File image of Sam Curran© AFP
India’s biggest sporting gala is not too far from the horizon but the buzz for the Indian Premier League begins this December with the player auctions. The IPL auctions are a tense and exciting affair as teams try to outbid each other for some of the hottest properties in T20 cricket. The 16th edition of the IPL will see 991 players register for the auctions which are to be held in Kochi on the 23rd of December, 2022. The auctions will see some of the biggest all-rounders in world cricket go under the hammer and teams will be vying to get them into their rosters. Past seasons have seen teams perform extremely well if they have highly valued all-rounders in their squads and this year’s auctions have some big names who have consistently performed well in both the international and domestic T20 circuits.
The following are the three all-rounders who will be perfect buys for teams in IPL 2023.
Ben Stokes (Base Price: INR 2 crore):Considered by many to be one of the great all-rounders of modern cricket, there is no doubt that Ben Stokes will be one of the biggest buys of the IPL 2023 Auctions. The all-rounder was the most expensive player in the 2018 IPL auctions when he was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 12.5 cr. Stokes is widely known as an expressive cricketer who relies on his instincts to get his team out of tight situations. Stokes also has great leadership abilities and his character is looked upon by youngsters in the team, which makes him the perfect role model to have on the side. Stokes did not feature in last year’s IPL as he wanted to focus on his mental health and well-being, but the former Rajasthan Royals man will be gearing up for the 16th edition of the tournament and can expect a lot of paddles raised to sign the left-handed all-rounder.
Shakib Al Hasan (Base Price: INR 1.5 crore): One of the finest cricketers to emerge from Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan has been the backbone of a plethora of teams in his decorated cricket career. The all-rounder is known for his consistency, accuracy and aggression with the ball in hand and has a wide range of shots when batting. His confidence and temperament have led him and his sides to perform at the biggest stages both internationally and domestically. He has represented Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and a lot of teams will be looking to bring him into their squads not just for his cricketing prowess but also for his unmatched experience and ability to handle pressure in clutch situations.
Sam Curran (Base Price: INR 2 crore):Sam Curran comes into the IPL 2023 Auctions riding on the success of England’s win of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The young all-rounder had an outstanding World Cup, not only winning the Man of the Match award in the finals but also the Man of the Series award in the tournament. The talented all-rounder has already shown great performances for Chennai Super Kings in previous editions of the IPL and is highly effective with both bat and ball. Sam Curran’s growing experience, coupled with his leadership qualities make him an ideal buy for IPL teams. His ability to clear the fence even as a lower-order batsman and his accuracy when bowling at the death make him an ideal buy for any team at this year’s auction.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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