5 stars from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy who could go for big bucks in the IPL auction

The Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy being a high-profile domestic tournament played in the T20 format, its timing was just right considering the fact that the ICC World T20 is just round the corner. Indeed, the good performances of a lot of young players like Hardik Pandya helped them get noticed by the national selectors.Players like Pandya have also been retained by their IPL franchises. But there are quite a lot of players who put in stellar performances in the tournament but have not been retained by their IPL franchises. They are sure to attract a lot of bidders when they go under the hammer in tomorrow’s auction.Let us look at the top 5 players from the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy who might go for big bucks tomorrow.

#5 Rohan Prem

Prem scored 356 runs at 45 in the tournament.

Every T20 team needs a player who can do the unfashionable, dirty work. Someone who can play the sheet anchor's role and quietly carry out his responsibilities. Rohan Prem is that type of a cricketer who can be relied upon whenever his team is in trouble.

Someone who quietly goes about his business, much of Prem’s good work in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was overshadowed by the fact that he could manage an unimpressive strike-rate under 120 in the tournament. But his statistics tell a different and stellar story.

It was his contributions that played a leading role in helping Kerala do so well in the tournament. Prem finished with a total tally of 356 runs at an average of almost 45 in the tournament. He would be a great treasure to have for any IPL franchise.

#4 Nathu Singh

Nathu Singh took 14 wickets in the tournament.

Nathu Singh stood out in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for his great performances. Singh, who ended the tournament as the fourth highest wicket-taker, had 14 scalps at an unreal economy of 5. He had a bowling average of 8.5 and strike-rate of 10.2.

His performances laden with his raw pace and his ability to pick wickets at the right time had impressed one and all. Having been dubbed as someone to watch out for by no less than Rahul Dravid, Singh has shown us glimpses of his potential in the high-profile domestic T20 tournament.

An immensely talented cricketer who hails from a humble background, Singh’s potential has been the talk of the town in Indian domestic circles with Gautam Gambhir having called him new India team material already. His performances stood out in an otherwise lacklustre display by the Rajasthan team in the tournament.

#3 Dhawal Kulkarni

Kulkarni was the joint highest wicket taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 15 wickets.

One of the standout performers with the ball for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy this year was Dhawal Kulkarni. Kulkarni bowled with reasonable pace, passion and accuracy, impressing everyone with his good performances.

Kulkarni was the joint second highest wicket-taker in the tournament having picked up 15 wickets from 8 matches. He had an average of 14.20 and a strike-rate of 12.6, having picked up his wickets at an impressive economy of 6.72.

Kulkarni’s experience in the IPL will stand him in good stead and he will be an experienced bowler to have for any franchise. Despite his good domestic performances and a few chances for the national team where he has done reasonably well, Kulkarni has been unlucky to be not a part of the national scheme of things.

He is sure to attract a lot of bidders in tomorrow’s auction.

#2 Sanju Samson

Despite performing exceedingly well in the IPL, Samson is yet to get his India cap.

One of the stellar performers throughout most of the seasons of the IPL has been Sanju Samson. The young man of short stature has played some incredible knocks for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and has been called the pocket-sized dynamo for his hitting prowess.

Samson had a good Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy where he accumulated 267 runs from 9 matches at an average of 33.37. He achieved that with a strike-rate of 123.61. He was one of the most successful wicketkeeper batsmen in the tournament alongside Parthiv Patel and AP Tare.

Though still young, Samson has a good head on his shoulders and has already earned a lot of experience in the IPL. He is widely considered to be the future wicket-keeper for the Indian team. In short, he is an all-round package and a lot of big franchises will surely splash the cash in a bid to battle it out hard for him.

#1 Irfan Pathan

Pathan’s omission from the World T20 squad has come as a baffling move for some.

If there is any player who has a right to feel his exclusion from the squad for the ICC World T20 is unjustified, it has to be Irfan Pathan. The seamer from Baroda has been in surreal form with the bat and the ball in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, earning plaudits for his performances.

Pathan was in devastating form with the ball in the tournament, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps to his credit. He achieved that with an incredible strike-rate of 12.9 and a bowling economy rate of 7.3.

To add to that, he scored 200 runs in the tournament, averaging 40 at a strike-rate of over 150. Pathan’s all-round capabilities will be a valuable asset to any IPL franchise and he is expected to attract big bucks in the auction.