IPL 2020: 5 unsold players from 2019 who can attract huge bids in the 2020 auction
The IPL auction is an important event in the cricketing calendar. The proceedings of this day determine the career graph of many players who aim to be a part of the lucrative league. A huge bid fetched in the auction can act as a breakthrough for any player and make him an overnight sensation, while a no-bid can spur a decline in his career.
The IPL gives players, especially uncapped Indians, a fair chance to showcase their talent before the world. The youngsters are given an opportunity to rub shoulders with the best in the world and gain useful insights to emerge as better cricketers.
Every year there are some players who get neglected and find no buyers at the auction table. Even in 2019, there were a few players who failed to find a home at any franchise and returned disappointed from the auction.
However, with another edition of the league approaching, some of those unsold players will enter the auction with enhanced reputations - which could encourage the franchises to bid for them this time.
Here, we take a look at five unsold players from the 2019 auction who might attract huge bids this year:
#1 Chris Woakes
The English all-rounder made his IPL debut in 2017 for Kolkata Knight Riders, and was one of their key players. Chris Woakes had a brilliant maiden outing in the IPL, picking up 17 wickets in 13 matches for KKR.
However, despite being one of the costliest buys in 2018, Woakes had a disappointing season for RCB and was thus released ahead of the auction in 2019.
In 2019, the 30-year-old saw no bids for himself in the auction. His huge base price, coupled with the expectation that he would miss the business end of the tournament due to his national commitments, prevented him from getting an opportunity to once again feature in the IPL.
However, the prolific all-rounder could well inspire a bidding war in the upcoming IPL auction. His recent success for England as an all-format player would make him a desired commodity for most of the teams.
Woakes' progress in the white-ball format has been second to none in the past one year. Moreover, his skills with the new ball complement his handy batting skills; he is a decent striker of the ball in the lower order.
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