West Indies star Jason Holder will be one of the most in-demand all-rounders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 Mega Auction. It is set to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.
Jason Holder is among 34 players from the Caribbean who have registered for the auction. West Indies all-rounder has listed himself at a base price of Indian Rupee 1.5 crore.
He is also in terrific form, having powered the West Indies to victory in the series decider against England as he took four wickets in four balls in the final T20 International (T20I).
Holder was one of the bright sparks for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2021 amidst an otherwise torrid campaign. He played eight matches, picking up 16 wickets for SRH. However, he didn’t have the best of the seasons with the bat. he was released by SRH, meaning he will go into the player pool for the IPL 2022 auction.
Holder has a total of 35 wickets in 26 IPL matches, while in T20 Internationals (T20Is), he has 38 wickets in 35 matches. With the bat, he strikes at 123.58 in T20Is and at 121.15 in the IPL.
Here are three IPL teams that may target Jason Holder in the IPL auction 2022
#1 Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals retained Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, meaning they have to build their bowling attack from scratch now.
The Royals had Chris Morris last season as their bowling all-rounder and may look to go after him again. However, if they are not able to secure his services, Jason Holder will provide them with a good alternative.
Even if they do get Morris or another all-rounder, Holder is a quality backup player to have for that role.
Having him down the order will also allow the likes of Buttler, Jaiswal and Samson to play more freely at the top.
#2 Chennai Super Kings
That Jason Holder is a very talented cricketer is a known fact. Although he may not be the greatest player in the shortest format of the game, he could fit the bill at Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
CSK had Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo as their pace-bowling all-rounders. If they don’t manage to secure the services of both of them at the IPL auction, they may be tempted to go for Jason Holder.
Many a career has been revived under the shrewd and astute leadership of MS Dhoni, and with Holder, it would be no exception.
Holder’s instinct of batting deep and going for the kill in the final overs is also something that suits Dhoni’s philosophy. He may well be a good fit for the defending IPL champions.
CSK retained Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad. This leaves plenty of scope for a fast-bowling all-rounder to be brought in at the auction.
The @ChennaiIPL retention list is out! 👌
Take a look! 👇#VIVOIPLRetention pic.twitter.com/3uyOJeabb6
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 30, 2021
#3 Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings have just retained Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh and will have to do a total overhaul of their squad at the IPL 2022 auction. They have the largest remaining purse for the big event and are sure to go after some big names.
Jason Holder will provide good all-round value to them, while also giving them a captaincy option.
KL Rahul had been their star player for the last four seasons and captain for the last three. He has been let go of, leaving a void not only as a premier batter, but also in leadership. Holder, who has captained the West Indies to good effect in the past, can help fill that void.
Here's the @PunjabKingsIPL retention list 👍#VIVOIPLRetention pic.twitter.com/ABl5TWLFhG
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 30, 2021
#4 Royal Challengers Bangalore
15 wickets in five matches at an average of 9.60 🤯
A well-deserved Player of the Series award for Jason Holder 👏 #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/DOCtcnaxFm
— ICC (@ICC) January 31, 2022
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) like to have a fast-bowling all-rounder and with their previous recruits Kyle Jamieson and Chris Morris not available, Holder is a good bet for them.
With Virat Kohli having stepped down as captain, Holder may even be a good option to lead the team while they groom a younger player for the role.
Holder could be a good partner for Md Siraj with the new ball, and he has also improved his bowling at the death, which RCB will be looking at.
Holder could also be a floater with the bat, coming in early to stabilize in case of a top order collapse or freeing his arms at the death to utilize his six-hitting abilities.
Overall, the lanky all-rounder and RCB may be a great fit for each other.