IPL 2022: 5 uncapped Indian wicketkeepers who might attract big bids in mega IPL auction

Here are 5 uncapped Indian keeper-batters that can attract a huge bid in IPL 2022 mega auction.

The IPL 2022 mega auction is reportedly going to happen in February next year and given that two new teams have been added to the mix, a mega auction will be taking place with most of the big-name players expected to be bid upon.

Not only the original eight teams, but the two new teams- Lucknow and Ahmedabad- will also be in the fray for the crème of cricketers in different roles. One of the most in-demand roles is that of a wicketkeeper-batter who can score runs and keep well given the fast pace of the T20 game.

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The recent domestic white-ball domestic tournaments have thrown up some very good names who are excellent with gloves behind the stumps and with the bat including the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Therefore, TEAM COC presents five uncapped Indian wicketkeeper-batters who can entice the IPL franchises into bidding huge sums for them.

N JAGADEESAN (TN)

Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan has been in the IPL mix for some years, being part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad. Jagadeesan boasts of a decent record of 906 runs in 43 T20 matches with 5 half-centuries to his name and a strike rate of 117.66.

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He had a good outing in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021, where he scored 253 runs in 8 matches with the best score of 102 and one half-century as well. He averaged 31.62, hitting 26 fours and 1 six. However, what brought him into the spotlight was his performance in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2021.

He made 336 runs in 10 matches with a best of 95 and a strike rate of 125.37 hitting 27 fours and 12 sixes for Chepauk Super Gillies. He is safe behind the stumps with the gloves and can be a handy batter anywhere in the batting order.  

SHUBHAM ARORA (HP)

Shubham Arora made headlines after scoring a brilliant 136* for Himachal Pradesh against Tamil Nadu in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 in Jaipur. He had a brilliant outing in the tournament, scoring 313 runs in 8 matches with one century and one fifty with an average of 44.71 and strike-rate of 84.13.

Arora may attract bids as many franchises will be on the lookout for a keeper who can open the batting as well, which opens up a spot in the playing XI for an additional batter or bowler.

PRABHSIMRAN SINGH (PUN)

Punjab keeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh had made his IPL debut for Punjab Kings and the 21-year-old has played 30 T20 matches thus far scoring 822 runs with one century and five fifties to his name at a strike rate of 136.77.

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His maiden T20 century came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy 2021, where he scored 200 runs in 5 outings at a strike rate of 136.98 hitting 21 fours and 7 sixes. Given that he is a young and rising star, franchises may bid for him as a backup keeper and groom him for the future.

 SHELDON JACKSON (SAU)

Sheldon Jackson is a known name in Indian domestic cricket and returned to the Saurashtra fold this season. He has previously played in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore franchises and was part of the KKR fold for the IPL 2021 season.

He had an excellent outing in the domestic T20 tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 271 runs in 6 matches with a best of 79* and a strike rate of 141.88. He hit 25 fours and 13 sixes for Saurashtra.

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In the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, Jackson made 250 runs in 7 matches including the best score of 134 at an average of 35.71 and strike-rate of 90.90, hitting 25 fours and 5 sixes. Jackson would come in handy for the IPL franchises, which are looking for an experienced keeper-batter in their unit.  

KS BHARAT (ANDH)

KS Bharat was extremely impressive in the IPL 2021 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side, scoring 191 runs in 8 matches with a best of 78*. Apart from this, he is widely regarded as one of the best keepers in Indian domestic cricket.

In the recent white-ball tournaments in India, Bharat scored 129 runs in 5 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with the best score of 70*. However, he fared well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 50-over tournament.

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Bharat became the first batter in tournament history to score two back-to-back scores of 150 plus in one edition. He made a total of 370 runs in 5 matches with a best of 161* at an average of 92.50 and a strike rate of 108.18. Most impressively, he hit 15 sixes and 28 fours.

Bharat is highly expected to be on the radar of multiple franchises given his batting acumen and the fact that he is one of the best keepers in the country.