New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel created history on Saturday, becoming only the third bowler in Test history to claim all ten wickets in an innings. Patel achieved the rarest of the rare feat on day two of the Test match against India in Mumbai on Saturday. He added the remaining six scalps after claiming all four Indian wickets to fall on day one of the Test match at Wankhede stadium. Patel dismissed India’s centurion Mayank Agarwal for 150 and claimed Mohammed Siraj as his 10th victim. In the wake of the 33-year-old’s incredible achievement, we take a look at five Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises who could be keen to pick the Kiwi.
Mumbai Indians
Life will come a full circle for Patel if he gets picked up Mumbai Indians (MI), the most successful IPL franchise. The left-arm spinner, who was born in Mumbai, claimed 10 wickets in a Test in the city of his birth. And what better than playing IPL for MI? If we look at the list of Mumbai’s retained players, they have kept back skipper Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, batter Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Kieron Pollard. They had a leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya and off-spinner Jayant Yadav among their slow bowling options in IPL 2021. Ajaz could be a good addition to the MI squad in IPL 2022.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have banked upon seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to deliver the goods over the past few years. However, Chahal has not been retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2022 auction as the two parties could not agree upon a mutually beneficial financial deal. RCB have not had to look elsewhere all these years since Chahal was omnipresent. However, things have changed now. Shahbaz Ahmed was the only other decent spin option RCB had in their IPL 2021 squad, but he, too, has been released. Hence, RCB could be among the franchises that target Ajaz at the mega auction.
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals have struggled in all departments of the game over the last few seasons. Briefly, they had an impressive spin attack. Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal had a couple of very good seasons, while Rahul Tewatia also chipped in with some good performances. However, these players could not make much of an impact in IPL 2021. It wasn’t surprising then that RR released both Gopal and Tewatia. In fact, the struggling franchise retained only three players – captain Sanju Samson, wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler and young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Any team that wants to do well in the IPL must have a good spinner. Hence, RR must look to target Ajaz.
Punjab Kings
Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was among the few bright spots for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a hugely disappointing IPL 2021 campaign. He picked up 12 wickets in nine matches at an excellent economy rate of 6.34. However, PBKS have not retained him ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. They have only retained opener Mayank Agarwal and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. PBKS would be desperate to have a good spinner in their ranks. With a purse of INR 72 crore remaining, they can go after Ajaz at the mega auction.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Although Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finished last in IPL 2021, they had arguably the best T20 spinner in Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. The versatile cricketer impressed yet again, claiming 18 wickets in 14 matches at an excellent economy rate of 6.69. SRH were keen on retaining Rashid, but like Chahal with RCB, a deal couldn’t be struck between Hyderabad and the leg-spinner. SRH retained Kane Williamson, all-rounder Abdul Samad and pacer Umran Malik. While Samad can bowl decent leg-breaks, SRH would seek a quality spinner’s services. Could Ajaz be the answer to their spin woes?