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The 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction is almost upon us as 292 players will go under the hammer on February 18 in Chennai.
With the combined purses of all the teams amounting to nearly ₹200 Cr. and with only 61 slots left to be filled across the eight franchises, expect this year's auction to be a blockbuster event.
You can follow all the live updates from IPL Auction 2021 here
Out of the 61 slots, 39 are for Indian players, while 22 are reserved for overseas players. While this isn't a mega auction, there are still some star Indian players that will go under the hammer on February 18.
Here's a quick look at 3 Indian players who could potentially walk away with their pockets full after this year's IPL auction.
#3 Karun Nair
Karun Nair was one of the many players let go by the Punjab Kings (previously Kings XI Punjab). Over the years, the 29-year old batsman from Karnataka has been a vital cog in the middle-order of the Punjab-based franchise.
However, Nair's returns with the willow were rather poor the previous season after he managed to score just 16 runs in 4 outings. But don't let that fool you. With 73 IPL games under his belt, Nair is a seasoned campaigner. Apart from Virender Sehwag, Nair is the only other Indian batsman to have a Test triple-century to his name.
His record in the IPL is quite decent as well. He has scored 1480 runs at a strike-rate of 128.36 in 73 matches.
Expect Nair to cause a bidding frenzy between teams that are looking for a solid Indian middle-order batsman.
#2 Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav is yet another prospective option for teams that are looking for a powerful middle-order batsman who can also play the role of a finisher. CSK chose to part ways with the all-rounder after he had a couple of poor seasons.
Jadhav, who was also the designated finisher for the Indian team between 2016 and 2019, was bought by CSK for a whopping ₹7.8 Cr. back in 2018. However, he only played one game in that season owing to injury.
Jadhav had a dismal run in the previous edition of the IPL and his batting strike-rate for the season dipped below 100. He ended up playing just 8 games after he was dropped in favor of younger players like Ruturaj Gaikwad.
However, expect a lot of teams to have Jadhav on their radar. He's not only an experienced middle-order batsman, but is also a wily off-spinner and can bowl some handy overs if he's tossed the ball.
#1 Umesh Yadav
The 2021 edition of the IPL could prove to be a make-or-break season for Umesh Yadav. The pacer had a poor run with RCB in the 2020 edition and also fell out of favor with the Indian limited-overs team.
Yadav went wicketless in the 2 games that he played for his franchise last season and ended up leaking runs after failing to control the new ball. His poor showing with the ball led to his axing from the Bangalore-based franchise.
Nonetheless, Umesh Yadav is amongst the premier fast-bowlers in the country. Despite his recent struggles in the tournament, his overall record in the cash-rich league is quite impressive. He's managed to scalp 119 wickets at an economy rate of 8.51.
He is also the 10th highest wicket-taker in the tournament and his ability to swing the ball whilst also clocking speeds north of 140kph makes him a lucrative option for any team that's looking for an Indian fast-bowler.
Expect Umesh Yadav to cause a major tussle at the 2021 IPL Auction on Thursday.
You can follow all the live updates from IPL Auction 2021 here
Which Indian player do you think will walk away with the biggest price-tag? Let us know in the comments section below.
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