From Ahmed Raza to Zahoor Khan - 13 UAE players who would be great cover options during IPL 2020

Zahoor Khan. The fast bowler was one of just three players on the IPL auction list from beyond the Test world. He went unsold, but has a box of tricks that suits death bowling in the short format. At the Abu Dhabi T10, he bowled 10 dot balls in a spell to Mumbai Indians stalwart Lendl Simmons. Pawan Singh / The National

Ahmed Raza. The left-arm spinner is the eighth most economical bowler in the history of T20 international cricket, among bowlers who have sent down more than 500 deliveries. At the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in 2016, he went for three matches in a row without conceding a boundary. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Sultan Ahmed. Even more thrifty than his fellow left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza – albeit in a slightly smaller pool of matches so far. He has an economy rate of just 5.91 in 22 T20 internationals to date, and he excelled at the Abu Dhabi T10 for Qalandars. Pawan Singh / The National

Chirag Suri. The only UAE player with IPL experience. He was part of the Gujarat Lions squad in 2017. He only made it onto the field once, as a fielding substitute, but was promptly ordered off as Gujarat already had their quota of overseas players on. He is a far better player now than he was then. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Vriitya Aravind. The 18-year-old wicketkeeper has been in blistering form since cricket returned after lockdown, razing bowlers who are years his senior in the Emirates D10. He would be an exciting option if any franchises suddenly found themselves short of a gloveman. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Rohan Mustafa. Termed a gun player by his captain Moeen Ali after he opened the bowling with his off-breaks for Team Abu Dhabi in the T10 last year. His closest shot at another big league came when he was discussed as a possible late replacement player after Quetta’s overseas contingent pulled out of the PSL final in 2017, but it did not come to pass. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Rameez Shahzad. Averages 53.15 in one-day international cricket and is the only UAE cricketer to have two centuries to his name in that format, which includes one against the West Indies in the 2018 World Cup Qualifier. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Shiraz Ahmed. The left-arm pace bowler has yet to play for the UAE national team, but already has plenty of admirers in the IPL. He was a key part of the Maratha Arabians side which won the T10, in an attack that included IPL greats Lasith Malinga and Dwayne Bravo. Pawan Singh / The National

Mohammed Usman. One of the most reliable batsmen in the UAE side, the left-hander played arguably the country’s best T20 innings when he made an unbeaten 89 against Canada for the beleaguered national team during the T20 World Cup Qualifier last year. Ruel Pableo for The National

Basil Hameed. Only debuted for the UAE team late last year, but has already become a fixture of the batting line up. The former Kerala Ranji Trophy probable is also one of the best fielders in the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Karthik Meiyappan. Another of the young new recruits for the senior national team during a troubled recent past. The leg-spinner has control and maturity that belies the fact he is a mere 19-year-old university student. Satish Kumar for The National

Umair Ali Khan. The standout player of the first domestic tournament to take place since the restart of sport, with four man of the match awards so far. Three were for bowling, including four wickets in four balls in one match, while the other came for his 60 not out in 17 balls to win a match for Bukhatir XI. Pawan Singh / The National

Kai Smith. Only 15 years old, but played for the UAE at the Under 19 World Cup earlier this year and has won admirers while playing men’s cricket domestically, too. As with Aravind, if a franchise suffered a shortage of wicketkeepers, they could do worse than this schoolboy. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Only one UAE cricketer is eligible for selection as a replacement player if the IPL franchises need to bolster their squads once the competition starts.

That is going by the existing competition rules, which state new players can only be brought in from the list of those who went unsold at auction. As such, only fast bowler Zahoor Khan can be recruited.

Given the extraordinary conditions in which the 2020 IPL will be played, though, it is possible the IPL governing council will relax that rule for this season only.

If the coronavirus pandemic means travel restrictions persist, and overseas players are unable to make it to the UAE in good time, then why not look to the UAE for some new options?

If that were to happen, there are a number of worthy candidates that the franchises might want to consider.

The photo gallery above takes a look at those UAE players. To move on to the next slide, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.