IPL auction: 5 Indian players who could start bidding war
What's the story
The 2022 Indian Premier League mega auction is set to take place next month. The eight old teams have already retained their preferred players. The two news teams Lucknow and Ahmedabad have more or less also decided their draft picks, clearing the list of players who will go under the hammer. Here are five players who will start a bidding war in the auction.
Context
Why does it matter?
The upcoming auction is like a reset button for the IPL teams as they have been given a chance to rebuild their squad from the scratch. Given that, eight existing teams were allowed to retain just four players and the two new franchises can draft just three cricketers; a plethora of young Indian talents will head into the auction in search of new clubs.
Shreyas Iyer
Iyer can be a reliable asset
Shreyas Iyer is set to attract several IPL teams during the auction. He is the most reliable middle-order batter in the T20 set-up and also has the experience of leading Delhi Capitals to the IPL final in 2020. He has played 87 games in IPL, scoring 2,375 runs with the help of 16 fifties at 31.67. He has also amassed 580 runs in T20Is.
Harshal Patel
2021 Purple Cap winner
Harshal Patel was the best bowler during the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. He took 32 wickets in 15 games at an impressive average of 14.34. However, despite his brilliance, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) decided to release him to keep Mohammed Siraj in the squad. And, going by his performance last season, even a recording-breaking bid should not come as a surprise.
Ishan Kishan
The young and upcoming star
Ishan Kishan is another Indian player to watch out for during the auction. Among the Indian batters, he is expected to start the biggest bidding war amid the IPL teams. He has played 61 IPL games and scored 1,452 runs at 28.47. He has struck nine fifties with his highest score being 99. In IPL 2021, he racked up 241 runs at 26.77.
Padikkal
Padikkal can be pivotal
Devdutt Padikkal was another surprise release by RCB and is expected to fetch a huge sum at the auction. The Karnataka cricketer's ability to score quick runs at the top of the order will be a boon for any franchise. He has accumulated 884 runs in 29 IPL games with the help of one hundred and six fifties. He hammered 411 runs in 2021.
Chahar
Rahul Chahar can be a valuable addition
Rising spin sensation Rahul Chahar is a limited-overs specialist and is known for his variations. Rahul is among the players, Mumbai Indians were forced to release due to the restriction of retaining just four cricketers. He has picked 43 wickets in 42 IPL games. Last season, he bagged 13 wickets in 11 games for Mumbai while maintaining an economy rate of 7.39.