It’s great to see that England batsman Dawid Malan has been snapped up by Punjab Kings for the 2021 IPL season.
Left-hander Malan currently sits at the peak of the T20I rankings but is by no means assured of a place in the England XI. Representing Hobart Hurricanes at the Big Bash, the adopted Yorkshireman did okay, despite being in quarantine for the early stages. Such is the competition for top order places in England’s XI though, that he can’t allow his standards to drop.
The T20I World Cup will be held in India so the opportunity to gain experience and perform in that environment will be welcome… as will the salary! Malan didn’t set a ridiculous base price (Around £150k) and Punjab Kings aren’t historically the most successful IPL team but that’s not the point. Malan just needs to knuckle down against a variety of opposition, whether it be international stars or homegrown unknown spinners… and score runs!
It’s a great shame that Malan let his place in the Test side slip away (Literally as he kept dropping slip catches!) but he remains a high class player. Despite his advancing years, this is a great opportunity to further his horizons.
