IPL 2020: 5 overseas players who could make a comeback this edition

The highly-anticipated IPL Auction for the 13th edition will take place on 19th December in the city of Joy, Kolkata. The eight franchises can exchange their players in the trading window till 14th November.

The franchises will hope to make formidable sides for their team, with INR 85 crores allotted to each of them. Each franchise will get INR 3 crores added to last year's balance for the auction.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always welcomed many international players to be a part of the cash-rich league over the years. Many foreign cricketers are bound to get sold as they will available for the entire tournament this time around.

Franchises will look to strategize and build a formidable squad with players who have had IPL experience in the past. Let's take a look at five overseas players who could return to play this year's IPL.

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#5 Jason Holder

Jason Holder (Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2016) (Image courtesy: IPLT20/BCCI)

Jason Holder has been a prominent name from the West Indies Cricket team over the years, having captained the national side in the 2015 and 2019 Cricket World Cup. He has represented Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. However, he couldn't get a contract since 2017.

An experienced campaigner in Holder led Barbados Tridents to their second title in the 2019 Carribean Premier League (CPL). He clinched wickets in the powerplays as well as in death overs to be the fourth-highest wicket-taker (14 wickets in 13 matches) in the CPL this year.

Jason Holder has five wickets in 11 matches played in the IPL. He has changed his game over the years in T20 cricket and could get an IPL contract this year. The likes of Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad could bid for this bowling all-rounder.

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#4 Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan (Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2017)

The 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has revolutionized his approach in the limited-overs format of the game. As a T20 player, he is known as a power hitter in the middle-order and can rotate the strike as well under pressure. Talking about the 2019 World Cup, Eoin Morgan hit the most sixes (22) in the tournament. He hit 17 sixes in the match against Afganistan, scoring 148 runs in 71 deliveries.

Eoin Morgan had his best IPL season back in 2013 when he scored 307 runs as the second-best run-scorer from Kolkata Knight Riders. He has also represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. With a total of 852 runs in six editions of IPL, Morgan could make his return after 2017 as an impact player this season.

The likes of Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in search of a dependable middle-order can bank upon Morgan this time around.

#3 Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman (Mumbai Indians, 2018)

Mustafizur Rahman had a breakout debut season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the title-winning Sunrisers Hyderabad back in 2016. Fizz grabbed 17 wickets in 16 matches at an economical average of 6.90 to get adjudged as the 'Emerging Player of the Tournament' with the best figures of 3/16.

His IPL stint made him a matured bowler more than ever as he went on to represent Bangladesh on several occasions. He could not consistently perform in the next two seasons of IPL due to his injury. However, Rahman is still known as a specialist in the death overs with his off-cutters and swinging yorkers.

Mustafizur could be a perfect addition to the likes of Rajasthan Royals or Royal Challengers Bangalore. This left-arm pacer could fit as a death-bowling option by taking crucial wickets.

#2 Lendl Simmons

Lendl Simmons (Mumbai Indians, 2017)

Lendl Simmons is still one of the most destructive openers in the shorter format of the game. Known for his clean striking ability, he has a batting average of 39.96 with 11 half-centuries to his name in the IPL.

He has stood out as a franchise-player in leagues around the world and has shown consistency throughout the years. In his debut season of the IPL, Lendl scored 394 runs in just eight outings including a century. This Trinidadian had a pivotal role in Mumbai Indians' second-title winning run in 2015, where he scored a mammoth 540 runs in 14 matches as the league's third-highest scorer.

He had a memorable outing in the 2019 CPL with 430 runs with Trinibago Knight Riders. His lethal batting at the top of the order could come handy for the likes of Chennai Super Kings or Kolkata Knight Riders as a formidable opener.

#1 Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc (Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2015)

One of the finest bowlers in the white-ball cricket, Mitchell Starc has been a sensational left-arm pacer known for his variety of devastating swinging yorkers and bouncers. His lethal bowling at the powerplays and death made him the top-wicket taker of both 2015 and 2019 editions of the Cricket World Cup.

Starc has been a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and 2015 as the team's front-line bowler. His presence was significant to the Virat Kohli-led side as he clinched 34 wickets in two seasons with his fearsome bowling. He hasn't played the IPL since then due to injuries and national commitments. His best performance came in 2015 as he cliched 4/15 against KXIP.

As the possibility of him playing this year's IPL remains intact, Starc could be in red-hot demand for all teams heading into the auction. His comeback in this year's IPL could put the bowling charts at high stakes this season.