The IPL mega auctions were previously held in 2018. Teams had the option of retaining up to 3 players and picking 2 players based on RTM cards. This enabled franchisees to keep their core team intact. As the IPL was an 8-team tournament then, many of the talented players had to miss out. Especially the overseas contingent had to get a raw deal. But with the addition of two new teams in the mix expect these players to grab big contracts in this auction. Here are 5 Overseas Players Who Might Earn Big In 2022.
We look at 5 such overseas players who earlier went unsold in 2018 but might end up winning big in 2021:
#5 Lockie Ferguson
Lockie Ferguson was one of the standout pacers in IPL 2021. His express pace proved to be hot to handle for batters in Dubai. Ferguson has clever deception of pace too that rankles most batters. He will be one of the most sought-after pacers in the mega auction. Imagine a team like Mumbai signing Ferguson and him partnering with Bumrah. Wow, it will be a great sight!
#4 Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram’s game has improved remarkably in the past year. He was in sublime form in the World Cup. Markram played the situation wonderfully well mixing adventurism with caution. He went berserk against England in the league stage smashing bowlers to all corners. Markram is a solid captaincy candidate too. Expect him to fetch good numbers this auction.
#3 Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood put on a stellar show in both the IPL and the T20 World Cup. He was one of the unsung heroes for both CSK and Australia. Hazlewood played a stellar role in title-winning campaigns for both teams. His miserly lines and lengths suffocated batsmen in the middle. Batsmen found it really difficult to score runs off him.
Teams have understood his value. He will go for big bucks in the mega auctions. CSK might go all guns blazing to retain him in the auctions.
#2 Jonny Bairstow
It is hard to imagine that a player like Jonny Bairstow went unsold in an auction. To be fair, he wasn’t the explosive batsman that we know him now. In 2019, SRH invested in him and reaped rich dividends. Bairstow was SRH’s standout batsman in the last 3 seasons. His strike rate above 150 and average nearing 40 is a testimony to that fact.
Bairstow is one of those rare openers who strikes big from ball one and keeps going at it. Teams will love to have an opener like him. Bairstow may end up getting a heavy deal in the mega auctions.
#1 Jason Holder
Jason Holder is one of the most underrated all-rounders in world cricket. He is a proven match-winner with both bat and the ball. Holder was one of the few batsmen who scored huge in a wicket like Sharjah. He is almost always good with the ball too.
Holder will benefit largely from playing for a team that values his contribution. If a franchisee believes in him being their X-Factor, then Holder surely can do wonders for them. He will be going for good money this mega auction.
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