The IPL 2020 begins in UAE from September 13.
Originally, the tournament was supposed to happen from March 29 in India, but the rampant Coronavirus pandemic forced it to be postponed indefinitely. After the ICC was also forced to postpone the T20 World Cup in Australia due to COVID-19, the BCCI found a window to host the T20 league in UAE, which has the pandemic under control.
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The last time IPL happened outside India was in 2014, when the first half of the tournament had to be played in UAE and saw the bowlers giving the batsmen some rough time, given the dry pitches aiding the spinners, while early juice helping the pacers.
That is why Team COC takes a look at five bowlers who can potentially end up as the highest wicket-takers in the tournament.
Here are the COC predicted top 5 wicket-takers in upcoming IPL 13
PAT CUMMINS (KKR)
Cummins has 17 wickets in 16 matches so far in the IPL and has been the no.1 Test bowler in ICC rankings for quite some time. Cummins, who made his return to cricket in 2017 after a six-year break, has been amongst wickets across formats for Australia.
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Cummins has been very good with the ball and KKR will hope that he performs the role of leader of the pace attack in the upcoming IPL in UAE, where the franchise did well the last time it played in 2014. His pace, experience, and variety of bowling make him a top candidate for ending up as one of the highest wicket-takers in IPL 2020.
IMRAN TAHIR (CSK)
Known for his extravagant celebrations after picking up a wicket, Tahir is a master when it comes to buying wickets and his arsenal has every trick possible for the leg-spinner to succeed. The 41-year-old has played in almost every T20 league in the world and has extensive experience of playing in UAE.
The leggie has 79 wickets in 55 matches overall in IPL and will be looking forward to adding more given the assistance the UAE pitches provide to the spinners. He will also have a smart captain in MS Dhoni to aid him from behind the stumps.
RASHID KHAN (SRH)
The 21-year-old’s fast version of leg-spin has bamboozled the best of the batsmen and he will be crucial for David Warner and SRH franchise if they want to repeat their IPL 2016 success. Rashid is also a handy lower-order batsman, but it’s his spin which will give SRH an edge over others.
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All have seen him making the batsmen dance to his spin and the surfaces in the UAE at the Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah will assist him in making sure SRH advances on the path of winning the tournament.
YUZVENDRA CHAHAL (RCB)
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Chahal has been RCB skipper Virat Kohli’s go-to man whenever he needs wickets at crunch situations and more often than not, Chahal delivers. He will have the benefit of playing in big stadiums this time in UAE and on spin-friendly pitches as well, which should encourage him to do well.
Chahal’s success will be instrumental for the success of a batting-heavy side like RCB, who are chasing their maiden IPL title.
JASPRIT BUMRAH (MI)
He and Malinga have formed a lethal combination for MI in death overs with Bumrah ready to take over when the time comes. He has 82 wickets in 77 matches in IPL and it has been his ability to bowl yorkers with pace whenever he wants.
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Last time when IPL was played in the UAE, Mumbai Indians had lost all the five matches they played here. Bumrah has been an amazing asset for the MI team over the years and this time they will be looking forward to his performance helping them defend the IPL title.