IPL 2018: 4 England batsmen to watch out for this IPL

The England team's fate was on a roller coaster during the IPL Auctions 2018, when several star players from the previous seasons went unsold this time. Tymal Mills, who was the second costliest player in the 10th edition of the league, remained unsold. The limited overs captain, Eoin Morgan, was also not picked despite his recent stints with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab in previous seasons.

Out of the 24 England players who entered the auction, only six made it to the IPL this season. Ben Stokes leads the sold English players' list with rs. 12.5 crores from the Rajasthan Royals, a little lesser than his previous record deal of 14.5 crores with the Rising Pune Supergiant. Mark Wood mentioned that he is 'incredibly lucky' to have been picked up by CSK while he is also shocked that Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, and Liam Plunkett, despite their good performances, have not been bought by any franchises.

With a day left to the IPL, here's looking at the four batsmen from the English lot that made it to the league this summer:

#1 Sam Billings

Team - Chennai Super Kings

This 26-year-old lad was picked up by the CSK at his base price of Rs. 1 crore. He states that he is very excited to join the team and learn from the experienced players in the two-time champions' unit. Since their roles are similar, Billings believes that there is a lot to learn from MS Dhoni and is excited to meet him.

The CEO of CSK, Kashi Vishwanathan, on the other hand, believes that the Kent captain 'would make a big difference to the team as a floater as he is someone who can bat equally well at any position'.

Billings is a fine player of spin with a excellent footwork which makes him an apt player for the sub-continent conditions. With a strike-rate of 134.86 in T20Is, the specialist batsman of England must surely be a great find for the returning CSK team.

#2 Jason Roy

Team - Delhi Daredevils

The 27-year-old English batsman was bought by Delhi Daredevils at the base price of Rs.1.5 crores. Roy, after recently joining the team at the Feroz Shah Kotla, is excited to join the players who seem to be in 'great shape'. With just a day left to IPL, Roy has spent most of his time in his room on the first day of his arrival in India. However, he seemed to have a good net session later with teammate Daniel Christian bowling at him.

The Surrey batsman has spent most of his time in 2016-17 playing for franchises all around the world. The franchises included Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan Super League, Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League, apart from Gujarat Lions in the 10th edition of the IPL.

#3 Jos Buttler

Team - Rajasthan Royals

The former limited-overs captain of England was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 4.4 crores from a base price of Rs. 1.5 crores. Buttler was more than happy to join his England teammate, Ben Stokes.

The absence of Stokes from September 2017 following his drunken brawl, Buttler looks forward to cherishing his on-field fierce partnership with Stokes. Previously a part of Mumbai Indians, the star will look to make it big in the IPL after a mediocre 2017.

Despite the talks of promoting Buttler to the top the order, he is an important part of the lower middle order of the batting. He has successfully accelerated the run-scoring in death overs for the national side and that could come in handy for the Royals, this IPL.

#4 Alex Hales

Team - Sunrisers Hyderabad

The aftermath of the sandpaper gate incident rendered Alex Hales his IPL deal with the Sunrisers, long after the auctions. The 29-year-old was bought at his base price of Rs. 1 crore after Warner was ruled out of the league. The batsman was a part of Mumbai Indians in 2015 but has never played an IPL match yet. If given a chance, Hales will play his debut IPL match for SRH.

The Nottinghamshire batsman has, however, played for three teams in the BBL - Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes, and Melbourne Renegades, and for the Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League. The batsman saw a slight dip since the ICC Champions Trophy but remains to be a vital batsman for England.