Five rookies to watch out for in the upcoming IPL auction

Auction for the upcoming IPL 2019 has been scheduled on December 18 in Jaipur. There was a lot of buzz around the players that were retained and released by the franchises. There are a total of 70 slots up for the grabs which include 50 Indian and 20 Overseas slots. To grab those slots, a whopping 1003 players including 232 overseas players have registered for the auctions.

Franchises having a hefty purse are going to play a key role in this year's auction. Kings XI Punjab has almost rebooted themselves so they have the highest purse amount of INR 36.20 Crores with a maximum of 15 players to be picked.

On the other hand, the defending champions Chennai Super Kings have a settled squad and are left with the smallest purse of INR 8.40 Crores with a maximum of two players to be picked. With the auctions around the corner, here are the five exciting debutants who could light up the auction even more.

5. Sam Curran

Sam Curran has been a star for England in Test match cricket. His ability to swing the ball and pick wickets at crucial junctures is an advantage for any team. Curran also has the ability to whack few sixes with the bat. The left-arm quick from Surrey bowls at an average speed of around 130 kmph. His speed figures aren't impressive but his line and length have been spot on.

Curran was very impressive against India in the Test series and went on to become the player of the series for England. Even Virat Kohli praised the young lad for his performances, saying that, "he has been the difference between both the teams and has an excellent skill". His success in the IPL depends on how he transforms his Test cricket potential into T20 cricket.

Advantage: Can extract early swing and provide few meaty runs with the bat at the end.

Teams who could bid: Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab.