IPL 2020 Auctions: 3 smartest overseas buys 

The auctions for the upcoming 13th season of the Indian Premier League has successfully concluded in Kolkata and it threw, as always, some expected as well as interesting buys from the 8 participating franchises. From a total of 332 cricketers available for the auctions, 62 players made the final cut and were bought by the franchises on a day that saw some he fty cash splurging. Among the overseas buys, it was the Australian cricketers, on expected lines, who ruled the roost with pacer Pat Cummins becoming the most expensive buy of the season with INR 15.5 crore whilst all-rounder Glenn Maxwell going for INR 10.75 crore.

While there was serious competition for a lot of players, there were a few in the mix as well who were bargained relatively miserly by the franchises considering the quality they possess.

Here, we take a look at the top 3 smartest overseas buys from the IPL 2020 auctions:

1. Tom Banton

Tom Banton has been picked by KKR at his base price of INR 1 crore

Tom Banton is an English cricketer who burst onto the scene during the 2017-18 season of England’s domestic T20 blast season. He has made rapid strides at a young age, impressing all by his unorthodox yet effective style of stroke-making. The fact that he is a dynamic wicket-keeper adds a completely new dimension to his game, a prospect Kolkata Knight Riders would look to utilize during the 2020 edition of the IPL.

Banton’s exploits for Somerset did not go unnoticed when he was signed by Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League for the 2019-20 season, and strong showing in the shortest format across the globe culminated in his selection for England’s T20 International side in 2019.

Though it is early days as an England international, Banton’s numbers in T20 domestic games is astonishing with 663 runs in 21 games at a strike-rate of 150 plus. The fact that KKR were able to pick England’s latest batting sensation at his base price of INR 1 Crore without any resistance from other franchises arguably makes it a smart move from the Dinesh Karthik-led side.

2. Chris Green

Chris Green

Chris Green is a South African-born Australian all-rounder, most famous for his economical spin bowling in T20 cricket across the world. Green plays for the New South Wales in Australia’s domestic circuit while he has also represented Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League along with playing the PSL for the Lahore Qalandars and Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL.

In 59 T20 games, the Aussie has picked up 45 wickets and scored 407 runs, though what stands out is his economy. Green, with an economy of 6.57, has been the best in the last 1 year in T20 cricket surpassing some legends of this format including Rashid Khan, Imran Tahir and Sunil Narine.

Green, a relatively unknown face for most of the franchises, was bought by KKR for his base price of INR 20 Lakhs. Though it seems difficult for Green to be picked up straight away ahead of Narine, the Bengal franchise could throw in a surprise in the form of the Aussie all-rounder.

3. Jimmy Neesham

Jimmy Neesham would be eager to set his IPL record straight

New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham is a solid cricketer who has been a handy contributor for the Kiwi side in white-ball cricket. Neesham has played 114 T20 games, scoring 1615 runs at a strike-rate of 138.96 and picked up 108 wickets at an average of under 26. The southpaw has always been a decent performer for his country, though it has always been overshadowed by contemporary all-rounders of his time.

Neesham who has been part of the IPL in the past, having represented Delhi and Kolkata in the previous editions, but failed to make much impact would be eager to set the record straight in the upcoming edition of the Indian T20 league. The Punjab franchise surely did a good job buying a cricketer, with over 1000 T20 runs and more than 100 wickets under his belt, at his base price of INR 50 Lakhs.