IPL 2018 Auction: 5 West Indies players to watch out for

West Indies is regarded as the powerhouse of T20 players. The Caribbean islands boast of some great power hitters who have the capability to hit even the best of the bowlers for huge sixes.

Their fearless attitude toward the game is what makes them one of the most sought-after options in T20 tournaments all over the world. Ever since the inception of the IPL in 2008, a number of West Indians have ruled the tournament. From flamboyant hard-hitting batsman Chris Gayle to entertaining all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies' cricketers have always played fearless cricket pouring their heart and soul into the game.

Like every other season, they will again be in demand in the coming IPL auction and it will be delightful to see how these players fare in the auction. Where two West Indians, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine were retained, others missed out the retention list leaving them out in the auction pool.

Here is a list of few West Indies players who are all set to break the banks of the franchises in the upcoming IPL auction.

#5 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle, the self-titled 'universe boss,' is one of the greatest players in the world in limited overs cricket. On his day he is at his devastating best and does not spare even the best of the bowlers. Having played in 323 T20s, he carries plenty of experience.

He has a terrific track record in T20s having scored over 11000 runs in 323 matches at an average of 40.69 and a strike rate of 148.98. No other player has crossed even 9000 run mark in T20s and it is enough to define his capabilities.

He has been retained by the RCB every single season ever since the Bangalore based franchise bought him. But his failure in the last two seasons of the league forced RCB to leave him out in the auction pool.

After displaying his form in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League where he ended up being the highest run scorer in the tournament, Gayle must be back in the wish list of all the IPL teams.

#4 Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis is another name whose name must be on the radar of most of the franchises. The West Indian has been in red-hot form over the last two years. Ever since he made his international debut in limited overs cricket for West Indies, he has shown his batting ability playing some powerful knocks.

He first came to the limelight when he smashed a ton of just 48 balls against India in the USA. His second T20 international ton again came against the same opposition where he ended up scoring 125 off 62 balls.

Overall he has collected 468 runs in 14 T20 international matches at a staggering strike rate of 154.96. He missed out on an IPL contract in the last season but with such hard-hitting capabilities, he will surely get a contract this year.

#3 Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer, the West Indies bowler, is stealing the limelight in the ongoing BBL season. Playing for Hobart Hurricanes, he has been performing consistently with the bowl. Though Archer hails from the Barbados, currently, Archer resides in the UK and has still not made his international debut.

He represented West Indies in under-19s a few years ago but is planning to play for England in future.

In the 7 matches that he has played for Hurricanes, he has clinched 11 wickets at an economy of 7.21. This puts him fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers in the ongoing season. The 22-year-old consistently bowls at over 140kmph. His speed along with his wicket-taking ability makes him a hot option going into the auction.

#2 Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo, the 'champion' from West Indies, is one of the most valuable players when it comes to T20s. He is on a roll in the ongoing BBL season where he is the joint second highest wicket-taker along with Afghanistan sensation Rashid Khan. Both the players have taken 12 wickets from 7 matches that they have played.

Having played in 371 T20s he has plenty of experience in the shortest format of the game. He has scored 5457 runs and taken 407 wickets in as many matches. He is also the highest wicket-taker in T20s leading Lasith Malinga who is second on the list by 76 wickets. Malinga has 331 wickets in 248 matches.

In the IPL he has terrific record having taken 122 wickets in 106 matches. This puts him 5th on the list of all-time highest wicket-takers. It left everyone surprised when CSK retained Ravindra Jadeja over him for the upcoming IPL season. Only time will tell whether CSK has made a mistake by not retaining him.

The experience he carries, together with his death-bowling ability, make him one of the hottest picks in the upcoming auction.

#1 Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard has been a mainstay in the Mumbai Indians camp for the last eight years. He has done enough for the team, but missed out on retention as Hardik Pandya was the preferred choice for the all-rounder.

Pollard is one of the best players in T20s and has proved his mettle playing in various T20 tournaments over the world. He has played the most number of T20s in the world having played 399. In T20s Pollard has scored 7816 runs at a strike rate of 151.44 and taken 242 wickets at an economy of 8.09.

He has won a number of matches on the back of his all-round performances and this makes him a potential player who may start a bidding war in the auction. Mumbai Indians will surely look to retain him using Right to Match in the auction.