Digital Desk, Melbourne. Australia white-ball captain Aaron Finch on Thursday said that he would prefer to stay in the Indian Premier League (IPL) even after not being picked by any team in the IPL mega auction on February 12 and 13. Representing eight franchises in 85 IPL matches, Finch scored 2005 runs at an average of 25.71, including 14 half-centuries.
Finch last played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2020 season of the tournament and was released by the franchise after the season ended. After going unsold in the auctions ahead of IPL 2021, Finch scripted history by lifting the T20 World Cup title in 2022, but was still not picked up by any of the ten franchises in the mega auction.
Finch said on Sen’s Dwayne’s World show, I love playing in the IPL, there is no doubt about it. But the composition of the Indian franchise, there are a lot of top-order players who can do a really good job. Perhaps he can bridge the gap that is missing in many teams around. “I wasn’t surprised, I would have loved to be there because I’ve had 10 great years there, so I can be grateful for that,” Finch said.
Finch further felt that the demand for batsmen at number five, six and seven was such that they were not signed by any IPL team before the 2022 season.
Apart from Finch, his teammates like leg-spinner Adam Zampa, batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, wicketkeeper-batsman Ben McDermott, pacers Andrew Tye, Ben Dwarshuis and Kane Richardson, all-rounders Moises Henriques and Ben Cutting went unsold in the IPL mega auction. For now, Finch will lead Australia in the last two T20Is against Sri Lanka in Melbourne.
IANS
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