A total of 323 international and domestic players are set to go under the hammer on Thursday when the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for the 2020 edition gets under way in Kolkata.
While the auction will not be a full-blown affair with the various franchises already retaining a strong core of players, there will still be several big-name signings up for grabs.
Here, we look at the five overseas stars who are sure to garner plenty of interest from the eight teams in Thursday’s auction.
Glenn Maxwell
After giving the IPL a miss in 2019 in order to prepare for the World Cup, Glenn Maxwell is sure to grab plenty of attention in the auction on his return. The maverick Australia all-rounder has not always lived up to his reputation in the IPL, although there is no denying that he is capable of some absolute brilliance when he is in the mood.
He has been away from international cricket of late in a bid to concentrate on his mental health, and the IPL could provide him with the perfect opportunity to get back into the thick of things without the added pressure.
His IPL career strike-rate from 69 matches is 161.13 and it shows how quickly he can change a game when he is out in the middle. Add in his athleticism on the field and handy part-time off-spin, and Maxwell would be a no-brainer acquisition for most teams.
Pat Cummins
Making his return to the IPL after a gap of two years is Pat Cummins – the No1 ranked Test bowler in the world. The Australian pacer has been going from strength to strength over the past three years at the international level after a frustrating seven-year period marred by a spate of injuries.
While his Test prowess is currently unmatched, Cummins has been making all the right noises in T20s as well and recently made his comeback to the Australia side. The 26-year-old’s T20I record is excellent with 32 wickets in 25 appearances at an enviable economy-rate of just 6.77.
He had a strong IPL campaign in 2017 with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in which he claimed 15 wickets in 12 matches and that previous experience in the competition is bound to be another attractive facet of his potential signing.
He is, without a doubt, the most elite pacer to be up for grabs and expect teams such as RCB, Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab to go all in for his signature.
Chris Lynn
The explosive Australian opener was released by KKR after a below-par IPL 2019 campaign, but he will have no shortage of suitors come Thursday. The 29-year-old showed what he is all about in a recently concluded T10 League in Abu Dhabi where he twice came within inches of registering a ton in the 10-over competition.
Lynn has proven pedigree in the IPL with six previous campaigns under his belt, mostly coming at Kolkata. His overall record in the competition is pretty solid with 1,280 runs at an average of 33.68 and a strike-rate of over 140.
The right-hander hasn’t managed to tie down a place in Australia’s T20I set-up and will be determined to use the IPL as a launch pad for his international comeback.
Shimron Hetmyer
An underwhelming IPL debut campaign where he scored just 90 runs in five innings saw Shimron Hetmyer released by RCB ahead of the 2020 auction. However, if his latest displays are anything to go, the Bangalore franchise will already be regretting that hasty decision.
The Windies batsman has rediscovered his lethal touch and it is India’s bowlers who have been bearing the brunt of his bat in the past few days. The left-hander looked in supreme form in the three T20Is between the two sides but his real masterclass came in the first ODI in Chennai where he smacked 139 off just 106 balls to guide Windies to a record run-chase at the venue.
With that showing, Hetmyer has now accumulated five tons in just 38 ODI innings and looks destined to fulfill the hype that has followed him since his breakout. What will fuel further interest from IPL franchises is how confident he is against spinners, particularly on Indian conditions.
Aaron Finch
The Australia limited-overs skipper is no stranger to the IPL, having turned out for seven different franchises during the course of nine campaigns. His T20I stats are as good as they come with the opener having collected 1,878 runs in 58 matches at a staggering strike-rate of 156.50.
He also boasts of two international tons in the format along with 11 half-centuries with a highest score of 172. While his IPL returns have been modest in comparison, Finch has been firing on all cylinders in the international arena and that should see him have plenty of interested parties in Thursday’s auction.
That he brings with him the added skill set of captaincy and leadership will come as a welcome bonus to many teams as well.
