3 England players to watch out for in IPL 2022
The IPL 2022 mega auction saw many England stars join various franchises. As many as 18 England players went under the hammer, with 11 of them earning contracts.
The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) was notified ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction that English players would be available for the entire season this year. IPL franchises have recruited players from England because many of them are white-ball specialists.
On that note, here's a look at three English players to watch out for in the upcoming edition of the tournament.
#3 Jason Roy (Gujarat Titans)
Newly formed IPL franchise Gujarat Titans were the only team to bid for Jason Roy at the 2022 mega auction. They acquired the England white-ball opener at a steal price of Rs 2 crore.
Roy has established himself as one of the most fearsome batters in white-ball cricket. In 267 T20 innings, the 31-year old has amassed 7275 runs at an average of 29 and a magnificent strike rate of 144.
Jason Roy was in serious touch during his #PSL2022 stint. https://t.co/QYvvhAW9Ol
He is the highest overseas runscorer in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022. In six games, Roy has scored 303 runs at an average of 50.5 and a strike rate of 170.2.
The South African-born England batter could form a devastating opening pair with Shubman Gill in IPL 2022. In the first six overs, Roy could play the aggressor, while Gill plays second fiddle.
Roy is not a newcomer in the marquee T20 competition, having previously featured for three different franchises in the past. He has scored 329 runs in 13 games in the competition. However, this time, the explosive right-hander will hope for a more consistent and successful campaign.
#2 Mark Wood (Lucknow Super Giants)
There was an interesting bidding war for England pacer Mark Wood. Delhi Capitals (DC), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were in the fray. However, Lucknow snapped up the right-armer for a whopping Rs 7.5 crore.
The speedster is one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket at the moment. The skiddy pacer can surprise opposition batters with his fierce bumpers or toe-crushing yorkers.
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Cr 
Tata IPL Auction 2022 ⬇️
Mark Wood Sold to Lucknow Super Giants for 7️⃣.5️⃣0️⃣Cr ✅
#TATAIPL2022 | #IPLAuction2022 |
#IPLAuction | #IPLMegaAuction https://t.co/6VTJ61gr9G
Wood last featured in the IPL in 2018 for Chennai Super Kings. It wasn't a memorable outing for him, as he conceded 49 runs and went wicketless in four overs. He didn't feature much in the competition that season.
If he can develop a well-disguised slower ball, the 32-year-old could become a more potent weapon in the shortest format of the game. Nevertheless, it will be very interesting to see Wood back in action in the IPL again this season.
#1 Liam Livingstone (Punjab Kings)
Liam Livingstone not only became the highest-earning English player, but also the most expensive overseas buy in this year's auction. That's because Punjab Kings splashed Rs 11.50 crore for the all-rounder. The 28-year-old hard-hitting player had registered himself for the auction at a base price of Rs 1 crore.
The versatile right-hander holds the record for England's fastest T20I century (42 balls) and can bowl both off-spin and leg-spin. Livingstone has a great T20 record, and his reputation as a crisp hitter of the ball has grown manifold recently.
He has featured in 167 T20 games so far, scoring 4110 runs at a strike rate of 145. He has two tons and 23 fifties in the format. He is also handy spinner, having bagged 69 scalps at an average of 21 and an economy rate of 7.7.
Liam Livingston is SOLD to @PunjabKingsIPL for INR 11.50 crore 💰💰🔥
#PBKS #IPLAuction
#TATAIPLAuction https://t.co/3PXixeFRCk
Notwithstanding his T20 exploits, Livingstone has been unable to make an impact in the IPL. The 28-year-old represented Rajasthan Royals (RR) last season, but managed only 42 runs in five games at a strike rate of 102.43.
Livingstone will play with serious hitters like Jonny Bairstow and Shah Rukh Khan in PBKS's middle order this time. The big-money English signing will be eager to make a mark for the first time in the marquee tournament.