IPL 2018: Kings XI Punjab may go for Bangladesh explosive batsman in the Auction

As the Indian Premier League Auction draws closer, there has been a lot of buzz regarding the choices of franchisees. However, if reports are to be believed, Kings XI Punjab owner Preity Zinta has shown a keen interest in Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal. The Bangladeshi opener has been in tremendous form lately. Playing across different leagues like the Natwest T20 Blast, Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistan Super League, the 28-year-old has slammed 433 runs in 16 innings.

He last played in the Indian Premier League during the 2012 and 2013 season. The star batsman from Bangladesh was previously a part of the now-defunct Pune Warriors India for two years. While the stint wasn’t quite memorable for him as well as the team, he is expected to be amongst the hottest picks in this year’s auction.

List of Bangladesh players in Auction

According to bdcrictime, in the upcoming auctions, a total of 8 Bangladeshi players are expected to go under the hammer. The list includes the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah Riyad, Abul Hasan Raju, Liton Kumar Das, etc. On the other hand, Shakib Al Hasan is also expected to have a huge demand amongst franchisees.

The all-rounder was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders for the past seven years. With KKR having already retained two foreign players in the form of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, it would be interesting to see who buys the versatile all-rounder.

Mustafizur Rahman is another big name from Bangladesh in the auctions. With the availability of a quality pacer in the T20 format always a concern, there’s no doubt he will be sought after. Also, his left arm cutters have proved to be sensational in the earlier seasons of the IPL. The IPL Auction is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on the 27th and 28th of January.

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