The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick start with the all-important auction in Kolkata in December. While most teams are stocked up on resources, they will want to fill those final few spots in the squads.
While India as such has remained distant from other leagues around the world, the IPL has always welcomed foreign talent from these leagues. The 2020 auction could also be one where a lot of performers from foreign leagues will get attention. Here we take a glance at five players who might be on the radar of most teams.
1. Tom Banton (England)
- Base Price: Rs 1 crore
- Key Performance: Vitality Blast 2019
- Inns: 13, Runs: 549, Avg: 42.23, SR: 161.47, 100s: 1
A prodigious talent at 20 years of age, Tom Banton’s 360 degree game has got him some massive attention in recent times. The Somerset opener took the Royal London One Day Cup by storm after exhibiting his prowess in the knockout matches.
The flashy opening batsman, who forged a formidable association with Babar Azam at the top this season in the Vitality Blast, hit a century in the quarter-finals and followed it up with a fifty in the semi-finals and yet another half-century, a 67-ball 69 in the finals.
The ease with which he executes his scoops and reverse laps has earned Banton a huge social media following and other leagues have started to take note. The Big Bash League franchise, Brisbane Heat has signed him up for the upcoming season and IPL could also take cue with quite a few franchises expected to be interested in him.
2. Laurie Evans (England)
- Base Price: Rs 40 Lakh
- Key Performance: Vitality Blast 2018 and 2019
- 2018: Inns: 14, Runs: 614, Avg: 68.22, SR: 135.84
- 2019: Inns: 13, Runs: 358, Avg: 44.75, SR: 139.29
At 31 years, Laurie Evans is perhaps in the prime of his career, but an England call-up has eluded him so far. That hasn’t prevented him from consistently racking up the numbers in the T20 Blast. In the 2018 Vitality Blast, Evans slammed 614 runs at an average of 68.22, the highest scorer in the season. The middle-order batsman had a base price of 40 lakh in the IPL 2019 auction but went unsold, perhaps because the franchises weren’t yet sure if he can be consistent enough.
As though to meet their requirements, Evans has continued his purple patch in the 2019 season too, making 358 runs at an average of 44.75 while striking at an even better rate than before. His reputation has grown from a domestic talent to someone who can excel in the shortest formats across the globe.
The rest of the leagues have started taking him seriously. Rajshahi Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League, the Kabul Zwanan in the Afghanistan Premier League and a T10 league side have acquired his services. The IPL could be waiting this time around.
3. Blair Tickner (New Zealand)
- Base Price: Rs 50 Lakh
- Key Performance: Super Smash 2017/2018 and 2018/19
- 2017/18: Inns: 11, Wickets: 21, Avg: 15.76, Eco: 8.07
- 2018/19: Inns: 9, Wickets: 16, Avg: 15.93, Eco: 7.72
New Zealand fast bowlers and the IPL have a rare connect. Think Mitchell McCleneghan or Tim Southee or Trent Boult or Lockie Ferguson. That Indian franchises have invested in young New Zealand players is testimony to the fact that they acknowledge the potential they carry. Latest in line is the Kiwi seamer Blair Tickner. The Central Districts fast bowler is a fine death bowler and a wicket-taking option.
He grabbed 21 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 15.76 in the 2017/18 Super Smash season, topping the wicket charts. Following it up with another fine season in 2018/19, Tickner grabbed 16 wickets at an average of 15.93. He enrolled for a base price of 20 lakh in the last season’s IPL auction but went unsold. This time around, though, a better deal might well await him, especially after he showed his potency in his T20I debut against India at Hamilton.
4. Brandon King (West Indies)
- Base Price: Rs 50 Lakh
- Key Performance: Caribbean Premier League 2019
- Inns: 12, Runs: 496, Avg: 55.11, SR: 148.95, 100s: 1
The Guyana Amazon Warriors opener Brandon King roared into limelight this season in the Caribbean Premier League as he topped the run charts with 496 runs at an average of 55.11. The team finished as runners up in the season that finished on 12 October, but King shone yet again in the finals with a 33-ball 43.
Before the season, King was a rather unheralded opening batsman with very ordinary numbers. But this season, he has transformed himself, notably with an exceptional ability to handle spin bowling.
Scoring quickly against spin is what makes King a promising pick. The West Indian batsman is someone who backs his power game against spin and as such could be a very promising player this IPL auction.
5. Rilee Rossouw (South Africa)
- Base Price: Rs 50 Lakh
- Key Performance: Bangladesh Premier League 2019
- Inns: 13, Runs: 558, Avg: 69.75, SR: 150, 100s: 1
Rilee Rossouw is a familiar name in the International cricket circuit. The South African middle-order batsman has also appeared in the IPL in two separate seasons for Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, a Kolpak move to England has also given him a longer shelf life in the T20 leagues and he has shone in the format in different leagues, most notably in the Bangladesh Premier League.
The BPL isn’t usually a breeding ground for IPL talent but Rossouw’s claim to fame is different. Gun middle-order batsman for South Africa, Rossouw left by taking a Kolpak right when his career was starting to blossom.
By showcasing his abilities in the BPL, Rossouw has done what several of his mates have failed to do – show the IPL franchises that he can handle slow, low decks. Rossouw made the 2019 season his own by making 558 runs at a stunning average of 69.75 for the Rangpur Riders. A recall to the IPL this auction cannot be ruled out, particularly with the stocks of some of his South African mates falling in recent times.
(Rohit Sankar is a freelance cricket writer. He can be reached at @imRohit_SN.This is an opinion piece. The views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
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