On April 28th, 2021, the trade window for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), officially opened. This special window, allows teams to sell, loan, or trade players to other franchises, so long as the player in question is willing.
Some interesting trades have already taken place with Robin Uthapa moving from the Rajasthan Royals to the Chennai Super Kings, although he has still to play a game for the Men in Yellow. Daniel Sams and Harshal Patel are also now mainstays of the Royal Challengers Bangalore playing XL.
Uncapped players have the most to gain from the midseason trade-window, as they may have better opportunities to shine amongst their new teams. Here are some of the benefits such players may enjoy.
An Opportunity to Rub Shoulders with the Greats
Many young players have had the opportunity to work closely with the cricketing titans of the world, thanks to the IPL. Take the Kolkata Knight Riders, for example. Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi and Prasidh Krishna have learned from the legends Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson, while Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana drew inspiration from Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan.
Uncapped players will have opportunities to work alongside some of the world’s greatest cricketers, providing them with the opportunity to learn, grow and hone their skills.
Exposure to Different Coaches and Support Staff
The IPL is not just full of quality players, it also offers players, especially the uncapped ones, a chance to work with a variety of support staff and coaches.
For example, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have Muttiah Muralitharan, Tom Moody and Trevor Bayliss to bank on, while the Punjab Kings can draw on the talents of Wasim Jaffer, Anil Kumble, Andy Flower and Jonty Rhodes.
A number of notable players have taken their games to the next level, assisted by exposure to world class talents at the IPL; Ricky Ponting and Pravin Amre coached Prithvi Shaw to emerge as a T20 batsman, while the Chennai Super Kings have relied on Stephen Fleming to guide their batsmen.
A Chance to Shine
The reason many players are happy to switch franchises is due to a lack of playing time, which they may get as part of another franchise instead. This may result in more opportunities for upcoming players to showcase their talents and prove their worth.
Harshal Patel is an excellent example. He did not get many chances to shine as part of the Delhi Capitals, but now a single season on, he is the RCB’s premier death bowler and proud owner of the IPL 2021 Purple Cap. All due to the right trades being made.