The list of overseas players signed up at IPL 2020 contains several star names, a few surprises, and some of the most expensive signings in the Indian Premier League’s history.
There were some shocks among those not picked up, with Carlos Brathwaite and Martin Guptill not finding homes, while Pat Cummins broke the record for the most expensive overseas buy in the tournament until now.
A total of 62 players were bought from an initial list of 338 players, 29 of which were overseas names. Below are the 10 most expensive overseas signings at the auction, followed by the entire list of international players set to appear at the IPL 2020:
Pat Cummins – Kolkata Knight Riders
Pat Cummins, the Australian quick, has not played the last two editions of the IPL, but roared his way back into the tournament with a massive final bid of INR 15.5 Crore by Kolkata Knight Riders. It made him the most expensive overseas buy in the IPL ever, beating Ben Stokes’ price of INR 14.5 Crore in IPL 2017, and the second-most expensive player ever, across all auctions held so far.
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Pat Cummins became the most expensive overseas player in the history of the IPL auction[/caption]
The No.1-ranked Test bowler in the ICC rankings, Cummins has taken 34 wickets in 25 T20Is for Australia. In 16 IPL matches across three seasons [2014, 2015 and 2017], he has picked up 17 wickets, with a best of 2-20. He has played for Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians as well as the Knight Riders in the past.
Glenn Maxwell – Kings XI Punjab
This isn’t the first time Glenn Maxwell has gone for a huge sum; In the 2013 auction, he was the most expensive player. At the IPL 2020 auction, he was bagged by the Kings XI Punjab, a franchise he’s played for between 2014 and 2017. Maxwell has also played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2018, before withdrawing from the 2019 season, right after he was released by the franchise.
GLENN MAXWELL BAGS BIG MONEY!
He is sold to KINGS XI PUNJAB for INR 10.75 crore after a long battle with Delhi Capitals! #IPLAuction2020
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 19, 2019
Maxwell went for INR 10.5 Crore, after intense bidding between Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab in the second set of the auction. In 69 IPL games so far, between 2012 and 2018, Maxwell has racked up 1397 runs, with six fifties, and a strike-rate of 161.13.
Chris Morris – Royal Challengers Bangalore
The South African all-rounder has been a regular feature in the IPL over the last six years, ever since he made his debut for Chennai Super Kings. At the IPL 2016 auction, he became the second most expensive player at INR 7 Crore, when he was bought by Delhi Daredevils.
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Explosive all-rounder Chris Morris finished high on the list of most expensive overseas players at the IPL 2020 auction[/caption]
He missed the 2018 season due to injury, and was released by Delhi Capitals at the end of IPL 2019. Ahead of IPL 2020, he was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 10 Crore, far more than his base price of INR 1.50 Crore.
Sheldon Cottrell – Kings XI Punjab
Cottrell, the West Indian left-arm pacer, made a name for himself during the 2019 World Cup with his quick, accurate bowling, and with the now-famous salute celebration. He ended the tournament as West Indies’ leading wicket-taker, with 12 scalps in nine games.
Just ahead of the IPL 2020 auction, he picked up seven wickets in five white-ball games in India, which intensified the buzz around his name. On auction day, Cottrell’s name started a bidding war between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals, before Punjab sealed the deal at INR 8.5 Crore.
Nathan Coulter-Nile – Mumbai Indians
It was a field day for Australian players, including Nathan Coulter-Nile, who, next year, might feature in his first IPL game since 2017. A bustling pacer who generates pace from his tall frame, and a more-than-handy lower-order batsman, Coulter-Nile was snapped up by Mumbai Indians for INR 8 Crore, eight times his base price.
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Australian overseas Nathan Coulter-Nile might play his first IPL game since 2017 in 2020[/caption]
Coulter-Nile has, in the past, played for Delhi, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bangalore, and has picked up 36 wickets in 26 games, from 2013 to 2017.
Shimron Hetmyer – Delhi Capitals
The West Indian power-hitter was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of IPL 2019, his first season of the tournament. He managed just 75 runs in five innings and was released by the franchise at the end of the season. Hetmyer made waves in the lead up to the IPL 2020 auction, scoring a career-best 139 in an ODI against India, proving his worth in the kind of conditions he will confront in the IPL.
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On Thursday, he was poached by Delhi Capitals for a whopping INR 7.75 Crore, who fought off competition from Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Sam Curran – Chennai Super Kings
Curran turned out to be the most expensive English player at the auction, bagging a deal worth INR 5.50 crore with Chennai Super Kings, one of only four players they purchased at this auction. It was less than the amount Kings XI Punjab paid for the bowling all-rounder last year, spending INR 7.20 crore before IPL 2019.
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Sam Curran, player of the series against India in 2018, picked up a hefty pay packet at the IPL 2020 auction[/caption]
Curran’s Punjab stint consisted of a hat-trick – at 20 years old, he became the youngest ever to do so in the IPL. In nine games last season, he finished with 10 wickets.
Eoin Morgan – Kolkata Knight Riders
England’s limited-overs captain hasn’t played in the IPL since 2017, but went for a solid price at this year’s auction, riding high on the wave of the World Cup triumph. At INR 5.25 Crore, Morgan was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for his second stint with the franchise, having played with them from 2011 to 2013.
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England’s World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan was one of the most expensive overseas players at the IPL 2020 auction[/caption]
Morgan has features in 52 IPL games, also representing Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab across seven seasons of the tournament. He’s scored a total of 854 runs at 21.35, with a strike-rat of 121.13.
Marcus Stoinis – Delhi Capitals
Stoinis found a new franchise in Delhi Capitals two days afterhe was dropped from Australia’s one-day team. The all-rounder was poached by Capitals in the second round, for a meaty price of INR 4.80 Crore.
Earlier this year, he was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the auction, having represented them in the 2019 IPL. In the past, he has also featured for Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab.
Aaron Finch – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Finch, Australia’s captain for limited-overs games, extended his association with IPL, into the 10th season, after bagging a new IPL franchise to add to the list of his previous seven. Finch has played for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab, but it was Royal Challengers Bangalore who bagged him for IPL 2020, for INR 4.4 Crore.
In 75 IPL games, Finch has racked up 1737 runs and 13 fifties.
IPL 2020 overseas players list – complete set of buys at the auction
Chennai Super Kings
Retained: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Imran Tahir, Lungi Ngidi
Bought in auction: Sam Curran, Josh Hazlewood
Delhi Capitals
Retained: Sandeep Lamichhane, Kagiso Rabada, Keemo Paul
Bought in auction: Jason Roy, Chris Woakes, Alex Carey, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis
Kings XI Punjab
Retained: Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hardus Viljoen
Bought in auction: Glenn Maxwell, James Neesham, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Jordan
Kolkata Knight Riders
Retained: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Harry Gurney, Lockie Ferguson,
Bought in auction: Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins, Tom Banton, Chris Green
Mumbai Indians
Retained: Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Sherfane Rutherford, Lasith Malinga, Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan
Bought in auction: Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile
Rajasthan Royals
Retained: Jos Buttler, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer
Bought in auction: David Miller, Tom Curran, Andrew Tye, Oshane Thomas
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Retained: AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali
Bought in auction: Aaron Finch, Chris Morris, Kane Richardson, Dale Steyn, Joshua Philippe
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Retained: David Warner, Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Billy Stanlake
Bought at the auction: Mitchell Marsh, Fabian Allen
