IPL 2018: 5 categories of players that can rule the auction

All the questions pertaining to player retention have been answered and the franchisees are out scouting for players that fit in and form the winning combination. The aim is to form a list of players that the particular franchisee would bid for. The list is further divided into sublists of must-have players, key players, and good-to-have players.

Compiling the list is a convoluted process and involves numerous factors that need to be considered. Team combination and budget are the two most important factors. The T20 format has many facets and choosing right players suitable for each facet is a must. Horses for courses approach is an integral part of this format, especially when it comes to IPL.

Let us have a look at five categories of players that will make 2018 IPL auction exciting.

#1 Young Indian batsmen

India is blessed with an overwhelming number of young batsmen having sublime batting skills. These tenacious and zealous young batsmen are not intimidated by any world class bowling attack. The fact that IPL has proved to be a gateway leading to the national side is what inspires them to give it everything when provided with an opportunity. Time and again these individuals have proved to be game changers.

Following are the young Indian batsmen which the franchises may look out for :

Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Daredevils)- A 360-degree player, Iyer usually bats at number three or four. He has all the qualities of an extraordinary batsman - great temperament, excellent technique and match awareness. Rahul Dravid's counselling has worked wonders for him.

Rahul Tripathi (Rising Pune Supergiants) - A hard-hitting batsman. Tripathi opens the innings and gives the team a flying start. He has hit six sixes in an over twice in local cricket.

Nitish Rana (Mumbai Indians) - Impeccable technique combined with a calm head, the southpaw was one of the highest run-getters and a match winner for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2017. An average of 30 plus in IPL is no mean feat.

Sarfaraz Khan (Royal Challengers Bangalore) - An attacking batsman with a wide range of shots. He normally plays a role of a finisher in the T20 format. Sarfaraz has also worked on his fitness which was once an impediment to his place in the RCB side.

Prithvi Shaw - Immensely talented, India's under-19 captain Shaw has not played in the IPL yet. He has a textbook-style technique and plays pace and spin equally well. Even Trent Boult found his technique against swing bowling impressive. He can pile up runs quickly without taking many risks.

#2 All-rounders

The highest paid player in IPL 2017, Stokes performed exceedingly well for the RPS

Having an all-rounder in the team, especially in T20 format. is of prime importance. It gives the captain more options to work with and helps to improve the balance of the side. The history of IPL indicates that all-rounders have been the game changers. Thus the franchisees are ready to shell out a huge amount in order to acquire the best all-rounders.

Let us have a look at the few that the franchises would be looking for (if they are not retained beforehand) -

Ben Stokes (Rising Pune Supergiants) - The highest paid player in IPL 2017, Stokes performed exceedingly well for the RPS. A powerful bloke, Stokes can clear the boundary at will. With the ball, he is quick, has a great bouncer and a perfect yorker.

Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians) - The flamboyant MI all-rounder, Pandya wrecks the opposition bowling with his power hitting. As a bowler, he hits the deck hard and bowls a good short ball. Pandya also bowls a very well-disguised slower bouncer.

Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders - 2016) - The exuberant KKR all-rounder is a hard-hitting batsman, excellent death overs bowler, and an outstanding fielder.

Andre Russell's stats — Andre Russell's IPL stats

Shakib Al Hasan (Kolkata Knight Riders) - An adept batsman and astute bowler, Shakib has bailed out KKR many times with either bat or bowl. With the bat, he is strong against the spinners and with the ball, accuracy is his strength.

Shakib Al Hasan's stats — Shakib Al Hasan's IPL stats

Dwayne Bravo (Gujarat Lions) - The West Indian all-rounder with over 100 matches in IPL, Bravo played a pivotal role in the success of his former team - Chennai Super Kings. The wristy batsman plays spin very well. As a bowler, he can bamboozle the best of the batsmen with his slower yorkers.

Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians) - Pollard has been one of the finest all-rounders in IPL. A destructive batsman, handy bowler and an excellent fielder, he has won many games for MI.

Kieron Pollard's stats — Kieron Pollard's IPL stats

#3 Fiery wicket-keepers

De Kock loves pace on the ball and can get the team off to a flier

Gone are the days when wicket-keepers were only expected to keep well and play as a stop-gap batting option. These days wicket-keepers not only open the innings or bat at crucial positions but also captain the side. Such are the demands of the T20 format that teams do not mind having more than one keeper in the playing 11 if they bat well.

Let us have a look at a few keepers who may draw franchises' attention at the auction (if not retained beforehand) -

Quinton de Kock (Delhi Daredevils) - Quinton de Kock is a typical left-handed opening batsman who loves cutting the ball and plays an aggressive brand of cricket. He loves pace on the ball and can get the team off to a flier. As a keeper too, he has been magnificent.

Jos Buttler (Mumbai Indians) - One of the best modern-day batsmen for England, Buttler had a wonderful stint with MI in IPL 2017. He is flexible with his batting position and can play a role of an opener or a finisher. He takes no time to settle and gets going quickly. His glove-work is excellent as well.

Rishabh Pant (Delhi Daredevils) - The young fiery wicket-keeper batsman can keep the fans spellbound by his wide range of shots. His lethal combination of power and timing has always grabbed the attention of experts and fans. As a keeper, he is very agile and can move around swiftly.

Robin Uthappa (Kolkata Knight Riders) - Uthappa has significantly improved his batting skills over a period of two years while playing for KKR. His deft touches and straight hits are worth applauding. Another area where he has improved is his glove-work. Keeping to the likes of Morne Morkel and Sunil Narine is not an easy job but he has been up to the mark.

Sanju Samson (Delhi Daredevils) - Seen as the future of Indian cricket, this awe-inspiring youngster has impressed everyone including the pundits of the game. Even Rahul Dravid, the DD mentor, is all praise for him. Samson is a very orthodox batsman and a gifted timer of the ball. As a wicket-keeper, he has been up to the mark.

#4 Leg-spinners

The spin wizard had taken the IPL 2017 by storm

Leg-spinners are genuine wicket-takers. An in-form leg-spinner can run through any batting line up. The history of IPL shows that leg-spinners have been instrumental in deciding a team's success.

Although leg spin is a difficult art to master, we are fortunate to live an era where good leg spinners are in abundance. Franchisees have also started to realize the significance of one in the team and are very likely to invest in one in the coming auction.

Let us have a look at a few leg-spinners that will draw franchisees' interests -

Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - The spin wizard had taken the IPL 2017 by storm with his mesmerizing bowling. The Afghanistan poster boy has been in scintillating form since then, playing in almost all the T20 leagues across the globe. He is extremely accurate and has a very deceptive googly.

Yuzvendra Chahal (Royal Challengers Bangalore) - A brilliant chess player, Chahal can checkmate any batsman with his leg-spin bowling. Playing under Kohli for RCB and India, Chahal has grown as a cricketer. He is not afraid to bowl in the slog overs and more often than not he wins the contest.

Samuel Badree (Royal Challengers Bangalore) - The Trinidad leg-spinner came into limelight after he bamboozled the MI batsmen to pick a hat trick. His strength is bowling skidders and wrong-uns with unerring accuracy.

Samuel Badree'sIPL stats — Samuel Badree's IPL stats

Amit Mishra (Delhi Daredevils) - One of the most successful leg-spinners in the IPL, Mishra can turn the ball square. He bowls slow and with a wonderful loop, tempting the batsman and resulting in a false shot. Mishra bowls a very well-disguised googly as well.

Imran Tahir (Rising Pune Supergiants) - The passionate 38-year-old South African leg-spinner, best known for his celebratory sprints, is a genuine wicket-taker and can turn the game on its head in his quota of 4 overs. His stock delivery is the googly.

#5 Death over specialists

The go-to man for MI during the death overs

In the T20 format, last five overs - the death overs, are very crucial. Batsmen try and clear the boundary every single ball during this period. It requires tremendous death bowling skills to stop the flow of runs.

These days, bowlers have separate training sessions on death bowling. A team with good death bowlers is highly likely to win more matches as large chunks of runs are scored during the last few overs.

With franchisees realizing the importance of death bowling, following death over specialists could be in great demand (if they are not retained beforehand) -

Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians) - The go-to man for MI during the death overs, Bumrah is splendid with his leg crushing yorkers and off-cutters. He is arguably the best death over bowler in the modern game.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - The Purple Cap holder in IPL 2017, Kumar is extremely difficult to get away. He bowls to the field, has a perfect yorker and a deceiving back-of-the-hand slower ball.

Mitchell Starc (Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2016) - One of the best fast bowlers in the world, Starc can consistently clock the speeds of over 150 Kmph. During the death overs, Starc bowls lightening fast yorkers which are unplayable. He did not participate in IPL 2017.

Jaydev Unadkat (Rising Pune Supergiants) - The second highest wicket-taker in the IPL 2017, Unadkat has improved his death bowling skills many folds. His go-to delivery during the death overs is the slower ball. Unadkat bowls different types of slower balls.

Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians) - The Mumbai Indians poster boy, Malinga has been the best bowler in IPL over the years. Yorkers are his strength, especially those slower yorkers that dip in at the last moment.

Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️

Edited by Sankalp Srivastava