Kyle Jamieson, who was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for ₹1 Cr, has been ruled out of the upcoming season due to a recurrence of a lower-back stress fracture which has kept him out of action for a while now.
CSK have named South African pacer Sisanda Magala as Jamieson's replacement. Magala, who had a base price of ₹ 50 Lakh in the auction, was overlooked by the 10 franchises. This will be his first stint in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
Here are three reasons why Sisanda Magala is a good choice as Kyle Jamieson's replacement:
#1 Form
Magala had a decent run in the inaugural SA20 league, picking up 14 wickets in 12 games for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He also bowled well in a couple of first-class games for the Lions in the CSA 4-Day Series Division 1 tournament.
#2 Experience
At 32 years of age, Sisanda Magala brings with him truckloads of experience, having featured in 94 first-class, 122 List-A and 127 T20 games. In T20s, he has picked up 136 wickets at an economy of 8 runs per over, including two five-wicket hauls.
Magala has a good yorker and quite a few variations up his sleeve, which will hold him in good stead in the IPL. He is an attacking and aggressive bowler, ideally suited to the rigors of T20 cricket.
#3 Like-for-like replacement
Although not as tall as Kyle Jamieson, Sisanda Magala will still be able to extract decent bounce from some of the surfaces in India. He also comes with a reputation for being a handy lower-order batsman with the ability to hit big sixes. He has two half-centuries in T20 cricket, proof that he is no mug with the willow. Magala is also an outstanding fielder and took some good catches in the recently concluded SA20 League.