, after having let go of the likes of Chris Morris, Isuru Udana, and with Dale Steyn pulling out of the season, RCB will look to bolster their squad with overseas fast bowling recruits.

RCB currently only have Mohammed Siraj, Kane Richardson, and Navdeep Saini in their fast bowling reserves, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t go all out to avail the services of James Pattinson.

Pattinson featured in 10 games for the Mumbai Indians in the last IPL season. He fared decently well, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 29.09. While his economy of 9.01 is high, the Australian is a genuine wicket-taker, especially in the powerplay.

RCB has as many as Rs 35.9 crores to shell out to fill 13 available slots. Expect them to go all out for the Australian pacer.

 

Kings XI Punjab

Apart from the middle-order woes, the prime area of concern for Kings XI Punjab was the performance of their fast bowlers.

While Mohammed Shami remains largely consistent throughout the season, the lack of any contribution by Sheldon Cottrell meant that KXIP had to turn to Chris Jordan- a death overs specialist- in the first ten overs, where he struggled.

If KXIP can avail the services of James Pattinson, then the opening combination of Mohammed Shami and the former during the powerplay could prove to be a match-winning one for the KL Rahul-led franchise.

KXIP has the highest purse (Rs 53.2 crore) to shell out in IPL 2021 auction as compared to other franchises, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t go all out for the Australian pacer.

 

Rajasthan Royals

Just like Kings XI Punjab, the major issue that hampered Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020 was that barring Jofra Archer, they just didn’t have any fast bowler, who could lend any consistency to their fast bowling arsenal.

The likes of Tom Curran, Ankit Rajpoot, Jaydev Unadkat, Oshane Thomas, and Varun Aaron failed to create any sort of impact, which led to all the pressure created by Jofra being undone.

The Royals have released the likes of Steve Smith, Tom Curran, and Oshane Thomas from their 2020 squad, and so, they have three overseas slots to fill in the auction. And, for that, they have the third-highest purse (Rs 34.85 Crores).

If they do go all out for James Pattinson and end up grabbing his services, then they will end up having an ideal partner for Jofra Archer.

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auction: 3 Teams Which Can Target Nathan Coulter-Nile