The second half of IPL 2021 is almost upon us as September 19th will stay witness to the unveiling of the fray that was halted due to a bubble breach that happened in the Indian phase of the tournament. The second half of the fray will kick off with a blockbuster clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
The first half of the tournament saw some extraordinary performances from a few players, a few of whom were expected to deliver more while the others were surprise additions. From the renowned likes of ABD and Maxwell to the unheralded monikers of Chetan Sakariya and Harshal Patel, the first half of the tournament came ablaze.
As we stutter into the second half of bio-bubble cricket in the Indian domestic extravaganza, there will be a lot of changes taking place. With a few significant names pulling out of the contention, the teams have signed new additions to their squad to fill the void left by the departing players.
In this story, we will take a quick look at five players who would shine in the second half of the tournament and this will not be based on the cumulative performances in the first half.
#1 Tim Seifert – Kolkata Knight Riders
With Pat Cummins out of the equation and confirmation about Eoin Morgan still to arrive, Kolkata Knight Riders may be compelled to field the hard-hitting Kiwi wicket-keeper. He has done a decent job for Trinbago Knight Riders in the ongoing CPL with scores of 23, 40 and 37. More importantly, he has a stellar strike rate of 133 in T20 internationals. As Kolkata has struggled to perform in the opening six overs, Seifert can change the complexion of KKR’s batting, especially with his dynamic strikes upfront.
#2 Tim David – Royal Challengers Bangalore
This man is a late addition to the already bedecked ranks of Royal Challengers Bangalore and going by his impressive statistics and recent performances, Tim David will be a big man to watch out for. While playing List A cricket for Surrey, he has managed a couple of centuries and an unbeaten half-century in August. Playing for St. Lucia Kings, Tim David has also chimed in with a couple of dazzling displays as he hammered a 28-ball-56 and a scintillating 43 in the following match. The man averages a sparkling 46.50 in T20 internationals with the bat in his hand while in domestic T20’s his average ranges at 35.69. More importantly, his strike rate reads a 155 plus in the shortest format of the game.
#3 Ravi Bishnoi – Punjab Kings
Rahul has introduced him late into the fray this time but he created an instant impact in the first half of IPL 2021 as he went on to bag 4 wickets from the 4 games that he has played. However, the most impressive factor about this youngster has been his economy rate which reads a magical 6.18 in the ongoing season. He was brilliant in UAE last time as he was almost unplayable. He also bagged 12 wickets in the preceding season, heralding the forthcoming of a budding talent.
#4 Kagiso Rabada – Delhi Capitals
Rabada lost his steam when IPL 2021 started in India, especially given the turning tracks of the sub-continent and the surfaces are a lot more conducive for the batters. However, as the fray has shifted back to UAE, Rabada will once be able to hurl those 150 plus deliveries, using the good length area to trouble the batters. He is a wicket-taker and will be raring to set things right on the bowling-friendly tracks of UAE, especially given his 30-wicket-haul in the preceding edition to bag the Purple Cap.
#5 David Warner – Sunrisers Hyderabad
Despite the altercation with the management before the tournament came to a sudden halt, the captaincy was removed from his shoulders giving him the freedom he used to play with instead of thinking about the team and station himself accordingly. He is a fearless striker of the ball and will prove to be crucial in otherwise difficult circumstances with an extra bit of turn, bounce and movement for the bowlers. When he plays without any shackles on him, he is an extremely dangerous batsman that bowlers avert facing.
