IPL Auction 2020: 5 unsold overseas players from last season to look out for

It's been 5 months since IPL 2019 ended and the teams have already started preparing for the next season. Some teams have changed their coaching staff and team management while MI and DC indulged in a trade swap which saw Mayank Markande head to Delhi with Sherfane Rutherford swapping out for him.

The trade window closes on 14 November and the teams need to sort out their combinations before the auction which is scheduled to be held on 19 December in Kolkata.

But only a small percentage of those listed for auction are actually bought by the teams and the others go unsold. But sometimes, the unsold players are ones who might've benefited certain teams and the team management often regret their choice to not raise their paddle for them.

On that note, let's take a look at 5 unsold players from last season who could sell big this season.

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#5 Glenn Philips (New Zealand) - WK Batsman

Glenn Philips has been brilliant in franchise cricket.

The aggressive, young keeper batsman from New Zealand has already made his name among the T20 elite after impressing for the Jamaica Tallawahs in CPL 2019. He has featured in 11 matches for the national team in the T20 format but the young opener failed to make an impact often falling prey to needless loose shots. So as expected, Glenn Philips went unsold last season with a base price of ₹50 lakh.

But after an extended stint for Auckland in the domestic circuit, Philips has once again skirted around the national team. The 22-year-old scored 374 runs from 10 matches at a brilliant strike-rate of 144.96 in the CPL and could be the solution to the problems of few teams.

He is still an unknown commodity and will cost relatively less than someone like Alex Carey and he could clearly solve the problems of teams like RCB and KKR.

#4 Eoin Morgan (England) - Batsman

Eoin Morgan is a decent player to seek out at the auction.

It has been a dream year for Eoin Morgan. The England skipper led the England side to the ultimate sporting glory as England lifted the 2019 Cricket World Cup, their first in their long cricketing history. But strangely, this veteran cricketer known for his innovation and high strike-rate in the shorter format has been unsold in the IPL auctions from quite a few years now and that seems to be about to change.

Morgan set a pretty lofty base price (₹2 crore) for himself at the auction last season and that might have been the reason he got the short straw. But after his exploits in the World Cup where he scored 371 runs averaging 41.22 with a strike-rate of 111.07, he's sure to attract some interest. His ability to hit sixes stood out in the game vs Afghanistan where he smashed 17 of those while his leadership qualities too make him an attractive option.

He was brilliant in the Vitality Blast scoring 341 runs from 9 games with an average of 42.62 and a brilliant strike-rate of 168.61. Morgan has tons of experience in T20 cricket and has scored close to 6000 runs at an average of 27. With good form in both T20s and ODIs, Morgan is a perfect middle-order batsman who can play the role of a big hitter as well as a partnership builder and could be sought out by teams like KXIP, KKR and DC.

#3 Rassie Van der Dussen (South Africa) - Batsman

Rassie Van Der Dussen could be a smart buy.

Someone who oozes effort and determination every time he walks on to the field, Rassie Van der Dussen has toiled to make his way to become a regular in Proteas colours. He was the lone spark for them in a disappointing World Cup campaign as he scored 311 runs from 8 innings averaging 62 at a balanced strike-rate of 90.01.

He has also consistently proved his credentials as a T20 player with strong performances in the Mzanzi Super League and on national duty as well. He went unsold in last season's auction despite setting himself a very affordable base price of ₹50 lakh.

He played really well in the Global T20 Canada 2019 scoring 208 runs in 5 innings averaging 52.00 at a great strike-rate of 161.24.

He is a perfect No.3 or 4 T20 batsman and fits in right into the scheme of things at KKR or KXIP and is likely to attract more suitors this season.

#2 James Neesham (New Zealand) - All rounder

Neesham is one unlucky player!

James Neesham had a brilliant World Cup scoring 258 runs in 10 matches averaging 36.85 at a solid strike-rate of 84.86 and picked up 15 wickets.

His ball-striking ability is evident in the way he goes about his game and he has tons of T20 experience to go along with it. Having already played for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, Neesham knows what the league demands and while he may not have been up to the task then, he definitely is now.

He picked up 11 wickets from 10 games in CPL 2019 playing for the Trinbago Knight Riders at a good bowling average of 26.50 while scoring some handy runs with the bat. He has made some big scores with the bat in T20 cricket and continues to be a perfect all-rounder in the limited overs format.

After going unsold last season, Neesham has everything going for him to land a huge IPL contract this season.

#1 Sheldon Cottrell (West Indies) - Fast bowler

Sheldon Cottrell celebrating a wicket.

Of the hits and misses in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the emergence of a certain fast bowler who won as much attention for his terrific bowling as for his salute celebration was the biggest. The advent of Sheldon Cottrell bodes well for West Indies as for many T20 franchises as the left-arm pacer has shown tremendous quality in both the formats.

He picked up 12 wickets from 9 games at a good bowling strike-rate in the World Cup and was brilliant with the new ball. He was unlucky not to pick up more wickets and really tested the batsmen. In addition to being a great fielder, he also was very good in the death overs compared to his team-mates and has a brilliant yorker. After being unsold at last season's auction, Cottrell has revelled in the T20 format as well after shining in CPL 2019.

Cottrell has picked up 111 wickets from 77 matches in T20s and has a tremendous economy of 7.44. In the recently concluded CPL 2019, he picked up 12 wickets from 8 matches averaging 18.33 with an economy of 7.83. The 30-year-old has enough experience and skill to lead a pace attack on his own and is the overseas pacer who every team will want to get this season.