The IPL 2018 auction is scheduled to take place on January 27 and 28 and with just 2 days to go for the mega event, teams and franchise officials will be looking to finalize the list of players they want to go after in the auction.
Every team wants a rapid fast bowler, someone who can intimidate the opposition openers and clean the tail. Having express pace and having to bowl just 4 overs in a game, gives the fast bowlers no reason to contain themselves and go all out. The best and true fast bowlers come from outside India and they have the experience of bowling on Indian pitches.
Here are 5 such foreign fast bowlers to watch out for in the IPL 2018 auction:
KAGISO RABADA (SA)
South African Kagiso Rabada made his IPL debut last year for Delhi Daredevils and impressed one and all with his pace and accuracy. Rabada recently became the youngest bowler to become the no.1 test bowler.
With speeds in excess of 140 kmph and ability to bat lower down the order, Rabada will definitely on the list of players to use RTM cards on by Delhi Daredevils. If they don’t, Rabada can very well break the bank with his bidding amount in the auction.
PAT CUMMINS (AUS)
Pat Cummins was another wonderful addition to Delhi Daredevils team last year. Along with Rabada, he provided a potent opening bowling attack for DD in the IPL 2017. Cummins will be back in the auction this time, as he wasn’t retained by his franchise. Every team wants an out and out fast bowler and Cummins is a genuinely quick bowler who has shown that he can bowl on the lifeless Indian pitches during last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Cummins will be a hot property when his name comes up for auction on January 27’s IPL 2018 auction.
MITCHELL STARC (AUS)
Mitchell Starc served RCB very well for two IPL seasons, before taking a break last year to focus his energies on getting fit. Starc has put his name back in the IPL auction this time and prices will soar when his name comes up for the auction.
Starc is on his way to becoming one of the greatest left-arm fast bowler of the modern era and has already become the no.1 strike bowler for Australia. With express pace and ability to bowl yorkers, Starc can wreak havoc with his pace with only 4 overs to bowl in a T20 match. Definitely one of the must buy players in the upcoming IPL 2018 auction.
TRENT BOULT (NZ)
Kiwi Trent Boult is not only a brilliant left-handed fast swing bowler but also a great fielder anywhere in the field. Boult was brilliant against Pakistan in the limited overs format series recently, picking his career-best 7 wicket haul. Boult played a big role in SRH winning the IPL title in 2016 and now will enter the auction with eyes of all the franchises on him.
LASITH MALINGA (SL)
Lasith Malinga wasn’t retained by Mumbai Indians for IPL 2018 edition. He has played for MI since 2009 and now after almost a decade, the pace of Malinga is gone, all that remains is the guile and experience that he has to offer. A team like Rajasthan Royals or Kings XI Punjab will benefit from someone like him, sharing his experience with young bowlers in the team.
