
It has been just 2 months since IPL 2020 came to a close and already preparations for the next season have begun in full swing. With a mini-auction scheduled in February, franchise owners have started contemplating about the possible team combinations and players they would like to release or retain in the upcoming auction. While most of the players, be it Indians or overseas are bound to stay at their respective franchise for the next season, a few might well be released and may find a different bidder at the auction table.
These cricketers will face stiff competition from other overseas stars, who unfortunately couldn’t be a part of the league early on due to one or the other reason. With the T20 World Cup scheduled for the same year in India itself, the foreign players would like to use the upcoming edition of the IPL as a platform for selection into the national squad and also as a dress rehearsal for the mega event. In the below piece, we look at 4 such foreign players who will be hot favourites at the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2021:
1. Mitchell Starc
This left-arm pacer from Australia has made up his mind to be part of the upcoming edition, having missed the cash-rich league in the recent past due to fitness and personal issues.
Starc had previously played for RCB, who was the leader of their bowling attack back then and did a fantastic job bowling in the death overs, an area which has been exploited by the batting teams post his departure.
Apart from his lightning-quick bowling, Starc is a handy batsman coming lower down the order, who can even be used as a floater in an attempt to garner quick runs.
In the 27 IPL games that he has played, Starc has scalped 34 wickets at an average of 20.38 and economy rate of 7.17.
2. Sam Billings
A wicketkeeper-batsman, a gun- fielder in the outfield and also an occasional skipper, Billings has everything asked of a complete T20 player. Since the return of international cricket post lockdown, Billings has been in fine form for England, contributing at different slots and making a case for himself.
The batsman did a decent job for CSK in the 2018 edition and also won them the hard-fought game against KKR, blasting 56 off 23 balls to chase down a mammoth total of 203. It is this ‘never say die attitude’ which will assist in earning him a hefty contact at the forthcoming auction.
Billings has struck 334 runs from 22 IPL games at an average of 17.58 and strike rate of 133.6
3. Riley Meredith
This uncapped Australian bowler, who plays for the Hobart Hurricanes in the ongoing BBL, has already turned heads with his thunderbolt pace and enviable wickettaking spree.
Given the impeccable lines and lengths and the pace at which he bowls, it is one heck of a task for the batsmen to survive his testing spells, let alone scoring runs against him. The batters are often late in negotiating the ball as it zips off the surface and sneaks under their bat.
We are well aware of the damage inflicted by the pacers at IPL 2020 and inspite of the tournament being in India, we can surely expect the owners getting involved in a bidding war to bring him up to their ranks.
In 30 BBL games, Meredith has dismissed 39 batsmen at an average of 22.40 and economy rate of 7.94 with best bowling figures of 4-21.
4. Kyle Jamieson
This 6 feet, 6 inches tall all-rounder from New Zealand, who grabbed the headlines for his stellar show with both bat and ball in the Test series against Pakistan recently, is another player who will be in high demand at the upcoming auction.
He might not have the pace, but his height is enough to pose problems to the batsmen, who won’t be comfortable facing the ball coming from that height.
His free-flowing batting, which also includes clearing the biggest of boundaries with consummate ease is an added advantage and teams won’t hesitate to empty their purses if they can obtain a player like Jamieson.
The lanky bowler has played just 4 T20Is for New Zealand and picked 3 wickets at an average of 35.33 and economy rate of 7.76.