Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)
Ace Australia leg spinner Adam Zampa has been one of the most effective bowlers in the shortest format of the game. However, Rajasthan Royals (RR) team management and its fans were dealt with a huge setback just a day before the commencement of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). The star Australian spinner pulled out of the tournament citing personal reasons. The 2008 IPL winners were already without the services of the star Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna due to injury woes.
Subsequently, in a fresh development, RR named the talented youngster Tanush Kotian as the replacement for the Australian. The Mumbai-based player took everyone by surprise after he scored a century in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy 2024 against Baroda. Besides, he also bowled well and took wickets consistently which helped his side to emerge as the champions. As a result, Rajasthan have rewarded him with a dream come true moment of sharing the stage with legends of the game in the IPL.
Speaking of Adam Zampa’s bowling prowess, the cunning leggie has picked 299 wickets from 257 T20 games and 29 wickets from 20 IPL matches. Notably, his best bowling figures of 6/19 came during his stint with the Rising Pune Supergiants under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. Hence, replacing a player with such a vast experience surely posed a challenge for RR. In the same vein, let us discuss the potential players who would have been a good fit to make up for Zampa’s exit apart from young Kotian.
Here are the three players who can be Adam Zampa’s replacement in IPL 2024:
3. Qais Ahmed (Afghanistan)
Qais Ahmad (Photo Source -Twitter/X)
Young Afghanistan leg spinner Qais Ahmed remains a mystery as the youngster is yet to get a taste of the Indian Premier League action. With 174 wickets from 153 games, Ahmed is already a force to be reckoned with. Hence the talented spinner could have been an ideal replacement for Adam Zampa.
Also Read: IPL 2024: Rajasthan Royals’ woes continue as star spinner Adam Zampa pulls out due to personal reasons
The 23-year-old boasts of an incredible ability to vary his pace at will. Apart from that the young Afghan bowler also possesses a lethal faster one and can bowl a mean bouncer to bamboozle the batters. Therefore, to keep an element of mystery for the IPL sides, Rajasthan Royals may have given second thoughts on this lesser-known spinner to keep their opponents guessing.
2. Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa)
Tabraiz Shamsi. (Photo Source: Twitter)
South African left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi is a proven commodity in the white ball formats. Rajasthan Royals could not have found a better like-for-like replacement to replace Adam Zampa ahead of the IPL 2024 season. Shamsi has already played in the IPL which would have meant that he could have transitioned into the side with past exploits in the tournament.
However, if the 34-year-old gets one more chance he will be more than hungry to grab the opportunity that comes his way. With a total of 289 wickets from 251 games and an economy rate of 7.38, Tabraiz Shamsi would have been an apt choice in place of Tanush Kotian in the IPL 2024.
1. Ish Sodhi (New Zealand)
Ish Sodhi. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
Rajasthan Royals could have head back into their past team archives in a bid to sign a replacement for Adam Zampa. The bowler in question was none other than Ish Sodhi who already played for the Jaipur-based franchise. Speaking of his IPL experience so far, the willy leg spinner from New Zealand has featured in eight games till now.
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During these games, Sodhi picked up nine wickets with an economy rate of 6.7 runs per over. Notably, Ish Sodhi is also a decent batter with one half-century in his T20 career. Hence, roping in Sodhi in place of Kotian may have provided a more balanced side to skipper Sanju Samson, given his past association with the franchise along with being an experienced campaigner under pressure situations in the international circuit as well.