The cricket fraternity has witnessed countless action-packed thrilling encounters in the last 16 editions of the Indian Premier League. The fans will be going through yet another roller-coaster ride in the 17th season of the IPL. Meanwhile, all 10 franchises have already confirmed their retention list before the IPL 2024 auction.
The highly-anticipated auction will go all guns blazing on December 19 in Dubai. We can expect franchises to get involved in intense battles to sign the right players that suit their style. In the process, some big names are expected to earn the most expensive bids as well and let’s take a look at the five players who are highly likely to attract massive bids in the upcoming auction.
1. Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra made waves with the bat in the recently concluded ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 tournament. Plying his trade for the New Zealand cricket team, the left-handed batter played with finesse and bravery in the marquee event and drew plaudits for his exceptional batting performance.
Rachin Ravindra finished the tourney as the leading run-scorer for New Zealand and the fourth-leading run-getter in the tournament as he mustered 578 runs in 10 games at an average of 64.22. The Wellington-born cricketer is one of the big names who can earn the most expensive bid in the IPL 2024 auction.
2. Mitchell Starc
Marking the presence in international games contributes to the player’s legacy, and national duties are significant in terms of loyalty and commitment. Mitchell Starc has always believed that representing the national team is often considered the highest honour and has often prioritized national duties over IPL.
Australia’s experienced paceman, Mitchell Starc had earlier expressed his interest in taking part in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. The veteran cricketer took 16 wickets in 10 games for Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023 and is surely one of the big names to earn the most expensive bid in the upcoming auction.
3. Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga is known for his potential to bowl a variety of deliveries such as leg-spin, googly, and so on. His skill in varying his deliveries makes him a challenging bowler for batsmen to pick. He has also troubled the batters and kept them in check with his well-disguised flipper.
The Sri Lankan international was one of the potent spin weapons for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the cash-rich Indian Premier League but was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. He is one of the cricketers who is certain to get a massive bid in the auction. Hasaranga took 35 wickets in 26 games in IPL.
4. Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan is often recognized for his power-hitting abilities, a trait that has helped him to clear the boundary ropes with relative ease. Thus, making him a valuable asset in the shortest format. His performances in IPL have contributed to his growing reputation as a promising young batsman.
Punjab Kings acquired him for INR 9 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction. However, he came under for his underwhelming performances, scoring 117 and 156 runs in the next two seasons. As a result, the Mohali-based franchise released him. Overall, he played 33 matches and scored 426 runs in the league.
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5. Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa was a phenomenal performer for Australia in the bowling unit in the recently concluded ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. The right-arm leggie finished the tournament as Australia’s leading wicket-taker and was also the tournament’s second-leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets in 11 games.
He was released by the Rajasthan Royals franchise ahead of the IPL 2024 auction and taking his rich vein of form into account, he is very much certain to attract the bidders in the auction.