IPL auction: 5 England players who could start bidding war
What's the story
England are currently the number one ranked team in ICC Men's T20I Rankings, simply because of their players' explosive and brave batting approach. Over the years, the English players have lit up the Indian Premier League (IPL) with their consistency. Once again, the IPL teams are expected to break the bank to acquire their service when the 2022 mega IPL auction gets underway.
Context
Why does it matter?
Total 30 players from England have signed up for the auction while two players from the country - Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali - were retained during the players' retention. While it is highly unlikely that all 30 players will find bidders at the auction table, few England stars might trigger a bidding war amid the teams. Here are a few such players.
Jason Roy
Roy can be pivotal as opener
Jason Roy opens the batting for England in the shorter format and he could be a pivotal asset for any side upfront. Roy has placed himself under Rs. 2 crore category list. He has played 13 games in IPL and scored 329 runs at 29.91. He amassed 150 runs in IPL 2021 for Sunrisers Hyderabad at an average of 30.00 across five games.
Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow can be a reliable asset
Bairstow is another reliable opener. He is also an able gloves man and a very good player of spin bowling. He made his IPL debut in 2019 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against KKR. He went on to play 28 games for them while racking up 1,038 runs at an impressive average of 41.52. Bairstow has also struck one hundred and seven fifties in the tournament.
Chris Jordan
Jordan is a valuable pace-bowling option
England pacer Chris Jordan is another player to watch out for during the auction. He has clinched 25 wickets in the IPL at an average of 27.92, besides scoring 64 runs. Jordan's best bowling figure in the IPL is 4/11. In IPL 2021, he played four games for Punjab Kings and took four wickets. He has 80 T20I wickets for England (highest).
Mark Wood
Wood could be crucial in the death overs
Mark Wood could be the top pick for pacers during the auction. He is known for consistently hitting 90mph speed for England and could be a reliable asset for any side. He has played just one game in IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018. He has taken 26 wickets for England in 19 T20Is at 24.08 with his best figure being 3/9.
Rashid
Adil Rashid is a quality spinner on offer
England's spin mainstay Adil Rashid is a consistent performer in T20 cricket. He made his IPL debut last year for Punjab Kings after getting named as Jhye Richardson's replacement. He played just one game. He has played 71 T20I games for England, racking up 78 wickets at 23.01. He has maintained an economy rate of 7.32 with his best performance being 4/2.
Information
Other England players in the fray
England skipper Eoin Morgan has played 83 games in the IPL and scored 1,405 runs at 22.66. Alex Hales has scored 148 runs in six games in IPL at 24.67. Dawid Malan has played just one game and scored 26 runs.