As of 2022, the Indian Premier League (IPL) will have two additional franchises, giving players from ICC associate member nations a strong chance to make it to an IPL team. In terms of fame and money, the IPL auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13 could make or break several careers.
Last year’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, one of the most sought-after cricket tournaments in 2021 by bettors at online bookies and casinos with sportsbooks at TopCasinoExpert.com, gave some cricketers from associate nations valuable experience. Namibian pacer Ruben Trumpelmann might be a hot signing, being one of the players from his country, but also from Scotland and Ireland, who attracted the eye and could fit in the IPL-style tournament where bowlers count a lot. For the IPL 2022 mega auction in Bengaluru, 41 players from 8 associate nations have registered their names. Five of these 41 are Namibians, who had a fantastic run in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. There are as many as 14 players from the United States, which is quite unusual but encouraging.
Namibia Is the Center of Attention
Surprisingly, Bhutan, Scotland, and Oman have each registered a player for the IPL mega auction in 2022. Let’s not forget Nepal, which has also applied with a lot of players, namely 15.
But here, we’ll focus on Namibia, a small African country with a population of 2.54 million people, which made history when they qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup Super-12 stage last year. While the identities of the registered players have yet to be released, left-handed bowler Ruben Trumpelmann is believed to be one of the Namibians set for snatching. The 23-year-old South African-born became the first bowler in T20 International to capture three wickets in the first over of a match, impressing everyone with his pace and toe-crushing yorkers at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. With prominent players like Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, and Jofra Archer opting out of the IPL 2022, Trumpelmann might be the first Namibian to sign an IPL deal.
The Stimulus for the USA
The IPL has a long history with the United States. Several former IPL players are presently playing cricket in the United States. Now, Sunny Sohail, Rusty Theron, Corey Anderson, and Unmukt Chand are all expected to participate in the 2018 IPL auction.
When Ali Khan was hired by the Kolkata Knight Riders to replace the injured Harry Gurney last year, he became the first American cricketer to sign an IPL contract. However, Khan didn’t play a single game due to an injury that forced him to withdraw midway through the season.
With international superstars ready to light up the United States when they co-host the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup with the West Indies, the IPL 2022 could be a method to popularize cricket in the country.
O’Dowd’s Plea to IPL Officials Bore Fruit
After his plea for the IPL’s decision-makers went viral last year, Maxwell O’Dowd might be the only Dutch player to have registered for the IPL 2022 mega auction. He tweeted: “Thoughts on teams in the IPL having two spots for associate players? Long shot but a guy can dream.”
There have been times in the past when players from associate nations have achieved great success in the IPL. Two such players are Dutch all-rounder Ryan Ten Doeschate and Nepali leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. When Ten Doeschate joined with the Kolkata Knight Riders, he became the first associate cricketer to sign an IPL deal. From 2011 through 2015, he remained in the ‘City of Joy’, winning the title twice. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Lamichhane was a member of the Delhi Capitals.
Chirag Suri from the United Arab Emirates played for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions, while the Singapore national team member Timothy Hays David, who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL 2021 UAE leg, was the most recent associate player.
The IPL 2022 Player Registration period ended on January 20, with a total of 1,214 players (896 Indians and 318 foreigners) registering to participate in the player auction.
Country-by-country list in alphabetical order of registered players for IPL Auction 2022:
- Afghanistan – 20
- Australia – 59
- Bangladesh – 9
- England – 30
- Ireland – 3
- New Zealand – 29
- South Africa – 48
- Sri Lanka – 36
- West Indies – 41
- Zimbabwe – 2
- Bhutan – 1
- Namibia – 5
- Nepal – 15
- Netherlands -1
- Oman – 3
- Scotland – 1
- UAE – 1
- USA – 14