IPL through the years

The 2016-17 season was a breakthrough year for de Grandhomme. Not only did he make his Test debut but was also called up by Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for Andre Russell. Though he played for most parts of the season, de Grandhomme got very limited opportunities with bat and ball. His standout performance was 3 for 4 on a seamer friendly wicket at Eden Gardens against Bangalore.

The 2018 season marked 10 years of IPL and all teams looked to build for the future and de Grandhomme was not in KKR's plan. He was picked up by Bangalore for INR 2.2 crore from a base price of 75 lakh. The shift didn't change his fortunes as he didn't start the season and when he did, the chances were very little. However, with a strike rate of 166 in T20s, RCB did not want to let go of the burly all rounder.

World Cup 2019 - What to expect

Having featured in New Zealand's playing XI regularly in recent times, Colin de Grandhomme is the first choice seam all-rounder for the Kiwis. de Grandhomme might start ahead of James Neesham in WC 19 and his ability to build pressure from one end with economical spells is one of the reasons that gives him an edge. Also, he can hit the long ball, hence you can expect him to chip in with his handy all-round contributions throughout the course of the tournament. If he maintains his discipline and gets wickets, the all-rounder might prove to be a pivotal member of the playing XI.

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