New Delhi: India’s biggest cricket carnival, i.e., Indian Premier League (IPL), is back in headlines with the official auction for 2024, set to take place on Tuesday, December 19, in Dubai. A total of 333 players are set to go under the hammer for the 77 open slots, with 30 out of those 70 slots reserved for overseas players. The auction of the overseas players always creates buzz in the IPL auctions, as they are the ones who usually go for big money in the bidding wars. Just a sleep away 🥳#IPLAuction | #IPL pic.twitter.com/jIqI78aTgb — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 18, 2023 After the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, completed in India, a month prior, lots of players have been under the radar of the franchises in the upcoming actions. There were a number of superstars who stole the limelight during the 45 days’ action, but there are a certain few who made the most of their stay in India and filed their petition for a big money buy in the IPL mini-auction. Let’s take a look at the top 5 overseas players who are expected to spark a bidding war in Dubai auctions on Tuesday. 1] Mitchell Starc (Australia) The 33-year-old, left-arm pacer from Australia, is going to be one of the hottest names during the IPL 2024 auction, as Starc is considered as one of the greatest white ball cricketers of all time. Starc will be making his return to IPL after an 8-year hiatus, as he was last seen playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2015. Starc was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018, but he was later pulled from the tournament due to an injury. Starc was integral to Australia’s World Cup-winning squad, and any team looking for a fast bowling option in the overseas quota are bound to go behind Starc in the auction. 2] Pat Cummins (Australia) The 30-year-old, left-arm pacer from Australia, is another Aussie player who will be under the radar of multiple teams during the auction. Cummins, who led the Aussie team to their sixth World Cup title last month, is known for his aggressive bowling and has been proven to be a proper wicket-taking bowler. His attacking batting down the order makes him even more of a quality player to have in any team. Cummins has previously played for Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. However, it won’t be surprising if all ten teams can be seen entering the bidding war for the Aussie skipper. 3] Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand) When the New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson got injured even before the first match of the 2023 World Cup, the 23-year-old stepped up in the absence of his skipper and proved the quality of a player he is. The southpaw from Wellington amassed a total of 565 runs in 11 World Cup matches with the help of three fiery centuries under his belt. Rachin can also be used for the spin bowling action and can be a useful addition to any team that is looking for a quality all-rounder in playing XI. 4] Travis Head (Australia) Travis Head, the man who broke 1.4 billion hearts, twice in 2023, is another Australian who will be under the radar of multiple teams during the auctions. Head scored a century against India in both WTC and ODI World Cup finals, to deny the men in blue their first ICC trophy in almost a decade, twice in the same year. However, at the same time, with his aggressive batting style, he made his case for the IPL 2024 auction very strong, and any team who will be looking to add an attacking batter to the top of their batting order, would love to have Head in their team, making the probability of bidding very high. 5] Gerald Coetzee (South Africa) The 23-year-old South African bowling all-rounder was one of the most impressive bowlers in the entirety of the 2023 World Cup. His aggressive batting and bowling will make him a special addition to any team for the upcoming season. Coetzee was one of the reasons why, despite chasing a small total, Australia had to give everything they had to barely make it out alive in the semifinals of the World Cup. Already playing for Joburg Super Kings and Texas Super Kings, two of the overseas franchises owned by Chennai Super Kings owner, the men in yellow are more than expected to go all in for Cotezee, but for that, they will definitely have to be a part of an intense bidding war in order to do so.
