IPL25
Follow UsSam Konstas, Australia’s biggest teen sensation of the summer of 2024-25, has captured the imagination of Indian audiences as no one else in the opposition ranks. As a result, the talks of him joining an Indian Premier League (IPL) team are becoming the talk of the town.
With the kind of heated arguments he has had with senior pros of the Indian team- Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, there is an anti-hero image he has managed to create, much like how Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden were during their playing days.
Here are the top three teams that Konstas could join, given his playing ability and his ability to generate massive interest from the crowds.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Not everybody gets Virat Kohli’s attention easily and it is tougher to do that right now given how he has gone all ‘godly’, praising the opposition teammates and turning into a Zen day by day. However, he was riled up by the kind of attacking shots Konstas played on his debut in international cricket.
As an opener, Konstas is aggressive and he hit a fifty in his maiden Big Bash League (BBL) outing. He doubled that up with a 65-ball 60 against India in the Boxing Day Test, where Kohli got into a silly banter with him.
Now, imagine him and Kohli on the same side and how they will boost the team’s marketing and social media outreach. People will also be interested to see their bond, as they are more likely to open the innings.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Rohit Sharma does not look like the best option to open the innings at the Mumbai Indians camp. In that case, they don’t have an impact player right at the top. The way Konstas reverse-scooped Bumrah showed his talent and confidence in his process. The Men in Gold and Blue also don’t have a specialist opener, and hence, Koinstas would fit in seamlessly.
Much like RCB, MI could cash in on his rivalry with Bumrah, who has got the Australian out on one out of three occasions that the two have faced each other. Konstas took on Bumrah like no one else had. Konstas has played just two T20s but has been part of 12 First-Class matches.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Apart from the banter angle that would put RCB and MI into the limelight, the Australian will also be on the Delhi Capitals' radar. Trained and constantly monitored by Shane Watson at an early age, Konstas could slide into the Delhi Capitals’ scheme of things, although Watson is no longer on the franchise's board of coaches.
With the kind of potential that he has and the way Delhi want someone aggressive to join swashbuckling and ultra-aggressive Joake Fraser-McGurk at the top of the batting order and get the game going right from ball one, Konstas fits the bill.
As captain of the 2024 U-19 World Cup-winning team, the New South Wales batter has leadership capabilities and can be groomed into the franchise captain as well.
