Scott Kuggeleijn

Son of a former New Zealand cricketer Chris Kuggeleijn who played for the Kiwis in a couple of Tests, Scott Kuggeljein is an out fast bowler who has the ability to click 140 on a consistent basis. He is a skiddy customer and has made his presence felt in the limited opportunities he has got for New Zealand and in other T20 leagues. 

Having made his first-class debut way back in 2011, Kuggeleijn career’s has never really taken off but still only 28, he is still on the New Zealand selection radar and can cement his place with consistent performances if given a longer rope. Kuggeleijn made headlines in the New Zealand domestic circuit in the 2016-17 Ford Trophy when he finished as the leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 9 encounters. 

His national call-up came days after he was on trial for an accused rape in 2016. It did tarnish his image but the allegations were never proved. His national selection was quite smooth as the New Zealand Chief Executive clearly stated that Kuggeleijn respected the court procedures. It must be noted that the case against him is still open.

On the back of some consistent performances or the Northern Districts, Kuggeleijn was awarded a spot in the national side for New Zealand’s tour of Ireland in 2017. New Zealand went with a 2nd string team to test their bench strength and Kuggeleijn didn’t disappoint bagging 5 wickets in a couple of games. He made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in 2019 and impressed one and all with the ball during the home series against India.

The Kiwi express finally got his moment to feature in the cash-rich league when he replaced the injured Lungi Ngidi in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Appearing in two matches, he picked up two wickets but his expensive bowling figures saw him sidelined from the squad, and was released by the IPL giants ahead of 2020. Kuggeleijn, who was a part of the IPL bubble as a reserve for Mumbai Indians, was given a second chance when he was announced as a replacement for Kane Richardson in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad for the remainder of the 2021 edition of the IPL.

(As of June 2021)