IPL 2018: 4 England batsmen to watch out for this IPL
The England team's fate was on a roller coaster during the IPL Auctions 2018, when several star players from the previous seasons went unsold this time. Tymal Mills, who was the second costliest player in the 10th edition of the league, remained unsold. The limited overs captain, Eoin Morgan, was also not picked despite his recent stints with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab in previous seasons.
Out of the 24 England players who entered the auction, only six made it to the IPL this season. Ben Stokes leads the sold English players' list with rs. 12.5 crores from the Rajasthan Royals, a little lesser than his previous record deal of 14.5 crores with the Rising Pune Supergiant. Mark Wood mentioned that he is 'incredibly lucky' to have been picked up by CSK while he is also shocked that Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, and Liam Plunkett, despite their good performances, have not been bought by any franchises.
With a day left to the IPL, here's looking at the four batsmen from the English lot that made it to the league this summer:
#1 Sam Billings
Team - Chennai Super Kings
This 26-year-old lad was picked up by the CSK at his base price of Rs. 1 crore. He states that he is very excited to join the team and learn from the experienced players in the two-time champions' unit. Since their roles are similar, Billings believes that there is a lot to learn from MS Dhoni and is excited to meet him.
The CEO of CSK, Kashi Vishwanathan, on the other hand, believes that the Kent captain 'would make a big difference to the team as a floater as he is someone who can bat equally well at any position'.
Billings is a fine player of spin with a excellent footwork which makes him an apt player for the sub-continent conditions. With a strike-rate of 134.86 in T20Is, the specialist batsman of England must surely be a great find for the returning CSK team.