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The countdown for the auction ahead of the 2024 edition of the IPL has begun with teams and fans preparing the likely rosters. A few of the World Cup stars including Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, Gerald Coetzee and Rachin Ravindra are on everyone’s mind and with many teams cleaning up their extras, 30 overseas slots are remaining out of a total of 77. Some teams like Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore will be going hard as far as shopping is concerned and with so many slots on offer, not just the big names, some of the less fancied players could also be in the reckoning.
The Lockie Fergusons, Coetzees or the Starcs of the world will have teams fighting to get them and they deserve it because they have performed at that level consistently. Similarly, there are a few players who have done well whenever an opportunity has arisen but might not be that popular, however, since the options are more and spots are less, here’s a look at three surprise names who could trigger bidding wars at the IPL 2024 auction-
1. Azmatullah Omarzai: A player who can bat in the middle-order at a good strike rate and can even open the bowling and can seam and swing, is a rare commodity and hence you can see why the likes of Sam Curran, Hardik Pandya, Cameron Green and Hardik Pandya are so sought-after players around the world. In Azmatullah Omarzai, Afghanistan have found a gem. The 23-year-old had a smashing World Cup scoring 353 runs at an average of 70 and a strike rate of 97 and also picked up 7 wickets. Teams like Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad could go after him.
2. David Willey: You’d be wondering what a retired England player is doing on the list. He is retired, which means he will have full availability and David Willey is a no novice to T20 cricket. Willey was the best bowler for England in the World Cup, who made the ball swing and can be a great option with the bat too, at No.8. With several teams looking for a lower-order finisher, who can bowl four overs, Willey could be a decent option for the likes of Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans or even Delhi Capitals.
3. Josh Inglis: A T20 century off 47 balls against India and in India? Josh Inglis, who has been part of the T20 World Cup, World Test Championship and now World Cup-winning Australian team, proved his worth as a useful middle-order batter and showcased his short-form skills with the bat in the T20 series. Can he be the surprise wicketkeeper and a floater with the bat that Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals or Rajasthan Royals could target?
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