IPL auction 2020: One bowler that each team would look to sign
The 2020 IPL auction is set to take place in less than three weeks, and debates and discussions on who the franchises should target have already begun. The teams will have their hands full trying to figure out their team combinations. They would also have to take into account the purse which they have ahead of the auction.
Many teams released a noticeable amount of players ahead of the auction, opting to go for a revamp. With many big names set to go under the hammer, a lot of big bids can be expected.
In the past, bowlers have attracted higher bids than batsmen. In last season's auction, Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy were the most expensive players, bought for ₹8.4 crore each. With bowling becoming increasingly important in T20 cricket, we can expect that trend to continue.
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On that note, let's take a look at one bowler that each team would look to sign.
Chennai Super Kings - Sheldon Cottrell
CSK didn't tinker much with their squad ahead of this season and released just 6 players. While they finished runners-up with this squad last season, they seem ill-equipped to repeat the feat in 2020. Most of their players are aging, and while they still boast of a strong spin attack, their pace battery lacks steam.
Deepak Chahar and Lungi Ngidi are in good form but they don't have any other pacer they can rely on, especially since Dwayne Bravo's death bowling abilities have dwindled. Bravo didn't make a single meaningful contribution for CSK with the bat last season and is as good as a bowler now. His economy rate has been rising in all the T20 leagues where he's taking part, and with age not on his side, CSK must get another quality pacer in their side.
Sheldon Cottrell will be the right man for the role. CSK don't have a single left-arm pacer in their side and signing Cottrell will give them a variety of options to choose from.
Cottrell has had a brilliant year; he performed very well in the World Cup before shining in CPL 2019, where he picked up 12 wickets. He's now a regular in West Indies' limited-overs setup and is in good form ahead of the auction.
The Caribbean pacer, who went unsold in the auction last year, is sure to attract heavy bidding this time around. But with CSK needing to fill just a couple of slots to complete their squad and armed with a budget of ₹14.6 crore, they would be among the front-runners to get him on-board.