Craig Overton

Craig Overton has yet to make his Indian Premier League debut, but the tall English seamer remains a compelling prospect for franchises seeking reliable fast-bowling depth. Renowned for nagging seam movement and clever change-ups, Overton’s skillset—built for hard-length bowling on Indian decks—makes him an ideal powerplay and middle-overs enforcer. His height creates awkward bounce, while subtle cutters and knuckle balls have troubled even set batters in global leagues. IPL scouts value his ability to bowl economically under pressure, a trait that aligns with the tournament’s demand for multi-phase specialists. Overton’s athleticism in the deep further boosts his T20 stock, offering captains a boundary-saving option who can also clear ropes with the bat. Recent BBL and Hundred outings showcased late-innings hitting, reinforcing his lower-order utility. With English pacers enjoying increased demand in IPL auctions, Overton profiles as a value pick who can exploit early swing and then stifle scoring with variations. Franchises eyeing squad balance ahead of mega auctions could find in Overton a proven match-up bowler ready to translate county excellence to the IPL stage. His growing reputation keeps him firmly on watch-lists, positioning the Somerset stalwart for a potential breakthrough campaign whenever opportunity knocks.

Craig Overton made a short but explosive cameo in his IPL 2025 debut with Chennai Super Kings. Across two innings, the English all-rounder hammered 15 runs from just seven balls—an eye-watering strike-rate of 214. He cleared the ropes once, smashed one four and posted an unbeaten 11*, showing the finishing touch CSK craves at death overs. With the ball, Overton sent down 36 deliveries without picking up a wicket, conceding 83 runs at an economy of 13.83. While his three-over spells were expensive, the numbers underline a bowler trusted to operate in the powerplay and slog overs where risk is often rewarded. In only one season, Overton’s bat has already spoken louder than his ball—two innings, one maximum, one boundary and a strike-rate above 200—marking him as a late-overs hitting option for the five-time champions.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data.