Brian Bennett auditions in Rawalpindi; IPL teams who can approach ZIM star during mini auction

Brian Benett for Zimbabwe - (Source: AFP)

IPL 2026 mini-auction is less than a month away, and teams are already preparing in full swing to make the best possible squads. Several promising names will go under the hammer after being released on the deadline day. But, besides that, promising names will come up for the auction and eyes will be on them.

One of the most noticeable names is Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett. The 22-year-old, who made his international debut in December 2023, has taken the world by storm. The right-handed batter is doing well for himself, and this article will shed light on three teams that can target Zimbabwe talent for the 2026 edition.

Why should teams target Brian Bennett?

• Notably, Brian Bennett is the leading run-scorer in T20Is among full-member nations in 2025 with 844 runs in 22 innings, averaging 38.36.
• Besides consistency, Bennett has also maintained a nice scoring rate of 150, which is an asset for any IPL franchise that struggles with these two qualities.  
• Bennett has also performed for Zimbabwe against big nations such as Pakistan, where he scored a brilliant 49 in the first match of the ongoing tri-series. 

Brian Bennett's stats in T20Is

3 Teams that can target Brian Bennett

Interestingly, for IPL 2026, most of the teams, which are also struggling, have a fixed opening pair. Only a few teams are looking for an opener, and this article will look at that.

1. Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the IPL 2026 auction with a purse value of 64 crores, the highest among all teams. Further, the Knight Riders are in the hunt for not one but two new openers. 

For IPL 2025, KKR had Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who both struggled to score runs at a quicker pace. They were released ahead of the new season, and Bennett can be a great replacement. 

Let's look at Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz's performance in IPL 2025.

2. Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals have an interesting batting order, where they released two of their openers, and yet have sufficient opening options. Notably, DC let go of Faf Du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, but can open with KL Rahul, Abhishek Porel and also Karun Nair. 

However, Bennett can be a great addition because the Delhi pitches are mostly flat and since boundaries are also short in length, Bennett might take a while to get going on such surfaces, as seen during his knock against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

3. Lucknow Super Giants 

For LSG, they have their opening slot sorted with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh. However, the two overseas stars are injury-prone, and there are high chance that they might not be able to replicate their own heroics of IPL 2025.

It is better for Lucknow to have a back-up opener and now with Kane Williamson taking charge as team consultant, 

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