IPL 2020 Auctions: 3 smartest overseas buys
The auctions for the upcoming 13th season of the Indian Premier League has successfully concluded in Kolkata and it threw, as always, some expected as well as interesting buys from the 8 participating franchises. From a total of 332 cricketers available for the auctions, 62 players made the final cut and were bought by the franchises on a day that saw some he fty cash splurging. Among the overseas buys, it was the Australian cricketers, on expected lines, who ruled the roost with pacer Pat Cummins becoming the most expensive buy of the season with INR 15.5 crore whilst all-rounder Glenn Maxwell going for INR 10.75 crore.
While there was serious competition for a lot of players, there were a few in the mix as well who were bargained relatively miserly by the franchises considering the quality they possess.
Here, we take a look at the top 3 smartest overseas buys from the IPL 2020 auctions:
1. Tom Banton
Tom Banton is an English cricketer who burst onto the scene during the 2017-18 season of England’s domestic T20 blast season. He has made rapid strides at a young age, impressing all by his unorthodox yet effective style of stroke-making. The fact that he is a dynamic wicket-keeper adds a completely new dimension to his game, a prospect Kolkata Knight Riders would look to utilize during the 2020 edition of the IPL.
Banton’s exploits for Somerset did not go unnoticed when he was signed by Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League for the 2019-20 season, and strong showing in the shortest format across the globe culminated in his selection for England’s T20 International side in 2019.
Though it is early days as an England international, Banton’s numbers in T20 domestic games is astonishing with 663 runs in 21 games at a strike-rate of 150 plus. The fact that KKR were able to pick England’s latest batting sensation at his base price of INR 1 Crore without any resistance from other franchises arguably makes it a smart move from the Dinesh Karthik-led side.