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10 new overseas players who will cause ripples in IPL 2018 player auction

IPL has always been dominated by young talent and this time does not seem to be any different either

Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been a platform for youngsters to showcase their talent, whether it is an overseas player or a domestic player. IPL has made careers of players from all around the world. It has been a hub of mystery bowlers and serves as a platform to display some clean-hitting skills. IPL 2018 promises to be no less as 578 players have signed up for the auction to be held on January 27 and 28.

The reshuffle of players will be interesting to witness as franchises will look to build a core team for next few years. For that, they will need impact players to deliver. While the focus will be on star players like Yuvraj Singh and Ben Stokes, franchises will also be looking to rope in players at a much lesser price but capable of making an impact.

Here is a list of 10 players who might fetch a million bucks in the auction –

D’Arcy Short (base price – Rs 20 lakh)
An Australian T20 sensation who recently got his maiden T20I call-up, Short recently said in an interview that “it feels like I can’t get out”. We don’t disagree. Short has scored 504 runs in Big Bash League (BBL) 2017-18 for Hobart Hurricanes. The left-handed opener recently broke the all-time record of BBL by scoring the highest individual score — 122.

He scored a total of 504 runs from 9 innings in the season at an average of 63. Short can be a fantastic addition to any franchise and get teams off to a good start in powerplay overs. He is pretty innovative with his shots as well and can use the pace of the ball to score runs square of the wicket.

With a base price of Rs 20 lakh, he is a steal deal. Though he is expected to go for a lot higher.

T20 career (batting) – 18 matches, 702 runs, Average – 41.29, Strike rate – 150.96, 1 century, 5 half-centuries

Mujeeb Zadran (base price – Rs 50 lakh)
Afghan left-arm spinner Mujeeb Zadran might just become the youngest player to be picked in the history of IPL. The 16-year-old came into the limelight when he picked up a five-wicket haul in the Under-19 Asia Cup final. Zadran has been in a phenomenal form in the 50-over format whether it is ODIs or youth ODIs. He picked up a match-winning four-wicket haul in his debut ODI against Ireland.

Mujeeb played in Bangladesh Premier League as well and bowled an economical spell for Comilla Victorians. Like Rashid Khan got a whopping Rs 4 crore deal in IPL 2017 auction, the off-spinner might get a similar did as well.

T20 career (bowling) – 7 matches, 5 wickets, Average – 30.20, Economy rate – 6.71

Evin Lewis (base price – Rs 1.5 crore)
In the current scenario, Windies batsman Evin Lewis is one of the most destructive openers in the world. Unlike Short, he has got the experience in T20Is which will work in his favour. The 26-year-old has 3 centuries to his name. He will surely be on the top of many franchises’ list in this season. He has scored two T20I centuries and is well equipped with a wide array of shots. He comes handy against the spinners as well and is capable of changing the game single-handedly.

Seems like Lewis is confident as well with his base price of Rs 1.5 crore.

T20 career (batting) – 84 matches, 2,657 runs, Average – 34.06, Strike rate – 146.06, 3 centuries, 19 half-centuries

Ben McDermott (base price – Rs 30 lakh)
McDermott is another player from Hobart Hurricanes who is capable of hitting big and has been in form for a while. Australia’s Ben McDermott has scored 228 runs in 9 innings this BBL season. McDermott is a utility player as the franchise also gets a decent wicketkeeper in him. In the previous edition of BBL, McDermott also scored a century. He is a valuable addition to the middle order and can be the perfect answer for a team searching for a wicketkeeper-batsman.

T20 career (batting) – 16 matches, 422 runs, Average – 32.46, Strike rate – 144.52, 1 century

Ashton Agar (base price – Rs 50 lakh)
T20 cricket is heavily dominated by all-rounders who can pick up wickets as well as contribute with the bat when the chips are down. Australian all-rounder Ashton Agar has been able to keep the run rate down and score well in the middle order for Perth Scorchers in BBL 2017-18. We might not see franchises fighting for him but he can get a contract in IPL this time around.

T20 career (batting) – 44 matches, 495 runs, Average – 22.50 runs, Strike rate – 124.06, 1 half-century

T20 career (bowling) – 44 matches, 37 wickets, Average – 33.40, Economy rate – 7.41

Mitchell Santner (base price – Rs 50 lakh)
Another all-rounder in the IPL 2018 auction, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner has played in the subcontinent conditions. He is a wicket-taking option and an attacking batsman in the middle order similar to that off Agar. Don’t go by his statistics, he is a much better batsman than that.

T20 career (batting) – 48 matches, 547 runs, Average – 20.25, Strike rate – 127.20

T20 career (bowling) – 48 matches, 46 wickets, Average – 24.26, Economy rate – 6.75

David Willey (base price – Rs 2 crore)
David Willey is yet another all-rounder from England. While Ben Stokes is expected to be the focus of the English picks, Willey might also end up bagging a decent deal. In international cricket, Willey is an underrated batsman in international cricket but in league cricket, he is a recognised all-rounder. Willey has backed himself ahead of the auction.

T20 career (batting) – 143 matches, 2,053 runs, Average – 23.87, Strike rate – 142.17, 2 centuries, 7 half-centuries

T20 career (bowling) – 143 matches, 139 wickets, Average – 21.54, Economy rate – 7.76

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Dawid Malan (base price – Rs 50 lakh)
English batsman Dawid Malan made a terrific T20I debut against South Africa. He scored a late bloomer in the international circuit. Malan has had an exciting career with two centuries to his name. He played in Pakistan Super League (PSL) as well. The only thing that might go against him is his inexperience on subcontinent pitches.

T20 career (batting) – 140 matches, 3,669 runs, Average – 33.66, Strike rate – 125.65, 2 centuries, 20 half-centuries

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Lungisani Ngidi (base price – Rs 50 lakh)
The 21-year-old South African fast bowler is getting praises from all around the world for dismantling the Indian batting lineup single-handedly in the second Test. Ngidi has got pace and bounce. He might be the one to watch out for in IPL 2018 auction as his T20 record is not bad either.

T20 career (bowling) – 39 matches, 43 wickets, Average – 19.41, Economy rate – 7.23

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Jofra Archer (base price – Rs 40 lakh)
Windies bowler Jofra Archer is currently playing in BBL 2017-18 as Ben Stokes replaced him in Canterbury squad in Super Smash T20 tournament (New Zealand). Archer made the most of it by taking 14 wickets in 9 games for Hobart Hurricanes. He can be handy with the bat as well in the lower middle-order. His raw pace and street-smart cricketing tactics might get him an IPL contract this time around.

T20 career (bowling) – 36 matches, 44 wickets, Average 22.77, Economy rate – 7.81

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It will be a tough competition between the 218 overseas players who will go under the hammer in IPL 2018 auction. There can be only 8 overseas players per franchise in the squad. The franchises will be looking for a utility player rather than going all guns blazing after a single cricketer.

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