5 Bowlers who can be the show-stealers at the auctions

The teams are done with the releases and retentions and all eyes are now set on the IPL Auctions which is scheduled to be held on December 18, at Jaipur.

Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals have released most of the players and they have a large purse going into the auctions.

With the preparation for the auctions on the full-swing, let's have a look at 5 bowlers who could be the show-stealers at the auctions.

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#5 Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn debuted in IPL playing for franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore in the year 2008 from where he was released two years later. He was then picked up by the Hyderabad based franchise, Deccan Chargers, where he is famously remembered for his spell of 4-0-8-3 in the 2012 edition of IPL.

This red-hot spell of Steyn halted RCB's progression to the playoffs as RCB fell short by 9 runs in the run-chase of 132.

After Deccan Chargers went defunct, Steyn became the part of Sunrisers Hyderabad where he spent 3 years before being released in 2016. He then played for, now defunct, Gujarat Lions in 2016.

He missed the entire IPL season of 2017 owing to injury and in the 2018 season, he did not even take part in the auctions.

However, 2019 promises to be a different one for the right-arm seamer. He has been in terrific form this year and in the recently concluded 3-match ODI series against Australia, the 35-year old picked 7 wickets in 3 matches at a measly economy rate of 3.48.

In the ongoing Mzansi Super League, he has already picked 11 wickets in 8 matches with an economy of 6.67.

With form on his side, Dale Steyn can be the real show-stealer at the auctions.

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#4 Sam Curran

Emerging English player, Sam Curran, impressed everyone with his all-round show in the Test Series during the England tour of India.

He can definitely grab franchise's attention.

He made his international debut in Tests in June, this year against Pakistan.

The southpaw was awarded Man of the Series for his spectacular performance in the India-England Test Series where he scored 272 runs and also grabbed 11 wickets in England's 4-1 series victory.

His announcement of participation in the full season of IPL 2019 can propel multiple franchisees to bid for the Northampton born all-rounder.

#3 Oshane Thomas

Oshane Thomas was the find of the tournament, Carribean Premier League 2018. His superb pace with unerring line and length fetched him 18 wickets in 11 matches, second-highest in the tournament.

With an ability to bowl toe-crushing yorker backed with a speed of 145+ kph, Thomas makes scoring against him tough, even in the death overs.

His impressive CPL campaign with Jamaica Tallawahs earned him his maiden call-up in the team for the limited-overs leg during the West Indies tour of India.

He emerged as one of the successful bowlers for the team, continuously beating even the likes of Rohit and Dhawan with his pace.

He remained a bright spot for the team on what was otherwise a forgetful tour for the West Indies.

With top players bound to leave the tournament halfway through the season, owing to ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Thomas would definitely be the one, the franchise would like to rope in.

#2 Jayadev Unadkat

Unadkat was one of the most sought-after players at the auctions, last year. He was drafted by Rajasthan Royals for a whopping ₹11.5 crore.

However, an unimpressive outing in the last edition drove the management to release him and, now, Unadkat finds himself in the auction pool.

However, one bad season does not make a player bad, and Unadkat will be eager to prove it though.

The left-arm seamer uses his variations as his main weapon. He can get the new ball moving and uses his variations to the foremost in the death overs.

His slower deliveries are deceptive and he can curb the scoring during the closing overs.

In addition to this, he has the ability to pick wickets at the death overs. In fact, he picks his most of the wickets during the death overs. He also has an IPL hattrick to his name.

He has entered the auction with a base price of ₹1.5 crore and it is likely that he will be a big-budget buy, this time too.

#1 Axar Patel

A good Indian spinner in Indian conditions with an ability to bat, that's where Axar Patel can come handy.

Part of the title-winning 2013 Mumbai Indians squad, Axar was released a year later without playing a single game. He became a part of Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 season and won 'Emerging Player of the Year' award.

In the 2014 season, he picked up 17 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate almost 6. He was retained by the franchise for subsequent years until this year when the franchise finally decided to release him.

In 68 IPL matches, Axar has 61 wickets to his name at an economy of 7.52, which is not bad by any means.

In addition to this, he also has scored 686 runs and the strike rate of 126.56 hints at his ability to provide few extra runs down the order.

Axar has kept his base price at 1 crore but we can expect to make him several crores at this year's auction.