IPL 2024 auction: Australian players who can gain massive bids
The 2024 Indian Premier League auction is scheduled to take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. This is the first time the IPL auction will be held out of India. Teams, this year, will have a boosted purse of Rs. 100 crore. With Australia winning the ODI World Cup, there's a lot of hype around several of their stars in the auction pool.
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The likes of Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, and Sean Abbott have entered the pool with a Rs. 2 crore base price. David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa have been retained by franchises. One expects plenty of buzz around the Aussies in the IPL 2024 auction on December 19.
Josh Inglis will provide flexibility to many IPL franchises
Josh Inglis can be a very exciting pick for many IPL franchises that need a player to fit in different roles. Inglis, who predominantly opens the batting in T20 cricket, can also play the role of a finisher. On top of that, he is a very good wicket-keeper. Last month, he hammered Australia's joint-fastest T20I ton in only 47 deliveries against India in Vishakhapatnam.
The experience of Josh Hazlewood will be key
It was shocking to see RCB release Josh Hazlewood. But the Australian speedster will have many takers in the upcoming auction. He was injured last season and only featured in three matches, scalping three wickets. The Australian had his best year with RCB in 2022, when he amassed 20 wickets in 12 matches at 18.85. However, he will miss the start of the tournament.
Explosive Travis Head may give rise to a bidding war
Travis Head ticks a lot of boxes for many IPL franchises. He is an explosive dasher and can also roll his arm over effectively. Head's knock in the ODI World Cup final has seen his stocks rise in recent times. He has featured for IPL teams- RCB and Delhi Capitals. Overall, he has played 10 IPL matches, scoring 205 runs at 29.29 (50: 1).
Pat Cummins' all-round ability will attract big bids
Pat Cummins has now led Australia to the WTC and the ODI World Cup. Hence, his leadership and experience will play a role in the auction. The fact that he can also swing the willow will help many teams. Overall, in 42 IPL games, he has scalped 45 wickets while scoring 379 runs (50s: 3). GT may look at him as Hardik Pandya's replacement.
Mitchell Starc's return will create a big buzz
Mitchell Starc is all set to return to IPL after nine long years. He last featured in IPL 2015 where he scalped 20 wickets in 13 matches for RCB. His ability to move the new ball coupled with his ability to nail yorkers in slog overs, make him a special bowler. Starc has matured as a pacer and teams will fight to sign him.
