The IPL 2024 auction is scheduled on December 19. Here are five overseas players who could break the bank in the upcoming IPL 2024 mini-auction.
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A total of 1,116 players have registered themselves for the IPL 2024 auction, including several international heavyweights. The final auction list will be pruned down as the franchises are requested to send in the list of players they want to see in the auction.
With this being a mini-auction where a maximum of 77 slots are to be filled, of which only 30 can be overseas players, the demand-and-supply ratio will be skewed, resulting in players going for a lot of money.
Overseas international stars will be the most sought after ones, given the generally rare-to-find skillsets they bring. Here are five overseas players who could go for big money in the IPL 2024 auction.
Five overseas players who could get huge bids in IPL 2024 auction
Travis Head
Head will be one of the hottest properties at the IPL 2024 auction for obvious reasons. The trend of overseas players performing against India, preferably in India, right before the auction and getting huge bids has been prevalent for a long time now.
Head, with his century in the World Cup final against India, followed by several quick cameos at the top in the subsequent T20I series has made sure that every team looking for a gun top order batter will have an eye on him.
Rachin Ravindra
The 24-year-old southpaw from New Zealand was a revelation in the 2023 World Cup, finishing with 578 runs from ten games. His strike rate of 106.44 in the World Cup gave a glimpse of what he can potentially provide in T20s.
Add to his batting abilities his slow left-arm spin and Ravindra becomes an all-round package that most teams would want to have a piece of. He has also shown that he is a good player of spin, another box ticked for skills required to succeed in the IPL.
Daryl Mitchell
Mitchell was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the 2023 World Cup, finishing with 552 runs at a strike rate of 111.02, with two centuries, both against India. Over the last few years, he has been a rock in New Zealand’s batting line up in all formats.
His T20 career record stands at more than 4,000 runs at an average of 30.8 and a strike rate of 135. His spin-hitting prowess will give him a major advantage in the auction compared to other overseas batters.
Mitchell Starc
Starc has registered for the auction for the first time since IPL 2014. One of the deadliest white-ball fast bowlers in the world, particularly with the new ball, Starc will be in high demand in the IPL 2024 auction, especially among teams lacking in the fast bowling department.
The last time Starc registered for the IPL auction in 2014, he was sold for INR five crores to Royal Challengers Bangalore. With RCB having released almost all of their bowlers, they might eye Starc once again.
Gerald Coetzee
The 23-year-old South African quick impressed in the 2023 World Cup with his speed and his heart. He picked 20 wickets from just eight games and bowled an unchanged eight-over spell in the semi-final against Australia that will be remembered for a long time.
Coetzee also has big-hitting abilities, making him part of a rare group of fast-bowling all-rounders. Given his skills and youth, Coetzee will be in high demand in the auction.