IPL 2020 Auction: 5 English all-rounders to watch out for

With a quiet start to the 2020 summer for England, this could be the best chance we’ve had to see some of the country’s finest white-ball players in action at the IPL.

In the past, we have seen a limited number of England’s top players head to the IPL, though they have always returned home to prepare for internationals by the time the business end of the competition comes around. This time though, English players will be available for the whole tournament, and we could see more head over to India than ever before.

Something that England always seem to have produced, are world-class all-rounders. This tradition goes back as far as Sir Ian Botham, whose performances during the 1981 Ashes series are still the stuff of legend today.

We have seen Andrew Flintoff produce several magic moments in an England shirt, in all formats of the game, with both bat and ball.

The latest man to take on the role has been Ben Stokes, and we have seen him perform miracles in an England shirt over the last few months. In the World Cup Final, he scored 84 not out before adding more vital runs in the Super Over to clinch the championship.

When it came to the Ashes, he played one of the great Test match innings in the third Test match at Headingly. With England down and out, requiring 73 runs with just one wicket in hand, Stokes hammered the Australian bowlers all around the park to complete an incredible victory, finishing 135 not out.

Besides from Stokes, there are several fine England all-rounders on the circuit at the moment. Here are five to watch out for in the IPL auction.

Also see – Ranji Trophy points table

---

#1 Sam Curran

Even at 21, Curran looks like a fine cricketer

At this point, Sam Curran is probably England’s second-best all-rounder after Ben Stokes. Last summer, he put in several match-winning displays against India, which led to him picking up the Player of the Series award. He can count himself a little unfortunate to have not played a bigger part against Australia this summer, although he impressed when he came into the side for the final Test match at The Oval.

The 21-year-old enjoyed an impressive stint at the IPL last season, picking up ten wickets, including a brilliant hat-trick against the Delhi Capitals. He also produced some useful cameos with the bat, though potentially suffered from never being given a defined role in the side. Without a doubt, he will be the subject of a bidding war in December’s auction.

#2 Chris Jordan

Jordan has proved himself as one of the world's best death bowlers

As far as all-round skill, Chris Jordan has it all. He has the ability to produce with bat and ball at the key moments in a match, as well as being one of the finest fielders in the game right now. Since the 2016 World T20 Final in India, Jordan has appeared in all but one of England’s T20I matches, and has become a vital member of the side.

The 31-year-old’s best contributions often come at the back end of the innings, both with the bat and the ball. He is capable of clearing the ropes in the final overs, whilst he is one of the most prolific bowlers of the yorker in the game at the moment.

This was most evident at the end of the England vs New Zealand T20 series, when he conceded just eight runs in the Super Over, as England sealed the series.

#3 Lewis Gregory

Gregory took a wicket with his first ball in international cricket

While Jordan is a man who has a lot of experience at the highest level in T20 international cricket, Gregory is someone who is still rather new to the scene. The Somerset man has been around in County Cricket for a number of years, but he has really excelled domestically over the last few years and he is now knocking on the door in international cricket.

With the ball, Gregory is usually at his best in Test cricket, with his ability to swing the new ball. However, when it comes to the shortest form of the game, Gregory’s batting is his most useful skill.

The 27-year-old has transformed himself into a bit of a finisher, where he can come in for the final few overs of an innings and add some useful runs at a good rate. The issue for Gregory will be that teams may not be willing to use one of their overseas spots on someone who isn’t always in the game.

#4 Liam Dawson

Dawson has spent a lot of time around the England set-up

Liam Dawson is a player who has almost been the forgotten man in the England set-up over the last few years. He was included in the World Cup-winning squad over the summer, but he was simply the third spinner behind Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, and he was never picked in the XI. This has been the case in several international series in recent years, where he has made the squad, but hasn’t had the opportunity to make an impression.

However, Dawson would be a very useful buy for any IPL team. He is a very canny operator with the ball, with his left-arm spin able to keep it tight in the middle overs, particularly on the drier Indian pitches. With the bat, the 29-year-old is certainly capable of making a telling impact, and has certainly benefitted from playing a more senior role at Hampshire in recent years.

#5 Ravi Bopara

Bopara played a crucial role for Essex Eagles as they won the t20 Blast

While some of the players mentioned on this list may not have had too much experience of playing T20 cricket at the highest level, Bopara is the exact opposite of that. The all-rounder had played for England in all three forms of the game, and has played in several overseas competitions all over the world. He has had spells at the IPL in the past, appearing for the Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, but despite several decent performances, he has never really set the world alight.

At 34, Bopara is starting to focus on the shorter form of the game at the latter end of his career, something which has contributed to his move from Essex to Sussex. Despite his age, he is still a top player in this form of the game, and he showed this with a vital 36 not out, that took the Essex Eagles to a last-ball victory over the Worcestershire Rapids in the final of the T20 Blast.