IPL 2020: 5 overseas players who will have to justify their price tag 

#3 Nathan Coulter-Nile (MI, INR 8 crore)

Can Coulter-Nile deliver the goods for the Mumbai Indians?

In the 2019 ICC World Cup, Nathan Coulter-Nile made headlines - not for taking wickets, but for a record-breaking 92 with the bat against the West Indies. He played just 5 matches for Australia in the tournament, and had a lean season with the ball.

As of now, he is not part of the national limited-overs squad in England, and hasn't played for Australia in a year. He also does not currently occupy the top 50 in the ICC bowling rankings in any format.

Apart from his successful season for KKR in 2017, where he took 15 wickets and was a part of the attack that famously bowled RCB out for just 49 runs, Coulter-Nile has not been a breakthrough success in the tournament. Additionally, he has been injury prone. This, along with other commitments in 2019, meant that he has not played an IPL game since 2017.

What, then, would Mumbai Indians look for from him? His bowling style of mixing in quick, full deliveries with lethal bouncers and cross-seamers, is likely to be useful even on spin-friendly wickets in the UAE.

Coulter-Nile also gives the team management an extra right-arm pace option. Otherwise, he is unlikely to get consistent chances for the team in the presence of Mitchell McClenaghan and Trent Boult.

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#2 Chris Morris (RCB, INR 10 crore)

Morris' stock once again soared in the IPL

Chris Morris, the South African pace-bowling all-rounder, was part of a massive bidding war during the auctions before finally being sold to the Royal Challengers Bangalore for one of the highest sums of money in the auction. Why? He bowls quick, has a decent record at the death, and has an impressive T20 strike rate as well.

However, he has not played for the national team since 2019. In South Africa's T20 league held prior to the auctions, he had a poor show with both bat and ball. It also remains to be seen how effective he could be on UAE pitches that are not conducive to pace bowling.

For a team with an over-reliance on batting, however, the inclusion of Morris may help with their perennial death bowling woes. Given Dale Steyn's recurring fitness issues, it is likely that Morris gets several opportunities to play as an important part of the bowling attack for RCB in IPL 2020.

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#1 Sheldon Cottrell (KXIP, INR 8.5 crore)

How many opportunities will Cottrell have to salute during IPL 2020?

Since he burst onto the international scene in 2019 following a five-wicket haul in his first ODI after a break, Sheldon Cottrell has won over fans with his bowling performances, his athleticism and, most of all, with his trademark salute celebration. He took 12 wickets at the ICC World Cup 2019, and picked up a 4-for earlier in 2019. He is also ranked 11th among T20 bowlers worldwide.

However, recent form does not look the most encouraging, as Cottrell and his Caribbean Premier League franchise had a poor season. Furthermore, while Cottrell does have an energetic release as well as the left-arm advantage, he may not be effective on pitches that do not favour seam bowling.

While Kings XI may enjoy the presence of Cottrell as a left-arm option in their squad, it truly remains to be seen how many opportunities he could get with the street-smart Chris Jordan likely to be his direct competition for the overseas seamer's spot in the team. Whenever he does get to play, trust Cottrell to quickly become a fan favourite.