2022 IPL Draft: 10 Strong Prospects for the New Teams

The Retention deadline has passed, and the IPL Draft approaches with two new teams in the league. With a few surprising exclusions, the new sides have a good hand of players to pick. Both sides can pick up to three players each, with one being an overseas player. With line-ups to build from scratch, there are a few prospects who could be picked up soon.

Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan seems like an unlikely pick in the IPL Draft, and probably the least likely among the given list. However, his performance in the previous season opens up a chance for him to go well in the IPL draft. As he is uncapped, there is a chance that the new sides could look to pick him as an easy way to increase their purse for the mega auction.

With age and high pace on his side, Khan is certainly a potential prospect. Being an Indian fast bowler, there will also be fewer doubts about his availability through the season.

David Warner

David Warner is one of the best overseas players in the IPL, along with Ab De Villiers. He is a historical part of the league, and was once the face of Sunrisers Hyderabad. After a poor run of form though, Warner is back in the auction pool, and could be a key buy. He is an experienced campaigner who can get his side off to a flier, and win games for them alone on his day.

His leadership credentials are also good, having led Sunrisers to the championship in 2016, while taking them to the playoffs on two other occasions. With wonderful batting records and leadership credentials, David Warner will not be a surprise first pick, and is going into the IPL draft as a heavy prospect.

KL Rahul

Along with David Warner, KL Rahul could be a competitor for one of the early picks in the IPL draft. He has been a part of three franchises and is among the league’s most prolific scorers over the last four seasons.

His time with the Kings XI Punjab saw him grow as one of the most dominating batters in the league, as he single-handedly carried the side on many occasions.

Along with his batting, Rahul is a handy keeper in white-ball Cricket, and has been leading the side for the last two seasons. With the new teams looking for a leader first, he could be a competitor early in the IPL draft.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer has been a part of the Delhi Capitals since 2015, and took over the reins mid-way through 2018. He was a key part of Delhi’s growth, and the history of the franchise. Under him, Delhi was their most consistent as they made the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 with ease.

However, a shoulder injury saw him miss part of the season, and Rishabh Pant took over, doing a handy job. With Shreyas Iyer wanting to go back in the auction pool, he has been released, and could be a captaincy option for the new sides, competing with the likes of KL Rahul for one of the early picks

Faf Du Plessis

Faf Du Plessis was the second-highest run-scorer for CSK last season and has been a core member of the side over the years. Although he is pushing 38, Du Plessis comes in with a lot of experience, and is still one of the fittest going around.

His unorthodox batting, and swift fielding are still assets, and Faf Du Plessis has some strong leadership credentials as well, which could play on the new franchise’s mind as they look to build their core in the IPL draft. He is still active in the T20 arena, and his IPL numbers are exceptional.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is probably the biggest release of the season. He is one of the best, if not the best T20 Cricketers at the moment, and can fetch a really high price in the auction.

However, with the IPL draft taking place before, the two new sides may look to grab the opportunity to acquire a star player, and brand him as the face of the side.

His leg-spin keeps evolving, and Rashid Khan is among the leading wicket-takers, and most economical bowlers since 2017. In all likelihood, Rashid Khan is a prime candidate for one of the overseas picks, along with David Warner.

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes missed the last season to injury, but seems to be getting back on track after surgery and a break to work on his mental health. He was a key player for Rajasthan, putting his best foot forward in each department, and is a perfect multi-dimensional player at the moment.

As all-rounders are generally valued highly in the league, the IPL draft could see Ben Stokes picked us a surprise choice. In case Stokes doesn’t find any takers in the IPL draft, we could still see a strong bidding war for the all-rounder.

Ishan Kishan

He can keep, he can open, and he can bat in the middle-order with a high sense of freedom. Although not the biggest in size, Ishan Kishan is growing into a prolific six-hitter, and has also topped the six-hitting charts in 2020.

He is flexible in the batting line-up and is a good keeper, which is a position that the new teams will be looking to fill as soon as possible. With age on his side, and leadership experience in the under-19 World Cup, Kishan is a strong candidate if sides are looking for a player who could be the face of their franchise for the years to come.

Hardik Pandya

With a back injury hampering him for some time now, Hardik Pandya has lost his stocks a bit in the league, after showing a lot of promise early on. He was a key part of Mumbai Indians for the last six years, and is another player who can be very flexible when fit. Hardik Pandya has the ability to bowl at high pace and is a gun fielder.

With the bat, Pandya started off as a finisher, with the ability to hit big sixers, but over the years, he has also shown the ability to bat through the innings, and build an innings. With a lot of flexibility, and a lot of potentials, Pandya is another prime candidate for an IPL Draft pick.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Chahal is another unlikely pick in the IPL draft, but the leggie comes with loads of experience. He is one of the best spinners in the league, and did a fair job in the 2021 season. While Chahal may have some limitations in talent, he is one of the smartest bowlers in the league, and very daring as well. With clever tactics, he could be the perfect foil to his captain.