Alex Hales, who would be unaware of this name in the recent cricketing world, especially after this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022? The Englishman came in as a replacement for the injured Jason Roy just a month or so before they arrived for the World Cup. Having not been a part of their national side for quite some time now, not much was expected from Hales.
But by proving everything wrong and once again showing the power of class, Hales returned quite firmly to the English side with some brilliant knocks before entering the World Cup. Opening alongside skipper Josh Buttler, Hales is in no way an unconventional, street-smart cricketer like Buttler. He is rather more of a classic act with the bat, mostly playing shorts with his straight bat, but that doesn’t make him an orthodox cricketer; Alex Hales is a very modern cricketer with lots of shots in his pocket and his batting strike rate usually above 140.
Alex Hales has the potential to be the highest bidder and earn big bucks in this year’s mini-auction 2022 due to his recent blazing form and current status as a match-winner following his magnificent innings in the World Cup semi-final against India.
Many teams are in the hunt for an in-form top-order batsman to set the stage by taking on the bowlers in the powerplay. Hales can be the man they can rely on.
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad
As per reports, the Sunrisers are expected to part ways with their captain and opening batsman, Kane Williamson. With his departure, the Orange Army would be looking for an opener to begin their innings alongside the young Abhishek Sharma, who opened for them in the last edition and proved to be effective. Fulfilling such requirements, Alex Hales would be a perfect match to match the standards of the departing skipper.
With lots of batting in Markram, Glenn Philips, and Pooran to come down the order, Alex Hales would be the one capitalizing on the powerplay overs. Therefore, the Sunrisers would be a definite bidder for the Englishman.
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
The Knights had their trust in Hales even in the last edition of the IPL when they picked him up for their squad; however, it was the Englishman who withdrew from the tournament.
The struggling KKR batting would love to have an explosive, in-form opener to open their innings who can capitalize on the powerplay as well as take on the bowling in the middle overs, and Hales’ current form matches that.
Therefore, the Englishman could be an important pick for the KKR side to provide some semblance to their batting order.
1. Rajasthan Royals
One would definitely find this startling to see the team with the strongest batting lineup in the hunt for an opening batsman. With their opening batsman having more than 850 runs to his name, why would a team go for another overseas opener?
The answer to this is in England’s recent batting scorecard against India in the WC semi-final 2022. The duo of these two in-form Englishmen can do it all for the Royals. With Buttler in their lineup, the Royals will be looking forward to including Alex Hales, making their batting invincible among all.
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