Indian T20 League 2023: Top 3 Keeper-Batters to watch out for

The world’s best T20 League auction is set to take place in Kochi, Kerala, on the 23rd of December, 2022. All ten franchises will bid high to build the best team this year. There are 273 Indian players and 132 overseas out of 405 players. Also, this list includes the total number of 119 Capped and 282 Uncapped players, along with four associate nations players. A maximum of 87 players will be selected by teams, out of which 30 slots are reserved for overseas players.

The auction will be divided into 43 sets based on Batters, Bowlers, Keepers, and All-Rounder. In the first set, you will see the bid for batters, the second for all-rounders, and the third for Keepers. 

This list will show who can be the three most-priced Keepers for set 3. The top names are Tom Banton, Heinrich Klaasen, Litton Das, Nicholas Pooran, Phil Salt, and Kusal Mendis. Have a look and see who will be the most expensive wicket-keeper for the upcoming Indian T20 League edition:

• Nicholas Pooran

Former Windies limited overs captain Nicholas Pooran is among the most talented young wicket-keeper batters. He has a strike rate of 129 in T20 International cricket and 151 in the Indian T20 League. But, unfortunately, this year, he had a disastrous World Cup campaign as captain where the two times T20 World champions could not qualify for the main round and were knocked out against Ireland.

However, this campaign will not justify his massive hitting ability, as he has terrific stats when it comes to league cricket. For instance, in the recent T10 league in Abu Dhabi, he scored 345 runs in 10 matches with an average of 49.28 and a strike rate of 234.69 for the DG team.

Pooran’s 2021 season in the Indian T20 League was tragic. He was unable to perform according to his repo. He scored only 85 Runs in 12 matches with a poor strike rate of 7.72 and a strike rate of just 111.84. In the recent edition, He scored just 306 Runs in 14 games for the Hyderabad Team. Pooran puts his name in the League for the base price of ₹2 Crore. Despite having two mediocre seasons, he could have a great auction.

• Heinrich Klaasen

South Africa’s six-hitting keeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen has only played 30 ODIs and 30 T20Is since his debut in 2018. However, Klaasen has an exceptional record against India on Indian Soil and can be an excellent pick for any team. He has a strike rate of 146.79 in the International T20 and 115.79 in the Indian T20 League. However, his strike rate in the league will not show his ability, as he has only played seven matches. The recent Indian tour of South Africa has been great for Klaasen, as he scored 134 runs with an average of 69 in three ODIs. 

Klaasen put his name under ₹1 Crore prize base, and there’s a high possibility that many teams will run for this star South African Keeper.

• Phil Salt

Phil Salt, a sprinting wicketkeeper-batter for England, is one of the most potent batters in the T20 format. Even with the few opportunities, he has played for England, Salt has had a big impression. He has an excellent rate with a 132.24 strike rate in ODIs and 102 fifties. The right-handed Keeper-Batsmen had a terrific T20 Debut against the West Indies, where he scored half a ton (57) in just 27 balls. Recently, he hammered 88* in just 41 deliveries against Pakistan at Lahore in September.

Salt put his name under the bracket of ₹2 Crore; undoubtedly, he can be the most expensive pick for this edition’s Keeper Batsmen List.

These top keeper batsmen could be ‘eye candy’ for many teams. Follow every live update on the Real 11 app. Download now.