IPL Auction 2020: 5 Players who could be the most expensive signings

The IPL auction is just a couple of weeks away, and franchises have started planning for the big event. It is scheduled to take place on 19th December in Kolkata. Player retentions were announced a few days back and there were plenty of surprises, with star players like Chris Lynn, Chris Morris, Sam Curran and Robin Uthappa being released by their teams.

The trade window saw plenty of deals taking place, and some big names were involved as well. Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin were roped in by the Delhi Capitals in a bid to have a good mix of youth and experience. Trent Boult moved from Delhi to Mumbai in another massive trade. Mayank Markande became the first player to be traded twice in a single trade window when he moved from Mumbai to Rajasthan via Delhi.

As many as 971 players have registered for the auction, including 258 overseas players. Players from 11 other nations have registered and the franchises must submit their shortlist of players by the 9th of December. The players included in the shortlists will go under the hammer.

The upcoming auction promises to be an exciting one and there are plenty of players who could receive massive bids. Here's a look at 5 players who could end up as the most expensive picks.

#5 Tom Banton

Tom Banton is one of the hottest properties in cricket right now as he is being targeted by teams in various T20 leagues after a phenomenal season in the Vitality Blast. He scored a staggering 549 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of nearly 162. He also scored a century and formed a devastating opening partnership with Babar Azam for Somerset.

He has won himself a contract in the Big Bash with Brisbane Heat and is pretty much guaranteed to be picked in the PSL draft. He had a decent outing in the T10 league and scored 80 runs in just 28 balls in one of the games. The 21-year-old has batted on 19 occasions in the T20 format and has scored 647 runs. His average of 35.94 and strike rate of 155.15 make for good reading.

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The wicketkeeper-batsman's performances haven't gone unnoticed as he has also been called up by the national team. At a base price of ₹1 Crore, he could be targeted by teams like MI, KKR, RCB and CSK as they need an opening batsman. Tom Banton is still an inexperienced player, but teams haven't been shy of splashing the cash on youngsters and he could end up receiving a fat paycheque.

#4 Jimmy Neesham

James Neesham is arguably one of the best all-rounders in the world at the moment. He has been in good form throughout the year and has established himself as one of New Zealand's most important players. He is a devastating batsman who can score vital runs during the death overs and is also a wicket-taking medium pacer.

He has scored 1525 runs in 87 innings at an average of 24.6 and can boast of a strike rate of more than 138. He has also picked up 104 wickets in 99 innings at a phenomenal strike rate of 16.7. The former KKR player exhibited great form at the World Cup and was a key part of New Zealand's journey to the final.

The 29-year-old will find many suitors and the only team that might not go for him could be the Mumbai Indians. All-rounders have always been in demand at the IPL Auction and hence, Neesham will also be one of the most in-demand players on 19th December.

#3 Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins is the premier fast bowler at the IPL Auction this season with Mitchell Starc opting out. Teams would have been eyeing up big bids for Starc, but with him not there, Cummins could be the one receiving the big bids instead of his Australian teammate. He is one of the 7 players to have listed his base price at INR 2 Crore.

The quick bowler has electrifying pace and can easily bowl at speeds exceeding 145 kph. He has an excellent bouncer and can also bowl the perfect yorker. The former KKR player is also good with the new ball and all these factors make him the perfect T20 bowler.

Teams like RCB, KKR, KXIP, and DC will target him as they could all do with a quality fast bowler. The 26-year-old has picked up 92 wickets in 77 T20's at a strike rate of 19 and has a terrific economy rate of 7.72.

#2 Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn being released by the Kolkata Knight Riders emerged as one of the biggest talking points after the player retention list was released. He has been a key player for his team over the last 3 seasons and has delivered on a consistent basis. He scored 405 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 140 this year and scored 491 runs the season before. The former Deccan Chargers player has a base price of INR 2 Crore.

KKR might have wanted to buy him back for a lower price at the auction, but all such hopes have been dashed after his stellar outing in the T10 league. He scored 371 runs in 8 innings at an average of 53, and he had a terrific strike rate of 236.6. The hard-hitting Australian also came close to hitting a century which highlights his devastating form.

A power-hitter at the top of the order who can take full advantage of the powerplay will always be in demand. KKR and RCB could start a bidding war for the Brisbane Heat player as he is just the kind of player they need. KXIP and CSK could also be in the fray for Lynn.

#1 Glenn Maxwell

Australia v Sri Lanka - Men's T20 Game 1

Glenn Maxwell looks set to be the hottest property during the upcoming auctions due to his much-improved batting style. He has become a lot more consistent over the last 12-15 months and has exhibited great form in the T20 format. He enjoyed a productive campaign in the Big Bash last season and also had a stunning run of form in the Vitality Blast this year.

The Australian has listed his base price as ₹2 Crore and will definitely be the centre of attraction. He has scored 5589 runs in 235 innings at an average of 27 and has a strike rate of 155. He also scored a century when his country toured India for a couple of T20Is earlier this year. The Melbourne Stars player looked in good form against Sri Lanka as he scored 62 before taking a break from cricket.

He has attracted some big bids at auctions previously and pretty much all teams could target him once again. The likes of RCB, KXIP and SRH could be the ones most interested in the 31-year-old.

Honourable mentions: Aaron Finch, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Chris Woakes