IPL 2021 Auction: Top five wicket-keeper batsmen to watch out for
Wicket-keepers are the beating heart of every team. Be it setting the field, giving advice to the team members or infusing energy into the team, they have a lot on their plate. The keepers generally tend to have a better understanding of the game after spending hours behind the stumps. From Mark Boucher, Adam Gilchrist to MS Dhoni, the Indian Premier League has seen some incredible wicketkeeper-batsman over the years. Let us take a look at the top five wicket-keeper batsmen who can break the bank in the IPL auction.
Glenn Phillips
The 24-year-old Kiwi, known for his audacious stroke-making, has been earmarked as one of the brightest young prospects. He came into prominence after scoring the fastest T20I century for New Zealand against West Indies in November last year. The wicketkeeper-batsman has consistently been among the runs in franchise cricket. He has scored a total of 1147 runs in the last three editions of CPL. Nobody has scored runs more than him in the last three years of the Caribbean League. The statistics just shows us how much of a value he brings to the team. Add his keeping skills into the mix, there is no doubt that teams will be eager to splurge big on him in the IPL auction.
Alex Carey
Alex Carey has been the first choice wicketkeeper for Australia in white-ball cricket for the last 18 months. Apart from his safe pair of hands behind the wickets, the 29-year-old is also capable of delivering match-winning knocks with the willow. His batting proficiencies were on display in the BBL 10 when he slammed a 62-ball century against Brisbane Heat. A striking feature of the Australian has been his ability to adapt - from someone who plays a perfect foil, to one who can offset any bowling attack.
Sam Billings
The young and promising Sam Billings is currently in the best form of his career. His spectacular performance in the home series against Australia helped him make a case for himself in England's limited-overs setup. He accumulated 183 runs at an average of 61 in just 3 matches, which also included a century. With a lot of teams lacking players who can score at a fair clip in the middle overs, Billings might attract multiple bidders at the auction table.
Kusal Perera
The Sri Lankan southpaw has impressed as an aggressive opener. Several cricket enthusiasts have seen some shades of Sanath Jayasuriya in him. The keeper-batsman has orchestrated several match-defining knocks for Sri Lanka across all three formats. The unbeaten 153 against a formidable South Africa attack stands out amongst all his knocks. His single-handed heroics with the bat was widely appreciated by the cricket fraternity. Ever since that day, his stature has only grown bigger.
Arun Karthik
The streets can never forget Arun Karthick's last-ball six against South Australia Redbacks in the 2011 Champions League T20. While that knock may easily be his most-remembered, the keeper-batsman proved that he still has it in him during his 54-ball unbeaten 89 in semi-finals of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021. He played a pivotal role in Tamil Nadu's victorious SMAT campaign, scoring 163 runs at a strike rate of 141.73 in just 6 innings. Given that the franchisees have preferred experienced solid Indian keepers in their ranks, Arun Karthik will be a valuable addition to any team.
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