Jake Fraser-McGurk has introduced himself to the world with his brilliant batting display in the IPL. Although that has not helped him with a place in the upcoming World T-20, the Australian talent has a long way to go. He has already scored 309 runs in just 7 IPL games at a strike rate of 235.87. His presence at the top of the order has forced the Delhi Capitals to bench veteran Aussie batsman David Warner.
McGurk made his debut with the Australian national team just earlier this year. He played two ODI’s in the series against West Indies and then made the trip to India to play for the Delhi Capitals. The 22-year-old’s journey in the IPL has been rather special. He first went unsold in the auctions but was later picked up by the franchise as a replacement for South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi. Jake Fraser McGurk had represented the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 competition. His exploits there helped pave the way for him in the IPL.
His debut with the Delhi Capitals came against Lucknow Supergiants where he smashed 55 runs in just 35 balls. From thereon, the Australian has never stopped as he has notched four half-centuries at an explosive strike rate. Many expected McGurk’s IPL performance would help him get into the Australian T-20 World Cup side, but he was not picked by the Kangaroos in the 15-man squad. However, the 22-year-old has been mature about the decision and is looking ahead to the future.
Jake Fraser McGurk has superstar potential
Along with his explosive batting, Jake Fraser McGurk also is a leg-break bowler. Although he does not bowl regularly, McGurk could chip in with an over or two when his team needs it from him. He first burst onto the scene when he smashed the fastest century in List-A cricket. McGurk scored 100 in just 29 balls and broke the previous record held by AB de Villiers, who scored a ton in 31 balls.
Jake Fraser McGurk now has two more games left in the IPL to showcase his talent. He has already bagged a contract to play in the American T-20 League, which is a huge positive for him. The Australian team is stacked, but a lot of players are slowly approaching the twilight years of their careers. McGurk’s emergence has certainly come at the perfect time as Australia could use his presence to add another power hitter to the squad.
His omission from the World T-20 squad certainly contradicts that statement, but doubting the genius of Crickety Australia is not very smart as they have a plan in place for the Victoria-born player. He is still new to international cricket and exposing him to the world stage would put a lot of pressure on his shoulders. They would first want him to play a few more games for Australia in a bilateral series and international tours as that would help him get familiar with the game and therefore set him up for success.
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