5 players who can replace Jhye Richardson if he misses IPL 2021
The Indian Premier League 2021 is set to resume from September 19th in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a significant hiatus is due to the COVID-19 outbreak into the Indian Premier League 2021 bio-bubble.
After several players tested positive for the virus, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL Governing Council decided to postpone the tournament indefinitely. However, the board announced later that the competition would resume in September.
But there are still questions over many players' availability due to international series scheduled during the IPL window or personal reasons. Jhye Richardson is one player who is reported to be unavailable for Punjab Kings for the IPL 2021 phase 2. Today, we look at five players who can replace Jhye Richardson if he misses IPL 2021.
1. Sreesanth
The first player on our list is the 38-year-old pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth Nair. Sreesanth is an experienced Indian pacer, and he currently plays for Kerala in the Indian domestic circuit.
The player also has the experience of playing in the Indian Premier League, having played for Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan. He was banned from all kinds of cricket after his involvement in a match-fixing scandal and is in search of an IPL franchise ever since he has returned to cricket after his ban ended. He has had an outstanding T20 career so far, picking up 54 wickets in 65 matches and 40 wickets in 44 IPL matches.
2. Nathan Ellis
The next player on our list is the Australian right-arm medium-fast bowler Nathan Ellis. Nathan Ellis is said to be in high demand among the Indian Premier League franchises after his impressive debut for Australia in T20 cricket, picking up five wickets in 2 matches.
Nathan Ellis plays for Hobart Hurricanes in the Australian T20 league, the Big Bash League. The player is in good touch in T20 cricket, picking up 38 wickets since his debut in 2018 and bowls with a bowling average of 25.0 and economy rate of 8.04. He might turn out to be a valuable asset for Punjab Kings.
3. Dushmantha Chameera
Sri Lankan right-arm pacer Dushmantha Chameera is another option that can be considered by Indian Premier League franchise Punjab Kings as a replacement of Jhye Richardson.
The Sri Lankan pacer has good numbers besides his name and represents Sri Lanka in all game forms. Dushmantha Chameera has 59 T20 wickets from 60 matches and 30 wickets in 28 T20I matches that he has played ever since his T20I debut in 2015.
4. Neil Wagner
Neil Wagner, the left-arm fast-medium bowler, is a great option available. The Kiwi nowadays appears regular for the New Zealand Cricket Team in the most extended format of the game.
Neil Wagner's stats for New Zealand in Test cricket are impressive and in his T20 cricket. The pacer has never played for the Blackcaps in the T20I, but his domestic T20 stats say that he has 79 wickets in 76 matches. Wagner's line and length, and ability to swing the ball could be helpful.
5. James Faulkner
The last player on our list is the experienced Australian left-arm medium-pacer James Faulkner, who can also bat and score big runs when needed. Faulkner once used to be Australia's first choice all-rounder, especially for the limited-overs cricket.
James Faulkner has played a total of 120 domestic T20 matches in which he has 256 wickets. He has also taken many wickets for Australia in T20I as the Aussie has 36 wickets in 24 matches for Australia in T20 cricket, and his IPL experience can also prove handy as he has played a vital role at Rajasthan Royals during his IPL days. The 31-year-old has 59 wickets to his name in 60 IPL matches.