The Delhi Capitals (DC) failed to qualify for the playoffs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time since 2019. Despite having big players like David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, and Anrich Nortje, the franchise underperformed. DC signed prominent players like as Manish Pandey, Phil Salt, and Rilee Rossouw at the mini-auction 2023 to ensure a great campaign this year.
At the occasion, the franchise stunned auction goers by paying INR 5.50 crore for Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar. The bowler is well-known in domestic cricket but has no IPL experience. This year, he performed well for Bengal in a handful of domestic competitions, catching the attention of the franchise. However, in the same events, various other bowlers shown their talent and assisted their teams in doing well. For the Capitals, they may have been better possibilities than Kumar, given several of them have also played a lot of league cricket.
Here are three players that DC should have chosen instead of Mukesh Kumar.
Number 1. Shivam Mavi
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Gujarat Titans (GT) signed Shivam Mavi for INR 6 crore at the mini-auction to bolster their bowling lineup. The teenager failed to impress the previous year, picking up five scalps in six games at a dismal economy of 10.32. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released him in November 2022 because to his poor bowling performance.
Last October-November, the pacer competed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23, taking 10 wickets in seven matches at an economy of 6.64. The 24-year-old has shown his bowling abilities in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With 14 wickets in seven matches at an economy of 4.15, he became Uttar Pradesh’s leading wicket-taker.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Gujarat Titans (GT), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) all sought him during the auction after seeing his form. However, given Mukesh Kumar’s present form, DC should have chosen the gifted speedster over him. The Uttar Pradesh bowler has played in four IPL tournaments, making him more bankable than the Bengal bowler. He made his international debut this year in a T20I series against Sri Lanka. Mavi collected four wickets in three matches in his first series, with an economy of 9.00.
Number 2. Sandeep Sharma
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Punjab Kings (PBKS) dropped certain names before to the 2023 IPL auction owing to their poor performance in the previous season. Sandeep Sharma, who played five games in IPL 2022 and took just two wickets at an economy of 7.65, was also dropped by the club.
Sharma submitted his name at the mini-auction with a starting bid of INR 50 lakh. However, the veteran did not sell at the event since no franchise was interested in him. Despite playing 10 IPL seasons, he was unable to gain the faith of any purchasers in order to be included in the future season. The 29-year-old has taken 114 wickets in 104 IPL appearances at an economy rate of 7.77.
With excellent bowling figures and much experience, he deserved to be purchased at auction. For such a large sum, the pacer in the DC team may have been more trustworthy than the inexperienced Mukesh Kumar. He was outstanding with the ball for Chandigarh this season. He took 10 wickets at an outstanding economy of 5.69 in six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23 matches.
Number 3. Vidhwath Kaverappa
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Vidhwath Kaverappa, a Karnataka bowler, had a wonderful year in 2022 when he was awarded for his outstanding performance in the 2022-23 season. Punjab Kings (PBKS) selected the young gun in the IPL auction for his base price of INR 20 lakh. Kaverappa looked fantastic with the white ball throughout the current domestic season.
In eight Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23 matches, the kid claimed 18 scalps. With these figures, he became the tournament’s second-leading wicket-taker. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the 23-year-old maintained his success, taking 17 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 3.53.
Given his outstanding bowling performances, PBKS did not hesitate to contract him for the next IPL season. However, given DC’s investment in Mukesh Kumar, who was economical for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23, he might have been a better buy. In the white-ball format, Kaverappa’s recent numbers are better than Kumar’s.
