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The Indian Premier League will be in its 11th edition when the tournament kicks off four months later on 4 April. However, excitement is at its peak now with the auction – to be held on 27 and 28 January – nearing.
A total of 1,122 players are going to take part in this year’s auction – the largest ever for any IPL edition. So with such a massive number of players in the auction pool, the tournament is surely going to get bigger and better this time round.
The players in the fray include a total of 778 Indian and 282 overseas players. The overseas players have made a massive contribution all these years with some blistering performances in the history of the tournament, and are certain to play a big role again in the coming years.
This year will also see a lot more names attracting massive bids at the auction. Here’s a look at 10 overseas players for who franchises may end up getting into a bidding war.
1) Rashid Khan
The 19-year-old leggie from Afghanistan has been a sensation ever since he arrived at the international scene in 2016. Growing from strength to strength, he has become a globe trotter, playing in different T20 leagues across the world.
He was instrumental for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) last season, picking up 17 wickets in 14 matches. He has proved his worth in the T20 leagues of West Indies and Bangladesh, picking up 14 and 6 wickets in 12 and 7 matches respectively.
Moreover, he is second on the top wicket-takers list with 12 wickets in 7 matches at the ongoing edition of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). Although SRH released him, it is almost certain that they will use their RTM (Right to Match) card for him. Even then, he is expected to go for a massive amount and SRH may eventually end up paying more than what they would have paid if they retained him.
2) Chris Lynn
The hard-hitting Australian batsman is expected to go for a hefty amount. One of Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) star performers in the IPL last year, the Australian batsman is expected to play a big part this year as well, provided he stays injury free.
Despite being injured twice in the course of the tournament last year, Lynn smashed 295 runs in 7 matches, at an average of 49.16, that include three fifties and a best score of 93.
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3) Brendon McCullum
Now retired from international cricket, the former New Zealand captain is currently a T20 gun for hire. He has been a major part of all editions of IPL ever since he lit up the inaugural season with his mesmerising knock of an unbeaten 158 for KKR at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
And he continues to be on top of every franchise's wishlist even today. McCullum has been in scintillating form in the ongoing BBL edition, scoring 242 runs in 8 matches so far which includes two fifties as well.
A hard-hitting batsman at the top as well as captaincy material, McCullum is someone every franchise would be hoping to sign.
4) Evin Lewis
Ever since Lewis made his mark at the international scene, the West Indies southpaw is being seen as a player capable of carrying the legacy of Chris Gayle forward.
He has three T20 hundreds to his name in 84 matches and has an overall strike rate of 146.06. He smashed 371 runs in 12 matches in the last edition of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and his stocks are expected to go up and up in this IPL edition.
5) Colin Munro
The Kiwi all-rounder is making all the right noises in international cricket, having started the year with a scintillating T20I hundred against West Indies.
His tally of T20 hundreds now stands at four in a total of 154 matches. A very experienced T20 player, he is capable of bowling effective seam ups to go along with his swashbuckling batting.
6) Chris Gayle
The big Jamaican has not been performing in the last couple of IPL editions for RCB. Just when it was appearing like his playing days are coming to an end, he raised hopes once again by his scintillating form in the recent editions of the Caribbean and Bangladesh Premier Leagues.
He smashed 376 runs in 12 matches at an average of 62.66 in the CPL last year, and thus ended up third on the list of highest run-getters. Moreover, he also scored the most runs in BPL's recent edition, having scored 485 runs in 11 matches that included two centuries.
Even if RCB doesn't use their RTM card for him, there will still be plenty of buyers in the market who would be eager to pay any price to sign him up.
7) Quinton de Kock
The South African wicket-keeper batsman is one of the best limited-overs players in the world. He proved his worth in the 2016 edition of the IPL, having scored 445 runs at 37.08 that also included a best score of 108.
With 3,708 runs in 130 T20s including three centuries, there is surely no doubt about his capabilities in the twenty-over format.
He has mostly done well in Indian conditions. Being a top order batsman and a safe wicketkeeping option as well, de Kock will be a highly sought-after player in the auction.
8) Glenn Maxwell
Despite getting his IPL career to a flying start, the Australian all-rounder has under-performed in a massive way in the last two editions.
He has been snubbed from the Australian limited overs side as well. However, he has shown some good form in Sheffield Shield matches in Australia and is doing what he does best in the Big Bash League as well.
His hard-hitting abilities and more than effective off-spin need no introduction. Just the potential to win big matches is expected to fetch him a high price in the IPL auction as well.
9) Andrew Tye
Andrew Tye has been a revelation in the last couple of years as a death bowling specialist. Good death bowlers are the most sought-after prospects after hard-hitting batsmen in T20s and the auction will probably see him go at a massive price.
He accounted for a hat-trick in the last edition of the IPL and even picked up one in the ongoing BBL season. Tye is also the highest wicket-taker in the BBL this year with 16 wickets in six matches, despite being selected to play for Australia.
Tye’s abilities to tie the batsmen down and claim wickets at regular intervals are what will make him one of the top players to go for in the auction list.
10) Dwayne Bravo
Another death overs specialist, Dwayne Bravo needs no introduction. He has been an integral part of the IPL ever since it's inception. This year will probably see him go back to Chennai Super Kings. Before that, it remains to be seen how much price he attracts.
The West Indies all-rounder picked up a five-wicket haul in the ongoing edition of BBL and has 407 T20 wickets to his name. He is no less with the bat either, having scored 5,457 runs in 371 T20s at an average of 24.47 and strike rate of 124.67.
(Prasenjit Dey is a freelance cricket writer. He can be reached at @Prosen02. The opinions expressed are the author’s own, and The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same)
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