IPL 2020: Ranking the foreign line-up of all 8 teams

The IPL auction witnessed exciting bidding wars among the franchises to fill in their empty slots and prepare themselves for the upcoming 13th edition of the cash-rich tournament. The tournament is likely to begin in its regular phase of March/April 2020.

A total of 62 players earned contracts among the eight franchises out of 338 players enlisted in the name list. All the franchises splurged a total of ₹140.30 crores to fill their remaining slots for the upcoming mega-event. Australian pacer Pat Cummins became the most expensive buy in the auction, sold to the Kolkata Knight Riders for a hefty ₹15.5 crores.

Foreigners received a lot of attention in the auction, with Glenn Maxwell being the second-most expensive player at ₹10.75 crores (Kings XI Punjab), followed by Chris Morris (₹10 crores to RCB), Sheldon Cotrell (₹8.5 crores to KXIP), and Nathan Coulter-Nile (₹8 crores to MI) as the top overseas purchases from the bidding wars.

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Overseas players play a pivotal role in the success of any franchise in the IPL. Even though teams are only allowed to play four foreigners in their playing XI, they can make a huge difference in leading their teams to the coveted trophies. On that note, let's take a look at the foreign players of each side and rank them based on their potentiality and experience in the IPL.

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#8 Royal Challengers Bangalore

AB de Villiers (left) and Dale Steyn (right)

Overseas Players: AB de Villiers, Aaron Finch, Kane Richardson, Dale Steyn, Isuru Udana, Moeen Ali, Chris Morris, and Joshua Philippe

The Royal Challengers Bangalore wanted to amend their death bowling woes and a hard-hitting opener in the auction. They purchased as many as four overseas pacers at their disposal, but a lot of them aren't in good form at present considering the flat tracks of M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

They signed Chris Morris at an enormous price of ₹10 crores, and didn't do well in the Mzansi Super League. The South African all-rounder was released by the Delhi Capitals earlier before the auction. While Kane Richardson has an economy rate of 8.38 with just 18 wickets in his three seasons of IPL, Dale Steyn has suffered from injuries at regular intervals. Isuru Udana has no prior experience of playing in India. He has only struck 23 dismissals in 27 outings for Sri Lanka in T20Is.

Australian opener Aaron Finch has remained inconsistent in the IPL with a batting average of 26.31, having represented as many as seven franchises in the past. The focus will yet again shift to hard-hitting batsman AB de Villiers to score big runs for the team, while Moeen Ali to provide breakthroughs with both bat and ball. 21-year-old Josh Philippe, who has struck hard in the BBL, has no prior experience as far playing outside of the Australian conditions.

RCB doesn't seem to have their woes amended based on their foreigners for the upcoming year. The likes of Chris Morris and Aaron Finch will have to up their game to do well in home matches.

#7 Chennai Super Kings

Sam Curran will be the player to watch out from CSK.

Overseas Players: Josh Hazlewood, Imran Tahir, Faf du Plessis, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Sam Curran, and Shane Watson

Chennai Super Kings purchased only two foreigners in Sam Curran (₹5.5 crores) and Josh Hazlewood (₹2 crores). While they have opted to continue with most players from their previous squad, CSK seems to have most players who are either out of form or injury-prone considering the limited slots in the line-up.

With the likely pair of Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis to open the innings for CSK, they haven't been at their best in recent times. The onus will be on them to give CSK off to a great start in the powerplays, which they lacked last season.

Veteran Imran Tahir had a tremendous season last year, finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the competition with 26 wickets. Dwayne Bravo, who has remained injury-prone in recent times, will be the front-runner to fill in the fourth slot.

With all of their slots filled, the newcomers may not find a spot in the playing XI, which could hinder their combination. CSK will have to compromise on one of their top 4 eligible overseas players if the team needs to play Sam Curran or Lungi Ngidi.

The team purchased Josh Hazlewood as a backup pacer for Lungi Ngidi. Being a Test specialist, Hazlewood has only claimed eight wickets in seven T20Is for Australia with an economy of 9.60. The team has left-arm orthodox Mitchell Santner may not find a spot in the playing XI, considering CSK has too many spin bowling options ahead of him.

CSK seems to lack overseas players who could favour the pitch of Chepauk for their home games. Apart from Sam Curran and Imran Tahir, the front runners to fill in the overseas slots could get the pressure to perform well and stay fit for the entire tournament.

#6 Delhi Capitals

Shimron Hetmyer

Overseas Players: Jason Roy, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kagiso Rabada, Keemo Paul, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, Alex Carey, and Shimron Hetmyer

With a stronghold of Indian core in both batting and bowling, the Delhi Capitals purchased a total of five overseas players in the auction, having released the likes of Trent Boult and Chris Morris earlier.

DC does have a fantastic death bowler in Kagiso Rabada. However, the likes of Keemo Paul and Chris Woakes leak runs in the final overs, which could trouble DC's pace attack. Woakes, having an average of 9.24 has proven to be expensive in the recent IPL seasons.

Delhi Capitals' most expensive buy Shimron Hetmyer at ₹7.75 crores will be the one to watch out for as a finisher in the lower order. Although he didn't have a great campaign with the RCB last year, Hetmyer enjoys damaging the opposition with his hard-hitting ability in slow tracks. However, the likes of Jason Roy and Alex Carey could struggle to play in the steady pitches of Kotla.

The team also signed Marcus Stoinis in place of Chris Morris, after DC ran out patience with Morris' form. However, Stoinis hasn't been a match-winning sort of player in the IPL due to his lost momentum. Sandeep Lamichhane will yet again have to wait for the opportunity to feature in the playing XI since DC already have Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, and Axar Patel for spin bowling.

DC have prioritized more upon strengthening their Indian core because of which the foreign players are likely to receive less attention this year. An off-season for the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Kagiso Rabada could lead the team to struggle eventually.

#5 Kolkata Knight Riders

Pat Cummins will lead KKR's pace attack.

Overseas Players: Andre Russell, Harry Gurney, Lockie Ferguson, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Tom Banton, and Chris Green

Kolkata Knight Riders procured the Australian pacer Pat Cummins at an enormous amount of ₹15.5 crores to add experience in the bowling line-up. He'll spearhead the pace attack for KKR in all matches with the expectation of solving KKR's leakage of runs in the death overs. With Harry Gurney and Lockie Ferguson as the assisting overseas bowlers, the team has upped their pace attack with the ability to deal with all sorts of pitches.

The role of the finisher will yet again be played by the West Indian Andre Russell, who had a fantastic season last year with a batting average of 56.66. However, the team doesn't seem to have a replacement for Russell in case of an injury. World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan will once again don KKR's jersey this year but could sacrifice his spot to either Gurney or Ferguson if the Indian pacers fail to deliver.

While Sunil Narine will be the frontrunner in the playing XI, Chris Green is a perfect replacement if Narine has an injury. The trending Englishman Tom Banton could be the X-factor if he gets an opportunity to play for the side.

KKR seems to have a decent set of foreign players for the upcoming season, but will remain over-dependent upon Cummins and Russell to perform for them in 2020.

#4 Kings XI Punjab

Sheldon Cottrell and Glenn Maxwell were among the top-5 expensive foreigners in the recent auction.

Overseas Players: Chris Gayle, Sheldon Cottrell, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hardus Viljoen, Glenn Maxwell, James Neesham, Chris Jordon, and Nicholas Pooran

Kings XI Punjab regained the services of hard-hitting Glenn Maxwell at a hefty price of ₹10.75 crores. Safe to say, they made a decent buy considering how the team coped with their middle-order woes last season. He can also bowl a couple of overs, thus providing the option of a sixth bowler. Chris Gayle will once again open the innings for KXIP with skipper KL Rahul.

The team also got a steal in James Neesham at his base price of ₹50 lakhs. Neesham is an excellent all-rounder who can hit the ball out of the park and can provide a few economical overs for the team. Nicholas Pooran could be a likely replacement if either Maxwell/Neesham gets injured.

Sheldon Cottrell gained a lot of attention, and eventually bagged a contract of ₹8.5 crores. His ability to bowl well with the new ball with a perfect length and swinging deliveries make him a vital addition to KXIP. However, Chris Jordon and Hardus Viljoen as the replacements don't seem to have much impact due to their expensive economy rates. The exit of R Ashwin from the team could give a perfect opportunity to Mujeeb Ur Rahman to depict himself in the competition.

KXIP has assembled match-winners in their foreign line-up with a dependable middle-order attack. The onus will be upon Glenn Maxwell and Sheldon Cottrell to lead upfront with their price tag.

#3 Rajasthan Royals

Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes

Overseas Players: Steve Smith, David Miller, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Ben Stokes, Tom Curran, Jos Buttler, and Oshane Thomas

The Rajasthan Royals have opted to stay with their dependable foreign line-up, which led the team last season. They signed replacements for each of those players in this year's auction and added bench strength to their overseas slots.

Hard-hitting batsman Jos Buttler has provided good starts for RR in the recent seasons, while Jofra Archer has spearheaded the pace attack with his death-bowling ability. RR opted to stay consistent with Ben Stokes once again, despite having two off-seasons.

The focus will be upon Stokes to provide the role of a complete all-rounder and finish matches in the lower-order. Steve Smith, who will look to uplift his numbers in the IPL, will take the reign of the captaincy for RR.

The highest wicket-taker of IPL 2018 - Andrew Tye is a perfect addition to the side, with his slow balls and variations. While Tom Curran could replace Stokes if he doesn't perform well, the addition of David Miller could boost the bolster the offense for the team. Oshane Thomas could also come handy on fast-paced tracks for the side.

RR has decent foreign line-up with able replacements in the squad. However, they could lack a replacement to Jos Buttler in the opening slot.

#2 Sunrisers Hyderabad

David Warner and Jonny Bairstow were one of the best opening pairs last season.

Overseas Players: Kane Williamson, David Warner, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Marsh, Fabian Allen, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Jonny Bairstow

The opening pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow amassed a total of 1,137 runs last year in what was a feast to the eyes for Sunrisers Hyderabad fans. While Warner has featured regularly as a consistent top opener in the IPL year after year, Bairstow scored 445 runs at an average of 55.62 in his debut season itself. Along with Kane Williamson in the mix, SRH's top-order looks the most devastating for the upcoming season yet again.

The management signed Mitchell Marsh as a replacement to the unavailable Shakib Al Hasan. Marsh can hit the ball hard in the middle order and can also bowl 4-overs quota as a productive player. While Mohammad Nabi could be the frontrunner in the playing XI with his decent off-breaks, Fabian Allen is also a handy all-rounder who has been sensational in the Carribean Premier League.

Afghan spinner Rashid Khan has been terrific with 55 wickets in 46 innings played in the IPL. The lanky Billy Stanlake can bowl deadly bouncers and short balls with extreme pace, which makes him a lethal bowler in both powerplays and death overs.

SRH has aligned the right balance in both batting and bowling in their overseas department. They have plenty of options to choose from with Warner, Williamson, Bairstow, and Rashid Khan leading the line.

#1 Mumbai Indians

Trent Boult got traded to Mumbai Indians.

Overseas Players: Sherfane Rutherford, Chris Lynn, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Quinton de Kock

The defending champions Mumbai Indians had all of their bases covered heading into the auction, and only made notable purchases to fill in the remaining slots. They signed Chris Lynn in an absolute steal of ₹2 crores and also bought Nathan Coulter-Nile for a hefty ₹8 crores.

Quinton de Kock was in the top-3 run-getters in the IPL last season, amassing a total of 529 runs for the team. Chris Lynn can strike the ball hard in the powerplays and power the team to a big total. The addition of Lynn boosts the firepower of Mumbai Indians, based on his exploits in the T10 league and a pitch like Wankhede favoring his attack.

With a remarkable steal in Trent Boult as a formidable new-ball bowler during the trading window, MI has boosted their bowling attack with Lasith Malinga in the finishing overs. Mitchell McClenaghan has been with MI over the years and is a handy wicket-taking bowler in the powerplays and middle-overs.

The team has added an able substitute for Kieron Pollard with Nathan Coulter-Nile. He is a quality player with both ball and bat and can provide breakthroughs in clinical situations. MI can easily bank on Coulter-Nile if Pollard fails to deliver at the start. Sherfane Rutherford is also a middle-order batsman with the ability to bowl at a fast-medium pace.

The defending champions have aligned T20 specialists with perfect replacements. They have one of the most balanced foreign line-ups heading into the next season.