Michael Bracewell, a New Zealand all-rounder, nearly pulled off a heist on Wednesday (January 18) in Hyderabad with his amazing 140-run innings in the first ODI against India.
The Kiwis were struggling at 131/6 and facing an early defeat when they were asked to chase down a total of 350. Rebuilding the Kiwi innings fell to Michael Bracewell, who was brought in. He accomplished more than just that, working with vice-captain Mitchell Santner.
Bracewell introduced himself to the Indian crowd with a stunning innings, albeit he had produced a few clutch hits back in New Zealand.
The left-hander destroyed the Indian bowlers with his precise strike and a top-notch counterattack.
During his trip, Bracewell hit ten maximums and 12 boundaries. The southpaw continued to drive along the borders to reduce the equation from the previous over's needed number to 20.
Even though he hit Shardul Thakur for a six off the opening ball of the 50th over, India's bowler had the last laugh and won the match when he was caught in front of the stumps on the following delivery. With a victory, New Zealand would have achieved great feats but were only 12 runs short.
Usually, when a foreign player does well against India in an international match, the IPL franchises become sufficiently interested in signing them. Michael Bracewell must be disappointed that the IPL 2023 auction was held a month ago.
He was one of the 991 players who signed up for the IPL mini-auction in 2023. However, none of the franchises requested that Bracewell's name be made public, so the 31-year-old wasn't able to find a replacement.
It is easy to assume that some IPL franchises made a mistake by failing to bid for Michael Bracewell during the mini-auction in Kochi given how well he has performed for New Zealand in previous seasons across formats.
Let's look at three IPL teams that might have regretted passing up Michael Bracewell in the IPL 2023 Auction.
Gujarat Titans
The Gujarat Titans (GT)' dependable bowling attack helped them win the IPL in a dramatic fashion during their maiden season. Once more, GT's bowling staff seems to be their most effective tool, but their batting lineup might be the weakest of all the organizations.
Despite the addition of Kane Williamson and KS Bharat to their top order, Hardik Pandya and David Miller will once again have the burden of score frequently and regularly.
If Gujarat had bid for Bracewell at the auction, the left-hander would have not only given Pandya and Miller a cushion but also complemented Rashid Khan with his cunning off-spin.
Chennai Super Kings
Michael Bracewell would have been a great addition to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team even though they already have a number of all-rounders.
Bracewell would have improved the four-time champions since he was a versatile player without any financial baggage.
The better course of action for CSK would have been to fire Mitchell Santner and bring in his Kiwi counterpart, Michael Bracewell. Even though Santner is more methodical with the ball than Bracewell is, the latter's batting skills are much stronger than those of the left-arm spinner.
Moeen Ali, who has been and will continue to play a key role for CSK in subsequent editions, may have made an excellent backup for Bracewell.
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals is one of the teams that will enter the competition needing to address a few difficulties (DC).
Rishabh Pant will not play in the IPL this season as a result of his sad automobile accident. The Delhi-based team will now need to seek for wicket-keepers to replace Pant in addition to being without a chosen skipper.
However, DC appear to be weak in terms of their lower order and suffer from a long tail issue.
If Rovman Powell falters, the team will be forced to depend on Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel, and Axar Patel to put the game away in the extra innings. Michael Bracewell would have been helpful in that situation for the team led by Ricky Ponting.
They could have acquired an effective finisher at a low cost if they had invested in Bracewell, who has clean striking skills.
Would this 3 team survive even Michael Bracewell didn't part of their team?
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