2018 IPL auction: Five players who are likely to fetch the highest bid

When T20I cricket first burst onto the international scene in 2007, not many knew what to expect. Not many would have expected it to gain the popularity it has now, and very few would have believed it to have a future.

Throughout its 10 years of existence, the IPL has unearthed numerous young talents across the world, many of which have gone on to dominate the international stage with their respected countries. With each franchise allowed to retain a maximum of five players, through retention or a right to match card, franchises are about to go into a frenzy due to the abundance of talent available.

With the retentions already decided by the franchises, numerous megastars are up for grabs. Several will use this as an opportunity to get rid of the deadwood and revamp their squads in the bid of winning the eleventh edition of the highly anticipated tournament. Throughout the course of the auction, one can expect numerous records to be broken. Hence, here's a list of the players for whom the franchises might break the bank for.

Note: Expected auction price is what I perceive the player might go for in the upcoming auction.

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Expected auction price: ?6-8 crore

An unknown prodigious spinner burst on to the scene last IPL and has only since gone from strength to strength. Unknown to many, under the mentorship of Muttiah Muralitharan, Rashid took the IPL by storm, consistently taking wickets at a very economical rate. He was arguably one of the focal points of the Sunrisers' season, as he played an instrumental role in them reaching the playoffs.

Rashid is also handy with the bat and is more than capable to play a few cameos down the order. Having performed well in other franchise tournaments from around the world, Rashid is likely to spark off a bidding war.