10 Players who are expected to get the best contract in IPL 2018 auction

All those years back in 2008, a tournament commenced with an expectation to build an entertainment platform and that turned out to be one of the greatest sources of income for the organizers and the players in cricket history. Indian Premier League (IPL) has well and truly changed the dynamics of the game, bringing innovativeness, fearlessness and most importantly, a lot of money into the sport.

This T20 extravaganza was launched with a motive to create a major impact within the country, but the way this tournament created a havoc around the world was completely unexpected. IPL started competing with some of the biggest leagues in the world like English Premier League (Football), NBA (Basketball), NFL (American Football) and various others from different sports in terms of viewership, average crowd turnout per match and is catching up in terms of revenue.

Cricket’s popularity escalated in various countries with the inception of T20 cricket and IPL’s success has been the most important contributing factor. Next edition of the IPL is almost 6 months away, but there are a lot of people waiting for the tournament to commence. The fan favourite Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will be back after serving a 2-year suspension and there will be a full-fledged auction for the 11th edition in February.

There were a lot of rumours suggesting that all the player will be in the auction poll as the BCCI plans to put the retention policy to bed. But that might not happen considering the fact that the financial fair play will get subdued. Hence, we created a list of players for whom the franchises might break the banks and most certainly, a lot of auction records will get shattered this time.

Note: ‘Expected auction price’ is the amount we believe that particular player might fetch in the upcoming auction

1. Joe Root (England)

Expected auction price: Rs. 5 Crore to Rs. 7 Crore

Joe Root deserves to be paid an expected price in this range, as his potential in limited-overs cricket along with leadership abilities is a huge asset for any team. The English Test skipper has proven his worth across all formats, making the national team a force to reckon with in the last few years.

He recently expressed his desire to play in the IPL and the England team director Andrew Strauss suggested the board has no intention to compete with the IPL, which means most of the big English names will feature in the next edition. If at all a player of Root’s calibre joins this elite tournament, its status will only rise and the fans would take the privilege to welcome the 26-year-old.

2. Ben Stokes (England)

Expected auction price: Rs. 15 Crore to 17 Crore

This 26-year-old lad requires no introduction as he is already touted as the greatest all-rounder of this generation. Rising Pune Supergiant bought Ben Stokes for Rs. 14.5 crore and he returned the favour by winning the Most Valuable Player award and played a crucial role in driving the team into the finals. To be fair from all the players who cost such a hefty price in IPL history, he was the only person who did justice to the contract money he was paid.

Considering the fact that this guy can perform even with the pressure a heavy price tag attached to his name, franchises will battle it out against each other to rope him into their team. His all-round abilities and being equally good in all the trades is what makes him such a special player and he’s quite a valuable asset to have on any side.

3. Krunal Pandya (India)

Expected auction price: Rs. 6 Crore to Rs. 8.5 Crore

Mumbai Indians would absolutely love to retain him, but there are a lot of other players in the team who’ve been a valuable part of their journey all these years and the elder one of the Pandya brothers might feature in the auctions. Krunal Pandya played a gem of an innings in the finals of the IPL 2017 and over the last two years, he has been a sensational find for his franchise.

Given he’s an uncapped Indian player and has such a fabulous record, it’ll come as no surprise if the franchises spend big money on him. Of late, his performances in South Africa representing India A were spectacular and just like his brother, he’s a three-dimensional player who adds a lot of stability to the side.

4. Chris Gayle (West Indies)

Expected auction price: Rs. 8 Crore to Rs. 10 Crore

One of the legends in the business, Christopher Henry Gayle is probably nearing the final phase of his career, with not a lot of cricket left in him. With the explosive talents already available in the Royal Challengers Bangalore ranks, they might not prefer to retain him for the coming season. This means we might see the best T20 batsman in the auction this February.

No matter

how old he is, one thing is certain that his value in the shortest version will remain sky high. Taking his experience, record, and current ability into consideration, Gayle might still get a whopping amount and induce a war amongst the bidders.

5. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)

Expected auction price: Rs. 5 Crore to Rs. 6 Crore

One of the brightest young prospects in the fraternity, Kagiso Rabada has been lethal with his aggressive fast bowling over the last couple of years. He has great pace and manages to hit the right areas on a regular basis. In all formats, he has proven his worth and that buys him an entry into this list.

Every team needs a marquee bowler in their side and he is definitely one such bowler who can be trusted with the crucial overs. Tymall Mills was sold for a whopping Rs. 12.5 Crore last time, which means franchises are ready to spend good amounts on fast bowlers. It’ll come as no surprise if his asking price exceeds the amount mentioned above.

6. Chis Morris (South Africa)

Expected auction price: Rs. 7 Crore to Rs. 9 Crore

One of the most underrated players in the current generation, Chris Morris’ value for the side is inexplicably high. With the ball, he terrorizes the opposition and with the bat as well, he always performs when his side needs him. His ability to hit the big shots in crunch moments makes him a brilliant pinch hitter and finisher.

His performances for Delhi Daredevils was outstanding last year and it’ll be interesting to see how much money the team owners are willing to shell out for the all-rounder. The 30-year-old still has a lot of cricket left in him. His value in the shortest version is something people are not oblivious to and no matter where he goes, he will become a fan favourite for sure.

7. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Expected auction price: Rs. 6.5 Crore to Rs. 8.5 Crore

Rashid Khan became an immediate sensation in the IPL after his spectacular rendition in the 10th edition for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was bought for a handsome amount in the auction and the teenager lived up to the expectations picking up crucial wickets for his side and chocking the opposition more often then not.

The way he blended with Bhuvneshwar Kumar was one of the stories of the season and the Afghan Teenager will definitely cost a lot of bucks this coming auction. Sunrisers Hyderabad might fail to retain him and he will definitely become one of the most expensive spinners in IPL history.

8. Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Expected auction price: Rs. 6 Crore to Rs. 8 Crore

The South African skipper was under the shadow of AB de Villiers for a long time in his career, but it’s important to remember a fact that he’s as good as anyone in the game. A match-winner in his own way, du Plessis is one of the most versatile batters around.

He previously represented Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant, but didn’t get enough opportunities to prove his worth. Out of all the marquee batsmen, he might fetch a relatively lesser price and 5-7 Crore but the investment is definitely worth considering.

9. Jos Buttler (England)

Expected auction price: Rs. 5.5 Crore to Rs. 8 Crore

One of the most explosive middle-order batsmen in the fraternity, Jos Buttler was made to open the batting for Mumbai Indians and he didn’t disappoint. The Englishman will have a lot of demand in the auction as there ain’t many cricketers around who can finish the innings like him.

He played a crucial role in England’s rise in the last few years, giving the team solid finishes and even played some sensible knocks based on the need of the hour. He has the versatility to adapt to different situations and he has proven it time and again. A bidding war is definitely on cards when his name comes up as a wicketkeeper-batsman with such propensity is a rare talent.

10. Evin Lewis (Windies)

Expected auction price: Rs.5 Crore to 7 Crore

The 25-year-old Evin Lewis already has 2 T20 International hundreds after his name, both against India. He is a typical West Indian batsman, who brings the Caribbean flavour with every shot he plays. Without a shadow of a doubt, he’s one of the best openers available in the world at present.

Though franchises have enough openers to look forward to in the auction, they often consider fresh legs as the tournament is long and stressful. His performances in CPL 2017 were brilliant as well and the scouts must’ve already sent a message to the franchises that he ready to be a part of the IPL.