A total of 409 overseas cricketers have registered for the 2025 IPL auction, to be held later in November 2024. The list includes an Italian, raising questions from all corners.

In an era when T20 matches between any two ICC members get T20I status, cricketers switching nationalities is not rare. Jade Dernbach had played for England and Joe Burns for Australia, but both have qualified for and represented Italy later in their careers.

Born in Durban, Wayne Madsen had long stints for KwaZulu-Natal and Derbyshire, and became a globetrotter across T20 leagues, but could not break through to the national side. He, too, played for Italy, as had Michael di Venuto of Australia, before Italy’s matches got T20I status.

The Italian at the 2025 auction is, however, 24-year-old fast bowler Thomas Jack Draca, whose international career spans four T20Is in the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup Sub Regional Europe Qualifier Group A. From 16 overs, Draca claimed 8-68 – an average of 8.50 and an economy of 4.25 – with best figures of 3-9 against the Isle of Man at Spinaceto.

Italy, outright favourites going into the qualifiers, topped the group with four easy wins to join Scotland, the Netherlands, Guernsey, and Jersey for the main Qualifiers.

In August 2024, Draca played for the Brampton Wolves at the 2024 Global T20 Canada and topped their wickets chart, with 11 scalps at 10.63 while going at 6.88 an over. His wickets included Usman Khawaja, Reeza Hendricks, Iftikhar Ahmed, David Wiese, Kyle Mayers, and Sunil Narine.

In the entire tournament, only Romario Shepherd and Junaid Siddique had more wickets (14 each), while Jason Behrendorff and Azmatullah Omarzai also had 11 apiece.

Draca has also been signed by the MI Emirates (owned by the Mumbai Indians) for the upcoming 2025 season of the ILT20.While that's no guarantee that Mumbai Indians would raise the paddle for him at the IPL 2025 auction as well, but the fact that one of the most successful franchises has seen the player from close quarters increases the chances for the Italian of getting a surprise bid.

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