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In the present, James Anderson has submitted his name to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in anticipation of the IPL 2025 mega-auction. The veteran English player may have played his final 20-over match in August 2014, but that didn’t stop him from registering for the main event, which will be held in Jeddah on November 24 and 25. He has signed up for a base fee of INR 1.25 crore. The teams that could spark a bidding war for the game’s legend are listed below.
20-over cricket was thought to be a game for children when it first emerged as a contender for international status. It was expected that modern blood would dominate the format and that bowlers would not be able to be an active part of it for very long. Assumptions aside, the reality was very different from the projection.
It had something to offer everyone. In actuality, the game’s shortest format was what drew together a wide range of people to demonstrate their dynamic cricketing skills.
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The format’s beauty was so great that it went beyond age and experience, both when it was initially used in international cricket and when the Indian Premier League came along.
1) Kolkata Knight Riders
Harshit Rana, one of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ uncapped players, is still a young player despite having established himself as a consistent member of the team. Whether he makes his debut in the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy is still up in the air, and even if he does, he would still want assistance in order to obtain some helpful advice. Anderson would be ideal for Rana and any other young fast bowlers that KKR might add to their group as a player and bowling coach.
In addition to playing, Harbhajan Singh, a player who KKR acquired in 2021, provided support for the younger players. Only three of KKR’s 17 games during that specific campaign, in which they came in second, were played by him. With all the knowledge he has gained over his 22-year career with his nation and his time working as a bowling consultant for the team,
James Anderson would undoubtedly be a valuable source of advice.
The Eden Gardens is one of the few tracks that will undoubtedly help the pacers with the new ball when it is covered with green. Anderson would be a formidable opponent on the lush Kolkata surface if he were used as a new-ball bowler. It won’t come as a huge surprise if he emulates the same brilliance while at KKR, given his proficiency with the game’s longest format.
2) Rajasthan Royals
The Rajasthan Royals have a long history of favoring the acquisition of English players out of tradition. It is possible that Anderson, like some of his countrymen (Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Liam Livingstone), may find himself getting picked up by the Royals.
Anderson might be brought in as a player-cum-bowling coach by Rahul Dravid, the Royals’ head coach, and Kumar Sangakkara, their director of cricket. Given that Shane Bond will no longer be the head coach of the Paarl Royals for SA20 2025, there is a remote chance that Bond may also be fired as their bowling coach and assistant coach. This therefore creates an opportunity for Anderson to join the backstage crew.
The franchise’s mentor and brand ambassador was Shane Warne, the inaugural captain of RR, who guided the team to 31 victories in 56 games. The next Warne might very well be Anderson. Even if he is selected in the mega auction, Anderson might follow a similar path, however this is not to say that he would play as many games.
3) Chennai Super Kings
The Chennai Super Kings have a track record of selecting players with experience in their roster. Some examples supporting the aforementioned claim include Michael Hussey rejoining the IPL 2015 squad at the age of almost 40, Suresh Raina, who continued to play for CSK until the 2021 IPL, and Muttiah Muralitharan, who was signed up by CSK in the latter stages of his international career. The 42-year-old is undoubtedly one player that would entice the think tank to choose him.
When compared to some of the other venues, Chepauk has historically proven to be slower. It has been noted on multiple occasions that medium pacers have been somewhat difficult to get away with when they have pitched the ball on the “hard length.” Anderson’s slowness could be advantageous to both him and CSK.
The team has kept five players, including Matheesha Pathirana. In the past, he has had to cope with a number of problems with his shoulder and hamstrings. If Pathirana were to suffer an injury, Anderson would be the perfect backup to take his place.
India
