OPINION
Follow UsThe IPL Mega Auction is all set to take place after four years. A lot of buzz has been generated with regards to the players going under the hammer. Right from Chris Morris to Pat Cummins, IPL franchises have shown the willingness to go all-out for the prime players at auction in the last few years.
However, at the same time, there are also a lot of talented cricketers who haven't been quite lucky at the auction. We have seen big names going unsold as well. However, with the mega auction, franchises are looking to create teams from scratch and there's a good chance that some of them may finally get a bid.
Here, we take you through some of the likely contenders.
Jason Roy
Jason Roy has been renowned for his batting exploits at the top-order for England. In the IPL, he has played three seasons for different teams and given a few glimpses of his batting prowess. However, he was brought in as a replacement on all these three occasions.
The right-handed batter has been quite unlucky when it comes to IPL Auction. Despite going under the hammer several times, Roy has been picked just once in the Auction. The single instance happened in 2019 when Delhi Capitals got him for a steal price of 1.5 CR. He didn't get to play a single game in that season though.
This time around, Roy will be in popular demand owing to his current form. He slammed a 49-ball hundred in his very first game at the PSL this season against a bowling attack featuring Shaheen Afridi and Rashid Khan. He also put up decent performances in the IPL and the T10 League. In the previous Big Bash League season, Roy scored 355 runs at an average of 32.27 for the Perth Scorchers.
Alex Hales
If BBL numbers are to go by, then Alex Hales' domination in the tournament can't go unmentioned. Hales was the leading run-getter in the previous season (2020-21) with 543 runs to his name. Even this year, he scored 383 runs at a strike rate of 148.44 in 13 innings. Surprisingly, Hales has never found buyers in the IPL Auction since going under the hammer for the maiden time in 2014.
The English opener was roped in as a replacement twice - in 2015 for MI where he didn't play a game and then during the 2018 season where he replaced David Warner in SRH. However, Hales didn't have a great season and has never featured in the IPL post that. With his latest string of performances, the opener has given a strong statement and has a good chance of finding a bid.
Paul Stirling
A premier T20 opener who can provide a power-packed start at the top is always a valuable option for any IPL franchise. Paul Stirling ended 2021 as the highest run-scorer in ODIs. The opener also topped the batting run-charts in 2021 for Ireland in T20Is with a tally of 482 runs in 16 innings. In September, he also went on to register his first T20I century against Zimbabwe.
Besides his uprising in the international format, Stirling has also taken the PSL by storm with a strike rate of 181.55 at the top order for Islamabad United. He can be a good weapon to be unleashed in the powerplay overs and to dominate opposition bowling attacks. Stirling can also roll his arm as an off-break bowler with 70 wickets in T20 cricket.
David Wiese
David Wiese is another name that has been out of IPL for a while now. The all-rounder was sold for 2.8 CR in the 2015 IPL Auction and responded with great returns, batting at a strike rate of 141.86 and picking 16 wickets. However, he played only one game in 2016 and was thereafter released by RCB.
Wiese started playing for Namibia in 2021 right after becoming available for selection. He lifted their campaign at the T20 World Cup with two Man of the Match performances, hence propelling them to the Super 12 stage above Ireland and Netherlands. He also had a healthy strike rate of 225.76 at the T10 league. For someone who has a knack of picking wickets and also hitting a few out of the ground, Wiese is a fantastic asset to any T20 side.
Adil Rashid
England's leading wicket-taker in the shortest format, it often comes as a surprise that Adil Rashid hasn't managed to attract buyers in the IPL Auction. The leg-spinner finally got a chance to feature in the tournament last year after Punjab Kings got him in as a replacement of Jhye Richardson. He only featured in a single game though.
While Rashid usually operates in the middle overs, he has also donned the new ball during the powerplay which provides flexibility to any captain. He was England's best bowler at the T20 World Cup with nine wickets at an average of 16.22 and an economy of 6.53 in six matches. His lower-order batting can also be handy, which together makes him a fantastic prospect in the shortest format.
Matthew Wade
Not many might recall, but Matthew Wade had represented Delhi Capitals (back then Daredevils) in the IPL back in 2011. He played three games that season. A decade later, an IPL comeback is on the cards. Wade rose to prominence following his quickfire finish of 41* (17) in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup. The southpaw hit three consecutive sixes against Pakistan's best bowler, Shaheen Afridi to seal the win.
The big moment players have always been eye-catching for the franchises. Especially with someone like Wade who can be multi dimensional as a batter and also ace the glove work behind the stumps. Wade's numbers seem quite plain but he has a strike rate of close to 140 in T20Is since 2020. In the recently concluded BBL, he played two solid knocks of 93 (46) & 83* (54) at the top-order while leading the Hobart Hurricanes.
All said and done, it promises to be an exciting mega auction. Let the paddle-raising begin!
