With the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction scheduled early next month in Bengaluru, The upcoming India vs England T20 series is going to be of utmost importance to some of the players from the visitors' camp. Particularly for fast bowler Tymal Mills, it will be a time of high hopes to play for a franchise in the annual T20 carnival.
The 24-year-old Englishman, who has a back injury, only plays in the shortest format of the game. He has played in domestic T20 leagues around the world, including in Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand and has also picked up a contract in the Pakistan Super League.
Having gained a decent experience of playing in various leagues, Mills can be a major attraction for the IPL franchises if he can deliver with the ball against the strong Indian batting line-up in the T20 series starting Thursday (January 26). Playing in the IPL will help him earn better as well, the left-arm bowler who has played in only one T20 international so far, has said.
"I'm in the auction for the IPL, so hopefully this series will go well and I'll get picked up. At the end of the day if I bowl well, it's good for myself, for England and for my future. I'm in a very unique situation now where I can hopefully do this for a long time," Sky Sports quoted Mills as saying.
"Financially, I don't earn very much playing in the UK for Sussex, because of only playing T20 cricket, so I have go and play in these tournaments around the world in terms of getting paid. This is my job now. If I get injured and don't get to play in these tournaments, obviously that affects me in a different way, so my security is a little bit less."
Mills's only international appearance so far came in July last year in a match against Sri Lanka at Southampton. Though England had won that match convincingly, Mills had an ordinary outing as he went for 22 runs in four overs without any wicket. Hence, his performance in the upcoming T20 series will decide his career in a big way.
With the IPL and especially the T20 format being a batsman's game, teams are always on the lookout for a bowler who can take wickets and contain the batsmen. If Mills can showcase such skills against India, the franchises may go all out and outbid teams to sign Mills and eventually help him become richer too.
