IPL 2018 auctions: 5 Indian all-rounders who could start a bidding war

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With less than a week left for the mega IPL auctions left, the different franchises are now in a close huddle figuring out their strategies as far as the players they want in their corner come the season.

There is little doubt over the worth of all-rounders in practically any form of the game, but their importance grows almost exponentially in the shortest format and the different think tanks keep a close eye on Indian all-rounders who could render a perfect balance to their respective sides.

Here in this slider, we take a look at five promising Indian all-rounders who might start a bidding war in the upcoming auctions.

#5 Deepak Hooda

The stakes of the young Baroda all-rounder has grown significantly over the last season as he captained his stateside in Ranji trophy. Apart from this, his game has been one the way up and the package will certainly excite a lot of teams in the auctions.

Hooda is a hard-hitting middle-order batsman who on his day can win matches all on his own. Apart from this, he is also handy with his off-spin which makes him a great buy.

His base price is 40 lakhs, and teams would want to rope him in at the earliest as he is the man in form and has things going perfectly for him at this state in his career.

Also, it might not come as a surprise if Sunrisers Hyderabad decides to get him back using their right to match card.

#4 Yusuf Pathan

Much like Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan had a decent Ranji Trophy season, but unlike Hooda, his prowess is on the decline. Owing to this Kolkata Knight Riders did not retain him and hence he back at the auctions.

Pathan has set his base price at 75 lakhs, which is a significant drop from his earlier price tags, but at the same time, this is an honest assessment made by the player and this could well mean that the franchises might want to get him in their side.

There will be no debates over his pedigree as a player, but it remains to be seen if the teams do decide to invest in Yusuf for the upcoming seasons.

#3 Vijay Shankar

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From being used as a replacement in the Sunrisers Hyderabad last year, to being roped in the Indian Test squad, the last 12 months has been quite a remarkable period for the Tamil Nadu limited-overs captain.

What makes him a viable product for the franchises is that he is a seam-bowling all-rounder which is a rarity in Indian cricketing parleys. Also, he is a reliable batsman who can tune his game according to the situation and if the need be, can pull out the big strokes.

Being a young captain for Tamil Nadu, he also brings leadership credentials to the table which can only benefit a team in the long tournament.

#2 Washington Sundar

The teen sensation from Tamil Nadu was one of the finds of the previous season of the Indian Premier League when he bowled Rising Pune Supergiants into the finals.

He usually takes the brand new ball and gets through the first powerplay with remarkable precision. With the ability to bowl dot balls in the powerplay, Washington rose through the ranks and such was his influence that he even made his India debut against Sri Lanka in the T20 series.

However, it is his batting which has not been tested at the highest level. It should be mentioned here that he is no slouch with the willow. In TNPL 2017, the left-hander owned the stage as in nine matches he scored 459 runs at a strike-rate of 154 and with an average of 76.50.

Hence, brace yourselves for a huge bid for Sundar in these auctions and his base price of 150 thousand rupees is a reflection of his stature.

#1 Krunal Pandya

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Life has become very good for the older Pandya sibling over the past one year. From being a revelation for Mumbai Indians to carrying his form for India A, Krunal has had things going for him at just the right moment.

Hence, eyebrows were raised when Mumbai Indians did not retain him, but such was his contribution that he might be the first player the franchise get back using the right to match card.

His ability with the bat, ball, and in the field make him an exciting package and a complete T20 material and thus his base price of 40 lakhs could see an exponential rise in the auctions.

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Edited by Manish Pathak