IPL 2020 Auction: 5 English all-rounders to watch out for
With a quiet start to the 2020 summer for England, this could be the best chance we’ve had to see some of the country’s finest white-ball players in action at the IPL.
In the past, we have seen a limited number of England’s top players head to the IPL, though they have always returned home to prepare for internationals by the time the business end of the competition comes around. This time though, English players will be available for the whole tournament, and we could see more head over to India than ever before.
Something that England always seem to have produced, are world-class all-rounders. This tradition goes back as far as Sir Ian Botham, whose performances during the 1981 Ashes series are still the stuff of legend today.
We have seen Andrew Flintoff produce several magic moments in an England shirt, in all formats of the game, with both bat and ball.
The latest man to take on the role has been Ben Stokes, and we have seen him perform miracles in an England shirt over the last few months. In the World Cup Final, he scored 84 not out before adding more vital runs in the Super Over to clinch the championship.
When it came to the Ashes, he played one of the great Test match innings in the third Test match at Headingly. With England down and out, requiring 73 runs with just one wicket in hand, Stokes hammered the Australian bowlers all around the park to complete an incredible victory, finishing 135 not out.
Besides from Stokes, there are several fine England all-rounders on the circuit at the moment. Here are five to watch out for in the IPL auction.
Also see – Ranji Trophy points table
#1 Sam Curran
At this point, Sam Curran is probably England’s second-best all-rounder after Ben Stokes. Last summer, he put in several match-winning displays against India, which led to him picking up the Player of the Series award. He can count himself a little unfortunate to have not played a bigger part against Australia this summer, although he impressed when he came into the side for the final Test match at The Oval.
The 21-year-old enjoyed an impressive stint at the IPL last season, picking up ten wickets, including a brilliant hat-trick against the Delhi Capitals. He also produced some useful cameos with the bat, though potentially suffered from never being given a defined role in the side. Without a doubt, he will be the subject of a bidding war in December’s auction.