Virender Sehwag tips Ben Stokes to fetch higher value than Virat Kohli in the IPL 2018

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag recently tipped English all-rounder Ben Stokes to be the biggest attraction at the upcoming 2018 IPL auctions. Sehwag reckoned that the English superstar has every chance of toppling Indian captain Virat Kohli as the most expensive player in the tournament this year after the auctions. The auctions are set to take place next weekend in Bengaluru.

It is worth noting that Stokes is regarded as one of the hottest properties of the modern day cricket. Over the last couple of years, he has managed to evolve as a masterclass all-rounder. Albeit he has been out of international cricket action in the recent times, Stokes has had his fair share of time on the field whilst playing for Canterbury in the New Zealand domestic cricket.

Interestingly, it was Ben Stokes who had emerged as the costliest buy of the IPL 2017 auctions last year. He was roped in for a whopping amount by the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant franchise. He had justified every bit of the price tag that he carried. Stokes even scored a century in one of the fixtures leading his side to a thrilling win.

And now, with the 2018 auctions coming up, Virender Sehwag has backed Stokes to rewrite the history again at the auctions. Sehwag made his bold prediction in an exclusive video for CricketNext. In the video, Virender Sehwag also spoke about the various other topics revolving around the IPL auctions. Among the lot, the ones that caught the attention of many was about the best buys and the highest paid player.

Needless to reiterate, the English all-rounder has got the backing of Sehwag. Sehwag also spoke about how the teams could make use of their Right To Match cards at the auctions this year. The 2018 IPL auctions is set to be a bigger affair than all the previous ones in the history of the tournament.

A pool of 578 players have been shortlisted for the auctions this year. Among these players, there are 16 marquee players. There are as many as 182 slots up for grabs at the auctions. 18 players have already been retained by the franchises.

Catch more developments on this and top leading cricket news on CricTracker.