The IPL auctions are upon us and it is that time of the year again where the team owners are pondering upon which player would best suit their respective sides.
As we all know, each team is allowed to field only four international players in each match, and due to this, it makes it a little harder for the owners to decide which international player to pick in their team and how much they should shell out to buy them.
Due to this international quota, a lot of high-quality international players were released by the squads recently and are up for grabs at the upcoming auction which will be held in Bangalore during the third or fourth week of February.
In this article, we take a look at the top 5 international cricketing stars that could potentially start a bidding war at the auction.
#5 Eoin Morgan
England’s limited-overs captain has been performing exceptionally well over the past few years or so and has been guiding England to numerous victories in the shorter format of the game.
He has been on song in the recently concluded series against India and has been able to take on the opposition bowlers with ease. His performance in the 2nd ODI against India where he almost took his side over the line with a sublime century will not be forgotten for a long time.
His attacking prowess is vital to England’s middle order and he would be an asset to whichever team he joins. He has played for three IPL teams so far but has not achieved a lot of success with either of them.
However, given the current form he is in, and his consistency in the middle order and his ability to finish games off with ease, we can expect a high price for this Englishman.
#4 Martin Guptill
This 30-year-old is one of the few batsmen all over the world who has consistently performed well in all the ODI and T20 format. He has provided the New Zealand batting line-up with a lot of stability at the top and has proved to be extremely dangerous and has formed a formidable partnership with Tom Latham in ODIs as well.
Unlike many of his teammates, Guptill took part in the IPL only once, in 2016, for the Mumbai Indians franchise. He played only three games where he managed to score 57 runs with a high score of 48 against the Delhi Daredevils.
He will be on the radar of teams who are looking for an opener to propel their innings and give them an explosive start.
#3 Mitchell Johnson
Mitchell Johnson’s performance in the recently concluded Big Bash League goes to prove that he just keeps getting better with age. He produced two magical performances in the semifinals and the finals of the tournament which helped the Perth Scorchers achieve their third BBL title.
He gave away only 3 runs in 4 overs and bagged 4 wickets as well in the Scorchers’s semifinal victory and gave away only 12 runs in the final against the Sydney Sixers.
Extra Cover: 5 Big Bash players who could start bidding war in the IPL auction
Ever since his retirement in 2015, Johnson has continued to bamboozle batsmen with his fearsome deliveries and this could be an asset to any side in the IPL. The Kings XI Punjab would surely be regretting their decision to release him prior to the auctions.
#2 Morne Morkel
The South African speedster has been out of action for a while now for the national team but has been extremely active in various domestic tournaments where he has proved his worth. One of the fastest and most fearsome bowlers in the world, Morkel has always proved to be a threat to the opposition batting line-up.
Morkel brings with him an immense amount of experience which would come handy for any side in the IPL. He has played in over 100 ODIs for South Africa and over 150 T20s in domestic tournaments around the world.
He has played for the Rajasthan Royals for three years after which he moved to Delhi and proved to be one of their most successful bowlers. He even picked up the purple cap in 2012 for picking up 25 wickets. He was with the Kolkata Knight Riders for the past couple of years but was released by them last month.
#1 Ben Stokes
This enigmatic all-rounder has been a revelation of sorts for the England cricket team. Having been touted as the next Andrew Flintoff, he has certainly proved his worth with his exceptional performances with the bat and ball and has in fact been much better than Flintoff was.
Stokes has not played in the IPL so far. He took part in the Big Bash League in 2015 where he was a part of the Melbourne Renegades franchise.
With his ability to decimate opposition bowlers with ease and cause constant trouble to the batsmen with his bowling, he would surely go for a high price in the auction. In fact, Indian star Yuvraj Singh, too feels that he would fetch big bucks in the upcoming auction. He will also reportedly receive a pay cut from the England cricket board if he plays in the IPL this year.
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