All the eight teams of the Indian Premier League will try their best to build a strong squad in the upcoming IPL auctions that will be held in Kolkata on Thursday, 19 December.
The auction is where all the brain storming starts for a team. IPL auction has been the talk of the town every season. From owners to players and specially the fans, everyone is excited to see which team gets which player and at what cost.
While it’s fun for the fans, owners really have a hard time deciding what would be the best combination for their team and which players will fit perfectly in that combination.
Though all the teams have retained their main players, still the auction list carries some heavy names who could start a bidding war amongst the owners.
These 5 players could heat up the bidding game in the upcoming 2020 IPL auctions:
Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell is a very popular name in the Indian Premier League. He has made a certain reputation amongst the Indian fans who always come in high numbers to watch him play.
Though the Australian batsman has not been consistent in his form, still he has the full potential to win a game single-handedly for his team.
The 31-year-old batsman has scored 1,397 runs in 67 matches at an average of 22.90 with 95 being his highest score. Along with that he has also taken 16 wickets at an economy of 8.72.
Maxwell didn’t play the previous edition of the IPL as he was attending a national camp for the World Cup 2019.
Prior to that, he was with Delhi Capitals in the 2018 IPL season in which he had an average performance, scoring 169 runs in 12 matches at an average of 14.08.
The Australian batsman has been on sabbatical from cricket since October this year due to mental health issues. He told the Australian support staff that he was struggling with his mental health and needs a break.
He is set to make his return in the upcoming Big Bash League.
Chris Lynn
Chris Lynn is an explosive opener who has time and again proved his mettle in the Indian Premier League. He is known for his aggressive batting, through which he is able to give a strong start to his team.
The Australian batsman made his IPL debut in the year 2012 for Deccan Chargers. He only got to play just one match in that season in which he scored 6 runs. He was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013 but didn’t get the chance to play.
In 2014, the stylish right hander was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders. He was the man of the match in his first game of the season. He was retained by KKR in the next season but was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.
Over the years, Lynn has scored 12,80 runs in 41 IPL matches at an average of 36.68 with 93 being his highest score.
Teams like RCB and Rajasthan Royals would want to have the services of Lynn in the upcoming IPL. He has set 2 crores as his base price. It would be interesting to see who ends up buying him and at what price. Maybe we’ll get to see a long relay of bids for him on Thursday, 19 December.
Chris Morris
Chris Morris is a quality bowling all-rounder from South Africa who made his IPL debut in the year 2013 for the Chennai Super Kings.
Morris has two of the best abilities an all-rounder needs, that is to bowl yorkers in the death overs and clear the boundaries while batting as a finisher.
The South African cricketer helped Delhi Capitals reach the semifinals in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League. He took 13 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 23.53 with 3/22 being his best figures in the 2019 IPL.
Morris has taken 69 wickets in 61 IPL matches so far at an economy of 7.98 with 4/23 being his best figures.
Teams like KKR and RCB would want to have Morris playing for them which could help them create a balance in their squad. There are very high chances that other teams would also show interest in buying Morris. Thus, his bid would be very interesting to see in the upcoming IPL.
Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa is one of the most successful Indian batsmen in the Indian Premier League. He has a staggering record and has been consistent over the years.
The right-hand batsman made his IPL debut in the very first year of the tournament (2008) for the Mumbai Indians. He made 322 runs in 14 matches at an average of 35.55.
The 34-year-old was one of the main stars of KKR in the title-winning efforts in 2012 and 2014 with aggregate run tallies of 405 and 660 runs in the respective editions.
In 177 IPL matches that he has played so far, he has scored 4411 runs at an average of 28.23 with 87 being his highest score.
With that stats and abilities backing him, there is a very high chance that we could see a bidding war amongst the owners to avail the services of Robin Uthappa in the upcoming Vivo IPL auction.
Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins is an Australian seamer who is going through a purple patch since a long time now. He is currently the no 1 Test bowler in the world.
After proving his worth in both Tests and ODI’s, Cummins recently said that he wants to play more and more T20’s so that he can prepare for the World T20 happening next year in Australia.
The 26-year-old had to miss the previous edition of the IPL as he was preparing for the 2019 World Cup.
Cummins is among the seven players – along with Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood Mitchell Marsh, Dale Steyn, and Angelo Mathews – who have listed their base price at INR 2 crore, which is the maximum.
The Australian seamer has taken 32 wickets at an economy of 6.78 in 25 T20Is that he has played so far.
The no 1 Test bowler who bowls at a fast speed with an economy of 6.78 would be a very attractive deal for any team. It would be interesting to see how many camps will go for him in the upcoming IPL auctions and till what price.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)