IPL 2022 | Wanindu Hasaranga will be a out-of-the-box pick in the mega auction, says Aakash Chopra

IPL 2022 will feature 10 teams as Lucknow Supergiants and Ahmedabad are the two new teams added to the roster. Also there will be a mega auction on February 12 and 13 ahead of the upcoming IPL season. A total of 590 players have made the final list for the auction. Teams would have been started building strategy for the upcoming season and will try to build core through the auction. The discussion over potential picks has also started. 

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra is of the opinion that Wanindu Hasaranga will be an out-of-the box pick in the upcoming mega auction. 

“This is an out-of-the-box pick. If I was sitting at the auction table, I would go for Wanindu Hasaranga. He is a brilliant player of spin, he's your four-over bank. He would come in the middle and bowl four overs. He can even bowl with the new ball. RCB got him cheaply but they didn't use him. But RCB does that, so I'm not surprised or perturbed. But he should play,” Chopra said on his Youtube channel.

“Franchises should spend on him. For ₹4-5 crores, he would be a good overseas option. He's a bowler, a batter, a fielder. He's got the temperament to succeed in T20 cricket. I've no doubt in mind that if someone has strategized the auction and Hasaranga's name comes at the right time, there should be money spent on him.”

Sri Lanka’s another player Dushmantha Chameera will also participate in the mega auction. Chameera is yet to play in the IPL and will be looking for an opportunity to make debut in the tournament. Chopra also named Chameera as another good auction pick. 

“Dushmantha Chameera is another player. He's underrated. I don't know if it's because he plays for Sri Lanka. Half of the coaches here are Australian so they tend to go for their own players like Riley Meredith, Jhye Richardson, Kyle Jamieson etc. Players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera aren't seen as exciting propsects which is sad,” he stated.