2018 IPL auction: Five players who are likely to fetch the highest bid

When T20I cricket first burst onto the international scene in 2007, not many knew what to expect. Not many would have expected it to gain the popularity it has now, and very few would have believed it to have a future.

Throughout its 10 years of existence, the IPL has unearthed numerous young talents across the world, many of which have gone on to dominate the international stage with their respected countries. With each franchise allowed to retain a maximum of five players, through retention or a right to match card, franchises are about to go into a frenzy due to the abundance of talent available.

With the retentions already decided by the franchises, numerous megastars are up for grabs. Several will use this as an opportunity to get rid of the deadwood and revamp their squads in the bid of winning the eleventh edition of the highly anticipated tournament. Throughout the course of the auction, one can expect numerous records to be broken. Hence, here's a list of the players for whom the franchises might break the bank for.

Note: Expected auction price is what I perceive the player might go for in the upcoming auction.

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Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Expected auction price: ?6-8 crore

An unknown prodigious spinner burst on to the scene last IPL and has only since gone from strength to strength. Unknown to many, under the mentorship of Muttiah Muralitharan, Rashid took the IPL by storm, consistently taking wickets at a very economical rate. He was arguably one of the focal points of the Sunrisers' season, as he played an instrumental role in them reaching the playoffs.

Rashid is also handy with the bat and is more than capable to play a few cameos down the order. Having performed well in other franchise tournaments from around the world, Rashid is likely to spark off a bidding war.

Chris Lynn (Australia)

LYNNSANITY

Expected auction price: ?7-9 crore

Weak shoulder aside, Lynn is easily the hardest and cleanest hitter of the cricket ball. His ability to send the ball sailing way over the boundary rope is second to none, as he has proved that on numerous occasions. Arguably one of the standout performers of last year's IPL, only to be diminished by an unfortunate shoulder injury.

Reliable, Lynn possesses the ability to deflate opponents and put his team in a commanding position early on, laying the foundation for a real high above par score. Not being retained by the Kolkata Knight Riders came as a surprise to all, as he's likely to send the auctioneers into a frenzy.

Colin Munro (New Zealand)

New Zealand v Sri Lanka - 2nd T20

Estimated auction price: ?8-10 crore

A once middle-order batsman, now promoted up top, Colin Munro has proved himself to be one of New Zealand's most reliable big hitters. His ability to tee off from ball one has often provided his teams with brilliant starts as he often makes the best out of the power play.

Being the only player to have three T20 international centuries, Munro has brought in a sense of consistency to his game. A handy fielder and a part-time medium fast bowler is likely to commence a bidding war for his services.

Evin Lewis (West Indies)

Expected auction price: ?7-9 crore

Having already registered two international T20 centuries to his name, Evin Lewis is one of the most dangerous batsmen in the format. A typical West Indian batsman, with all the shots in the book, he has only one form of play, attack.

On his day, Evin has the ability to whack the ball out of the stadium from the very first ball and has the knack of accumulating big runs very quickly.

His consistent performances for West Indies and in the CPL, make him a prime candidate to be one of the most sought-after openers in the auction.

Ben Stokes (England)

Benjamin Andrew "Ben" Stokes

Expected auction price: ?15-17 crore

Ben Stokes requires no introduction and is already touted as one of the best all-rounders of this generation. Having been bought for a whopping 14.5 crore last season, the expectations were sky high. He repaid the Pune hierarchy by bagging the most valuable player award and playing an instrumental role in taking Pune to the finals.

He was one of the rare few to deliver under the burden of the hefty price tag, as his exploits with his bat and the ball were well documented. Thriving under pressure, Stokes single-handedly won the Pune Supergiant games and dug them out of tough situations. He's likely to go for a similar amount this season around as all franchises would love for him to be in their ranks.

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The listed players are few of the many that are likely to go for big money. These numbers in no way are reliable as proven by the previous few auctions as we're definitely bound to see a surprise or two.