IPL: 5 Players Who Came As Replacements And Wreaked Havoc In The Tournament

The IPL has been a great platform for youngsters to showcase their skills but some of them haven’t been picked up in auction. However, they have come in as replacements and done incredibly well. The hunger for the players waiting outside the wings is really high and sometimes they have a great impact once they come into the team.

This has happened year after year and a lot of players have made it through the ranks coming in as a replacement. It is not easy to break into the teams due to the high amount of competition lying inside the domestic circuit. Here are 5 players who came as replacements and wreaked havoc in the tournament.

5 Players Who Came As Replacements And Wreaked Havoc In The Tournament:

Jason Holder:

One of the best all-rounders going around in all three formats now, Jason Holder has been part of the West Indies setup for a long time now and he first played in the IPL in 2013 for the Chennai Super Kings. He came into the scene as a tall fast bowler and then improved his batting to become the much-needed all-rounder for West Indies.

He was picked up as the replacement for injured Mitchell Marsh in the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise and he had an immediate impact after coming into the team as the Sunrisers produced a late comeback and reached the playoffs. Holder picked up 14 wickets in the seven games he played last year and finished off games for Sunrisers in the middle order where they lacked experience. He was retained for the upcoming IPL citing his impact.

Imran Tahir:

The South African leg spinner Imran Tahir is a game-changer for whichever team he plays and has been successful around the world in global T20 tournaments. He wasn’t picked in the very surprising auction but he came in as a replacement in the Rising Pune Supergiants franchise in 2017 for the injured Mitchell Marsh.

RPS started off with Adam Zampa at the start by he went for few runs in the middle and they brought Imran Tahir into the playing XI which paid off immediately. He had an excellent season taking 18 wickets in the 12 games at an average of 20.50. His impressive start earned him a place under MS Dhoni with the CSK team in the 2018 auction and has been retained ever since that.

Anrich Nortje:

Anrich Nortje wasn’t picked up in the auction in the 2020 IPL but came in as a replacement for Chris Woakes who opted out of the last season. The South African quick was a surprising pick by the Delhi Capitals considering that he hasn’t played many IPL games but did have an immediate impact after coming into the team.

He formed a great partnership with Kagiso Rabada throughout the IPL and finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the season taking 22 wickets in 16 games and his raw pace was a great package to have for the Delhi franchise. He clocked the fastest delivery of the season and his battle against Jos Buttler was touted to be one of the best overs in IPL history.

Washington Sundar:

The Tamilnadu All Rounder Washington Sundar came into the IPL at a very young age and he was picked by the Rising Pune Supergiants as a replacement for the injured Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner impressed everyone with his accurate length and line alongside good pace.

Sundar played 11 games in the season picked up 8 wickets at an economy rate of 6.17 which was outstanding as he has bowled in the powerplay most of the time. He was a key member of the RPS squad until they reached the finals and his excellent start got him a place in the Indian T20 setup immediately. Now he is an integral part of the Indian team in all three formats and will be part of the RCB franchise in the upcoming IPL.

Chris Gayle:

Probably, the best replacement that had happened in the history of IPL has been bringing in Chris Gayle. In the 2011 Auction, no team was ready to pick the services of the big man from West Indies which was very surprising given that the destruction he can provide at the top of the order.

However, he came in as a replacement for injured Dirk Nannes in the 2011 tournament and scored nearly 608 runs in 12 matches at a stunning average of 67.56. He took the team to the finals where they lost to CSK but his impact was enormous in the season and he did not stop scoring for the franchise after that. He was retained until the mega auction in 2018 by the RCB franchise and now, he is part of the Punjab Kings franchise.