IPL Auction 2020: 3 players who can start a bidding war between RCB and MI

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Looks like this year's IPL player auction, due to be held in Kolkata later this month, will see the Indian captain and vice-captain adopt contrasting strategies!

With 27.90 crore rupees at their disposal, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are likely to be amongst the busiest teams at the auction this year. They have a total of 12 slots available in their squad, including six overseas ones.

Reigning champions Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, didn’t release as many players from their squad as RCB. With a comparatively much more settled squad, they seem to have got most of their bases covered, with room for two, or at most three, players. For that purpose, they can make use of the 13 crore rupees they have in their purse.

Coming to the bidding wars, here are 3 players who can pit RCB against MI in the upcoming IPL 2020 auction:

#3 Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn
Chris Lynn

Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to release Chris Lynn raised quite a few eyebrows as he was in decent form last season. He scored more than 400 runs at an average of 31.15 and a strike rate of 139.65.

Now that Lynn is up for grabs, both MI and RCB will be extremely interested in buying him. While RCB’s middle order is fairly strong with the likes of Moeen Ali and AB de Villiers holding fort, they lack an explosive player at the top of the order and Lynn might just be their man.

Follow Sportskeeda for more Cricket news.

MI might also look to have him on board as a back-up option for Quinton De Kock, who is currently the first-choice opener with Rohit Sharma.

Lynn’s recent form with the bat has been outstanding as well. He finished the Abu Dhabi T10 league as its highest run-scorer, notching up 371 runs in the tournament at an average of 53 and a whopping strike rate of 236.30.

#2 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa couldn’t live up to his reputation last season and, expectedly, wasn't provided with an extension contract by KKR. The 34-year old could only manage 282 runs in the 12 games he played, all at a modest strike rate of 115.10.

While he might not have been able to deliver last season, he is a proven performer in the IPL. He ranks eighth in the list of all-time leading run-scorers in the tournament with a tally of 4411 runs at an average of 28.83 and a strike rate of 130.50.

RCB could do with an experienced batsman in the middle order who knows the Indian conditions and can read the game well and Uthappa might be the ideal fit to serve that purpose. He plays spin well and can milk the bowling in the middle overs as he has done over the years for KKR. That he can keep wickets is an added bonus.

There is a chance Mumbai might also bid for Uthappa as they don't have too many domestic Indian batsmen in their arsenal, apart from Surya Kumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan who are the first choice options.

#1 Eoin Morgan

<a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/player/ejg-morgan' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Eoin Morgan</a>
Eoin Morgan

The IPL franchises, in the past, have shown an unwillingness to bid for Eoin Morgan. The England white-ball captain has gone unsold on multiple occasions which is surprising as he is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball at the moment.

Morgan was the second-highest run-scorer for England in the recently played T20I series against New Zealand, scoring 192 runs in 5 games at a strike rate of 193.93. He carried his form to the Abu Dhabi T10 league as well, where he struck it at a rate of 186.17 per 100 balls.

RCB might be keen on Morgan this time around as he can form a lethal combination with AB de Villiers in the middle order. There is a possibility that MI might also go for Morgan as most of their middle-order batsmen are right-handers and Morgan, being a left-hander, will provide them another dimension.

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

Quick Links

Edited by Anurag Sharma