IPL 2022 auction: Why top overseas spinners not high on IPL teams' lists anymore

Thirteen wickets, seven matches and an economy rate of 5.81 to finish second in the most wicket-takers in the last ICC T20 World Cup played in UAE. Going by these statistics, one would think that the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises would gun to acquire this bowler for their ranks. But it didn't happen as Australian leggie Adam Zampa went unsold in the two-day mega auction.

England's Adil Rashid, another specialist spinner, who claimed nine wickets to finish among the Top 10 wicket-takers in the T20 World Cup, was ignored by the IPL teams. Former World No. 1 South African Tabraiz Shamsi, currently ranked second in the ICC T20I ranking for bowlers, also did not attract any bids. Ex-Proteas leggie Imran Tahir faced similar dejection.

New IPL trend

This lends itself to a trend witnessed at the IPL auction that suggests overseas specialist spinners are not high on IPL teams' list anymore.

Zampa was considered one of the crucial cogs in the Royal Challengers Bangalore set up. Tahir was the highest wicket-taker in the 2019 IPL with 26 scalps for Chennai Super Kings.

After speaking to several IPL team insiders it has emerged that spinners upset the balance of the team. "There are multiple reasons and one of them is that, as per our data, an overseas specialist spinner does not lend a good balance to your team. With just four overseas players allowed in the XI, the template is pretty clear for the teams: two overseas batsmen and two fast bowlers.

Finishers needed

"Generally, there is no good finisher among the Indian players, so the IPL teams are always on the lookout for a foreign player who can seal games for them. The other spot that the teams look to fill in is an overseas pacer.

"If we play an overseas spinner in the XI, then the team will have to compromise on either a batsman or a fast bowler. And no team would like to start their campaign in a compromised manner," explained an IPL insider in a chat with mid-day.

The reason why ICC World No.1 T20I leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka made RCB break the bank to acquire him for a whopping R10.75 crore was his ability to bat. He was also an ideal replacement for Zampa.

Ditto with Afghanistan leggie Rashid Khan, who was one of the three picks for new entrant Gujarat Titans. Apart from being an exceptional spinner, Rashid has displayed the ability to hit some lusty blows lower down the order. And the team can easily bank on Rashid to bowl four tight overs on a consistent basis.

It is also important to understand what may work in a T20 international team set up may not do wonders in franchise cricket and vice-versa.

"One cannot compare the records at the international level. A bowler could be ranked No.1, but the opponents are sometimes not up to the desired level or the competition would be slightly below par as some important players in the line-up would be missing. Whereas in franchisee cricket, like in the IPL, all matches and opponents are equally strong. There are no easy runs or wickets as the standard is very high, sometimes better than the international level. So, the IPL teams look at all these parameters before bidding for a player," said a team official.
Another factor why top overseas leggies returned empty-handed from the IPL auction was the fact that Indian leg spinners are now equally good enough.

"Indian leg spinners like Rahul Chahar, Mayank Markande and Rahul Tewatia are performing excellently, and when you have Indian spinners doing well, then why invest in a foreign spinner who will also upset the team balance?" remarked an IPL team source.

High base price?

The base price too plays an important role. Zampa, Tahir and Rashid kept their base price at R2 crore, while Shamsi's base price was R1 crore. "If you have a high base price, then many teams are likely to think twice unless you are high on the franchisee's priority list. In most cases, it is seen if the base price is a little lower, then the teams are not reluctant to open the bidding for you," explained the source.