Mumbai Indians gave Indian cricket what they had been craving for a long time – a proper seam-bowling all-rounder in Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder has had his ups and downs in his journey that started in 2015 when he was bought for only INR 10 lakh after the excellent scouting by MI.
Pandya has played a crucial role in Mumbai’s last four IPL title wins, and in the IPL 2022, after being released by the franchise, led the Gujarat Titans to the title in the franchise’s debut season.
All-rounders are really vital for any T20 side as they contribute in both batting and bowling departments.
The IPL 2023 auction is less than a week away, and there are a few all-rounders that will be brought up to be sold in the auction and who could well be the next Hardik Pandya.
Here are 3 Indian seam-bowling all-rounders who can get handsome contracts at the IPL 2023 auction:
Prerak Mankad
Prerak Mankad, the Saurashtra all-rounder, was with Punjab Kings last season. PBKS had bought him for his base price of INR 20 lakh, but was released after playing in just one game – wherein he hit a boundary off the only ball he faced – and now the 28-year-old will enter the IPL 2023 auction.
Prerak Mankad is a right-handed middle-order batsman and a seam bowler. He has an impressive T20 domestic record: in 42 T20s, Mankad averages 30 with the bat and scores at a strike rate of 142; with the ball, he’s taken 22 wickets while maintaining a decent economy of 8.53.
Mankad’s name has been going around in the domestic circuit – he has experience of 37 FC and 53 List-A matches – and the all-rounder could expect decent bids for himself at the IPL 2023 auction.
Manoj Bhandage
A precocious all-rounder, Manoj Bhandage is expected to be picked up for much more than just his base price. The 24-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder is learned to have impressed everyone; he is a belligerent striker of the ball, as advocated by his strike rate of 154 in 16 T20 matches he’s played for Karnataka. Bhandage also has 8 wickets to show with his power-hitting abilities.
Not too long ago, in the quarter-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022, Bhandage smashed 25 runs off 9 deliveries to ace the chase of 226 against Punjab. Bhandage built a great reputation in the Karnatak Premier League when the tournament was active.
Atit Sheth
Baroda all-rounder Atit Sheth is also likely to be picked up in the upcoming IPL 2023 auction. A right-handed batsman and a right-arm pacer, 26-year-old Atit recently got a call-up to the India A team and played against Bangladesh A in a red-ball game.
In 45 T20 matches, the pace-bowling all-rounder has taken 57 wickets while mainting a frugal economy of 7.5, and also averages 25 with the bat. Sheth has a 5-wicket haul and a 4-wicket haul to boast in the T20 format. He has been a star in FC cricket for Baroda, picking 88 wickets in 28 FC matches to go with close to 1000 runs.
