The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction 2022 is just around the corner. Out of the total 590 players who have been confirmed the auction pool, 220 of them are foreign players.
The IPL has over the years witnessed several top overseas batters take centrestage and produce some match-winning performances for their sides.
There are 10 teams in the mega auction this time with the inclusion of Lucknow Super Giants and the Ahmedabad franchise, so the auction, as well as tournament proper will be bigger than ever.
Some big names like David Warner, who is looking for a fresh start this year, have been released by their respective teams.
Players like the Australian have been successful in the tournament over the years, with Warner himself having won the Orange Cap thrice, so there will be a lot of demand at the auction for such overseas batters.
With the mega event getting closer, let’s take a look at five overseas batters who could go for big money at the IPL 2022 auction:
David Warner (Australia; Base price: Rs 2 crore)
Australia’s David Warner may not have had the best of seasons last time around in the IPL. After three productive seasons between 2017 and 2020 (He did not play in 2018 due to the ball-tampering scandal) where Warner scored over 400 runs each season, all he could manage in 2021 season were 195 runs from eight matches.
File image of David Warner. Sportzpics
Warner has been synonymous with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise, having led them to a title win in 2016. Apart from the title, Warner has even had successful seasons with the bat, winning the Orange Cap in 2015, 2017 and 2019 seasons of the league. However, the Aussie failed to replicate that form in 2021. A poor start for SRH in 2021 meant that Warner was stripped of captaincy midway through the season. Kane Williamson took over from Warner, and once the IPL resumed in September, Warner found the going tough, playing only a couple of games in the second phase.
Later, it was imperative that David Warner would be one of names being released by SRH, and him parting ways with SRH was confirmed in December 2021.
On his day though, Warner can be a destructive batter with an impeccable stroke play, so it should be of no surprise if there’s a bidding war for Warner at the IPL auction.
Jonny Bairstow (England; Base price: Rs 1.5 crore)
England’s Jonny Bairstow has been plying trade for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL since the 2019 edition.
2019 saw him produce the most in terms of batting, scoring 445 runs from just 10 matches at a strike rate of 157.24. In the 2020 season, he followed it up with 345 runs from 11 matches, albeit with a lesser strike rate of 126.83.
And while Bairstow did play the India leg of the disrupted IPL 2021 season, he opted to give the UAE phase a miss.
Last season, he amassed 248 runs from seven matches during the India leg of the tournament.
It’s not often that an England cricketer and an Australia cricketer team up to win matches for their side, but Bairstow formed an explosive partnership with Warner during the duo’s days at the SRH franchise, stitching together several century-run partnerships, with their most notable being a 185 together against RCB at Hyderabad in 2019.
On his day, Bairstow can be take the game away from the opposition single-handedly and is a versatile top-order batter who can bat in any of the top four positions.
The 32-year-old is also a trustworthy wicketkeeper. In his IPL career so far, Bairstow has completed 18 catches, along with four stumpings.
With his experience and caliber, Bairstow could be well sought after, and could be in heavy demand at the auction table.
Quinton de Kock (South Africa; Base price: Rs 2 crore)
Quinton de Kock, South African wicketkeeper-batter, enters the IPL 2022 auction at a base price of Rs 2 crore and there’s no doubt that he will be in huge demand.
De Kock was traded to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 2.8 crore following the IPL 2018 season when he played for RCB, and he impressed for Rohit Sharma’s side, aggregating 529 and 503 runs in 2019 and 2020 editions respectively, with four fifties in each of these two seasons.
Runs-wise, 2021 was not much of a big year for de Kock, accumulating just 297 runs from 11 games at a strike rate of 116.1. That even coincided with MI narrowly missing the playoffs.
But he did play some game-defining knocks across IPL 2019 and IPL 2020 when Mumbai Indians won consecutive titles. All in all, in three seasons with MI, the South African has amassed 1329 runs.
De Kock is someone who brings leadership experience to the team, and can also bat well against pace and spin.
Though he didn’t have best of times in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he came back to form in the recently concluded ODI series against India, scoring 229 runs from three matches at 76.33 including a century and a fifty, helping the Proteas win the series 2-1.
We can expect fierce bidding for the Proteas wicket-keeper batter at the auction.
Faf du Plessis (South Africa; Base price: Rs 2 crore)
Another South African on the list, Faf du Plessis will be on the radar of several franchises come the IPL 2022 auction.
Du Plessis has been a permanent figure at Chennai Super Kings since 2011, barring 2016 and 2017 when he turned up to play for Rising Pune Super Giant during CSK’s suspension.
File image of Faf du Plessis. Sportzpics
He’s played 100 IPL matches, accumulating 2935 runs at a strike rate of 131.08.
He may not have scored an IPL century but Du Plessis was in stupendous form last season, aggregating 633 runs from 16 matches at a strike rate of 138.20. In fact, he narrowly missed out on the Orange Cap, to his CSK teammate Ruturaj Gaikwad, who ended up as the leading run-scorer with 635 runs.
It goes without saying that Du Plessis had an impactful season last year. He even played a scintillating knock of 95* against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) that helped CSK clinch an 18-run win.
Once again, in the final of last edition, Du Plessis showcased his batting prowess with a 59-ball knock of 86, that would later help CSK clinch the title by beating KKR in the final.
Recently, Du Plessis scored an unbeaten 83 in a Bangladesh Premier League match, playing for Comilla Victorians.
With years of experience by his side and his knowledge of the game, it would be of no surprise if we witness a bidding war for the Proteas batter.
Nicholas Pooran (West Indies; Base price: Rs 1.5 crore)
He may not have had the best of IPL seasons in 2021, but Pooran is highly rated in the international circuit. He is seen as one of the most talented batsmen in the West Indies setup.
Pooran enjoyed a stellar IPL 2020 season, where he aggregated 353 runs from 14 matches for Punjab Kings, scoring at a strike rate of over 169.
The wicketkeeper-batter from West Indies can tackle spin very well, and on his day when he is in his groove, power-hitting is his major strength.
Pooran has an IPL strike-rate of 155, the fifth highest in the all-time list, and he could well be an asset for any franchise, especially the likes of RCB who are looking for wicketkeeper options.
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