5 Players who can turn out to be expensive buys at IPL 2019 auction

Having done with the retentions and the releases, now the focus has shifted to the upcoming IPL 2019 auction that is expected to take place on 18th of December with Jaipur being its reported venue. The auction will see as many as 66 released players and other newcomers going under the hammer. The IPL governing council is yet to announce the player list as of now.

With just over two weeks to go for the auction, the franchises are scratching their head hard to mark out their players for the twelfth edition of the extravagant league. Before the eight teams get on the field to contest for a beautiful silverware, the eight franchises will have to fight it out in a virtual battle at the auction. Making their way to the auction, all the franchises would have marked out specific players that they would want to signup at any cost.

However, considering mutual choices amongst the franchises, we could expect some of the players to get higher bids and even create the possibility of a bidding war. Thus, in this feature, we take a look at five players who could turn out to be expensive buys at the IPL 2019 auction.

1. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell is the new ‘Million Dollar Baby’ – the headlines read when the Australian batting all-rounder signed the expensive deal of 1 Million USD (INR 5.38 Crore then) with Mumbai Indians at the 2013 IPL Auction. At that point in time, the deal seemed far-fetched as Maxwell was struggling to present his case in international cricket. Moreover, he didn’t play a single game in IPL 2013 despite being the highest paid player that year.

However, today the same deal looks legit, to be precise far more reasonable, for a player of Maxwell’s stature. The Australian is undoubtedly a blast in T20 cricket. With exceptional power-hitting skills and being more than an able bowling hand, he is a hot affair in T20 cricket, especially franchise-based T20 cricket. Besides, of late, Glenn has been in a blazing form both with the bat and the ball.

Having amassed 506 runs at an astounding average of 36.14 and an outstanding strike-rate of 143.75, Maxwell is third highest run-getter for Australia in T20Is this year. To add fire to it, he has also taken nine wickets at an average of 14.33, strike-rate of 11.30, and economy of 7.58.

Thus, with sublime form up his sleeve, Maxwell could be a definite choice for all franchises at the IPL 2019 auction which could again make him the most expensive buy.

2. Oshane Thomas

The tall and strong-built Jamaican bowler took the world by storm when he clocked 150 clicks on the speed gun in the recently concluded T20I series between India and West Indies. The pace wasn’t the only takeaway from his bowling. Besides that, he showed great temperament while bowling certain lines which troubled the batsmen more often than not.

Taking it to the numbers, Oshane registered decent match figures in all the T20Is that he played in the series against India. Having played all the three games, Thomas grabbed three wickets at an average of 30.33, strike-rate of 24.00, and an economy of 7.58.

In addition to that, he has had decent numbers in CPL (Carrebian Premier League) as well. Being a part of 14 CPL games for Jamaica Tallawahs, Thomas has taken 23 wickets at an excellent average of 18.4, brilliant strike-rate of 13.00, and an economy of 8.40.

Hence, with plenty to offer, Oshane Thomas could turn out to be the most sought-after bowler in the auction which could also make him the highest bid player.

3. Hazratullah Zazai

Hazratullah Zazai, the batting prodigy from Afghanistan, became a household name in the cricket circles after the successful completion of APL 2018 (Afghanistan Premier League). Zazai had an incredible season with Kabul Zwanan in APL this year. In APL, he also became the first Afghan and sixth overall (all forms of competitive cricket) to hit six sixes an over.

Having featured in 10 games for Kabul Zwanan in APL 2018, the left-handed batsman amassed 322 runs at an excellent average of 32.20 and a high strike-rate of 193.97. He also scored a hundred and a fifty. Besides, with as many as 322 runs, Zazai was also the second highest run-scorer in the league.

Henceforth, with a strong bottom hand and an ability to slog the white cherry out of the ground at regular intervals, Hazratullah could gather a decent number of bidders which might make him one of the most expensive players in the auction.

4. Shimron Hetmyer

Another West Indian player who grabbed a lot of eyeballs in the recent series between India and West Indies was a Guyanese batsman Shimron Hetmyer. The left-handed batting prospect was in sublime form in the ODI series against India as he notched-up 259 runs at an impressive average of 51.80 and a splendid strike-rate of 140.00.

Although Hetmyer wasn’t able to carry forward the ODI momentum into the T20I series, he put forward a strong case against the world while making it aware of his exploits as a limited-overs batsman. Besides, he has excellent T20 numbers to market himself in the Indian Premier League.

Hetmyer has played 18 T20s and has scored just below 500 runs at a decent average of 31.12 and an excellent strike-rate of 144.34. He also has two fifties and a solitary century to his name in T20s.

Thus, with an appropriate combination of talent, power, and temperament, Hetmyer will be on most franchises’ wish list at the IPL 2019 auction. Hence, he could undoubtedly be one of the most expensive buys.

5. Sam Curran

Sam Curran, the left-handed bowling all-rounder from Surrey, shot to fame with his fantastic performance against India in the Test series that took place in August-September this year. With sharp in-swinging deliveries, Sam created havoc amongst the Indian batsmen as none of them was able to counter him against the red cherry.

To add some flair to his performances, Sam contributed with the bat as well which frustrated the Indian bowlers more often than not as he helped the Englishmen deepen their batting line-up. His exploits aren’t limited to the longer formats as he has been an influential player for his domestic T20 side as well.

Having played 47 T20s, Curran has scalped 42 wickets at an average of 28.47, strike-rate of 20.7, and an economy of 8.24. Besides that, he has decent numbers with the bat as well. In his T20 career, he has scored 478 runs at an average just below 16 and a strike-rate close to 119.00. He also has a fifty against his name.

Thus, with all-round skills in his arsenal, Sam Curran could turn out to be a tempting option in the IPL 2019 auction. Moreover, with speculations of IPL shifting to South Africa, Curran could attract higher bids as he will be a suitable option in the South African conditions.

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