IPL 2021: 6 likely most expensive overseas players in the upcoming auction

A total of 292 players will go under the hammer on February 18 in Chennai in IPL 2021 auction.

On February 11, 2021, the IPL governing council announced the shortlisted players for the upcoming IPL 2021 auction. Out of 1114 players who had registered for the auction, the list was pruned to 292 players with 125 being overseas players.

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Though big names like Joe Root and Mitchell Starc opted out of the IPL 2021 auction, there is still lots of star power in the auction, which might be a short one given that the IPL 2022 auction will be a mega one with one more team likely to be added bringing the total number of teams to 9.

Therefore Team COC takes a look at six overseas players in this auction, for whom the franchises might break the bank to buy.

Check out the 6 likely most expensive overseas players in the upcoming IPL auction

KYLE JAMIESON (NZ)

New Zealand’s fast bowler Kyle Jamieson is an imposing figure. Standing at 6’8”, Jamieson towers over his teammates and has had a brilliant start to his cricketing career. He has 36 wickets in 6 Test matches including a 10-wicket haul. He also has 6 wickets in 6 limited over matches as well.

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Overall in 38 T20 matches, he has 54 wickets with a best of 6/7. This makes him an ideal choice for any franchise looking to add some serious pace to their arsenal.  Jamieson is also quite handy with the bat coming lower down the order and can add runs in emergency situations or give support to the batsmen in a tough chase.

JHYE RICHARDSON (AUS)

24-year-old Australian pacer Jhye Richardson has been touted as one of the most exciting talents in world cricket. He showed his mettle by dismissing Indian captain Virat Kohli three times in the three-match ODI series down under in 2019. This was enough to put him on the map as far as promise was concerned.

He made a triumphant return to cricket after missing substantial time due to a shoulder injury in the recently concluded BBL 10 and has registered for the IPL 2021 auction. He has done well on subcontinent pitches as well, and a franchise like Mumbai Indians, who released four of their overseas fast bowlers, will be highly interested in Richardson, who can complement Jasprit Bumrah well.

SHAKIB AL HASAN (BAN)

Shakib Al Hasan had missed the IPL 2020 due to the one-year ICC ban on him. Now that he has returned to international cricket after his ban ended, Hasan might become the flavor of the IPL 2021 auction, given his exploits as an all-rounder in the T20 format.

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The 33-year-old has 5080 runs and 360 wickets in 317 T20 matches and is vastly experienced in the IPL as well, playing for Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Hyderabad franchise suffered a lot due to his absence, as they tried to cover for his talents by tweaking their playing XI a lot, without big results.

Expect franchises to shell out big bucks for Hasan, as not only he brings his talents as an all-rounder to the table, he is also a potential captaincy material for any franchise looking for a new leader.

CHRIS MORRIS (SA)

Many people were surprised when Royal Challengers Bangalore released South African all-rounder Chris Morris after just one season with them in IPL 2020. A big burly fast bowler capable of hitting 150 kph with the ball and ability to tonk the ball hard as a finisher, Morris has a lot of value for franchises.

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Morris did quite well for the Bangalore franchise, picking 11 wickets in 9 matches, and he has shown his worth in the past for Delhi Capitals, where he succeeded with the bat and the ball. With him possibly being available for the entire IPL 2021, Chris Morris is an attractive proposition for all eight franchises.

GLENN MAXWELL (AUS)

Glenn Maxwell was already one of the most expensive buys in the IPL 2020 auction, bought by Kings XI Punjab for INR 10.75 crores. However, with just over 100 runs and no sixes in the entire season, Maxwell was released by the franchise.

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However, no one can doubt his abilities as a hitter and he showed his prowess in the limited-overs series against India at home which followed after the IPL 2020. Maxwell is also handy with the ball and can give 2-3 overs of good off-spin. He has a brilliant cricketing brain and is part of the leadership group in any team he plays.

Though his IPL career is somewhat below par, Maxwell can change everything now, especially after he admitted his Test career is as good as over and he is focusing on the white-ball cricket only for Australia.

DAWID MALAN (ENG)

Dawid Malan has been a revelation in T20 cricket for both England and in domestic T20 leagues as well. Currently, the no.1 ranked T20I batsman in the world, Malan has made 855 runs in 19 T20I matches for England with 1 century and 9 fifties at an average of 53.43 and strike-rate of 149.47.

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He is an extremely gifted and explosive batsman who is well versed with the art of dealing with spinners as well, something that many foreign players fail to do in IPL. Therefore there are teams who want an explosive batsman in top order and Malan fits the bill best and can look at an amazing payday on February 18 in IPL 2021 auction.