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IPL 2021 Auction: 5 international stars who could be bought | 5 international star cricketers who could be purchased in the upcoming IPL Auction
The Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction is around the corner and franchises will be working over-time to finalize their targets before heading straight into action. 292 players will go under the hammer in Chennai on 18 February. Teams will look to strengthen their squads temporarily as the mega-auctions will anyways take place ahead of the 14th season of the league in 2022.
Hence, sides might look at this auction as a short-fix solution to give them their best opportunity to claim the trophy in the coming campaign. International stars, though underperforming on occasions, continue to attract top-drawer sums during the bidding process. In this article, we take a look at five overseas players who will be actively sought after in the coming week.
Also read: 5 BBL stars who could get an IPL 2021 contract
1. Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch has been a part of eight IPL franchises in the past, without resounding success anywhere. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had high expectations from him last year, but the Australian skipper didn’t really do justice to the hopes laid on him. He had scored 268 runs in 12 matches, which included a solitary half-century. However, Finch continues to be one of the most remarkable cricketers in limited-overs cricket in world cricket. His reputation alone will draw teams towards him.
Moreover, Finch’s addition to the team will solidify the top-order with a reliable stroke-player – a quality that many teams look to have in their roster. He has scored 486 runs at an average of 34.71 including three half-centuries in 2019 and 2020. His quality as a player has never been doubt. But, an IPL record of average of 25.70 with a strike rate of 127.70 does not inspire enough confidence. However, teams could very well place their bets on the seasoned opener, hinging on the anticipation that he can overturn his poor record in the league so far.
2. Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib al Hasan will back in the fray after having completed his suspension period. The Bangladeshi all-rounder can be a very efficient utility player for any franchise. He is wily with the ball, well-adept with the unique demands placed on a finger-spinner in the blitzkrieg of the shortest format of the game. Moreover, Shakib can very well be used as a floater in the batting order. He can come out to bat at the top to structure an innings, or be sent later on add some quick runs to the overall tally.
He is the kind of character that teams will desire to have in their setup too; someone who carries a cool head and has gone through the rigours enough to step up for the team in testing times. The 33-year-old’s innate acquaintance with several demanding match-situations makes him a useful player to have in the middle-order or as an alternative in the squad too. Surely, a few sides might want to add some dimensions of versatility in their squad by the addition of Shakib Al Hasan.
3. Chris Morris
It is slightly appalling that RCB released Chris Morris. His induction midway into last season had infused a lot of incisiveness and pace to their bowling lineup. Morris was critical to the team’s success both in the field restriction overs as well as during the death overs. The all-rounder bowled hard-lengths over 140 kmph, which made it difficult for batsmen to navigate the threat that he posed during the two critical phases of an innings.
However, Morris’ form seemed to have tapered off in the final stages of the campaign. Maybe, that triggered the team to offload him from the squad. However, if four months ago was any indication, then Morris can be an extremely invaluable asset for any team. He can function as a proper fast bowler, capable of fetching wickets and stifling the flow of runs. Secondly, he can tonk the ball hard with the willow. Which team will let go of securing a player having such traits, at a base price of merely Rs 75 lakhs? The auction will put forth the required answers…
Also read: 5 uncapped Indian players who could be bought in the IPL 2021 Auction
4. Mujeeb ur Rahman
Mystery spinners are always desirable in T20 cricket, especially if they have already proven their worth in the topmost level. Mujeeb ur Rahman was fairly successful in his first season in 2018 with Kings XI Punjab. He couldn’t make it to the playing XI regularly in the last two years owing to team combination issues. The Afghan spinner is ranked 2 in the world in ICC standings for best bowlers in both T20Is and ODIs. He plugs the flow of runs and picks wickets in field restriction overs.
He can also be used as a defensive alternative in the middle overs or brought on to take some wickets in exchange of a few additional runs in the death. Overall, he still retains the tricks that propelled him to pick 14 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 6.99 in IPL 2018. He just needs a team that plays him regularly, allowing him to get into an unperturbable rhythm. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to believe that teams can make space for a wicket-taking, mystery spinner that adds a unique element to their bowling unit, isn’t it?
5. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell, like Finch, has been largely dismal in the IPL. He has regularly fallen short of living up to the expectations attached to him. However, the player is filled with so much talent and qualities suitable to T20 cricket that compels teams to trust on him season on season. And, it isn’t right to blame them either as Maxwell’s performances in the international circuit have been quite impressive over the years too.
Moreover, a few sides often tend to lack attacking batsmen in the middle-order, who can enhance the scoring rate in the final phases of the innings. CSK looks like one such team this time around, and there must be others with similar requirements too. That makes one believe that Maxwell will be actively chased this time around too. Hopefully, the player will manage to replicate his true talent and potential in the league, if he is picked by one of the franchises.
Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter today.
