5 Cricketers who can bag a bid for the first time in IPL 2021 Auction

The auction for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is nearing with every passing day, and naturally, the excitement levels are also increasing. It is one of the most exciting events in the cricketing calendar and unknown commodities can become the talk of the town.

The retention lists came out on the 20th of January, and some big names including the likes of Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Chris Morris found themselves released by their respective franchises. Kings XI Punjab will head into the auction with the biggest purse of Rs 53.9 crore. On the other hand, KKR and SRH will have the lowest budget at ₹10.75 crore each.

The IPL auction will take place on February 18, while the players need to register themselves for the auction by the 4th of February. Every year, there are some players who are picked up by franchises for the first time in their careers. There are quite a few talented players who haven’t been a part of IPL squads till now, but that could change in the upcoming season.

Here we bring you five players who can bag a bid in IPL auction for the first time:

Dawid Malan

The Englishman’s stocks have risen exponentially in recent times, and he has established himself as one of the best T20 batsmen in the world. The No.1 T20I batsman in ICC rankings has performed extremely well for England and has ten 50+ scores for England in just 19 T20Is.

His strike rate of 149.47 and average of 53.43 are out of this world, and hence there is no surprise over why he is being hyped up as one of the players to watch out for during the auction. Dawid Malan predominantly plays in the top order and there are quite a few teams that are in need of one such player. The likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, and Rajasthan Royals could potentially target the 33-year-old.

He has scored 6177 runs in 223 T20s at an average of 33.24 and has a strike rate of nearly 130. With such impressive numbers, Malan could potentially end up being one of the most expensive players.

Jhye Richardson

Jhye Richardson is one of the better Australian fast bowlers at present and has proven himself to be quite effective at all stages of the game. Like most of the Australian quicks, Richardson has the ability to bowl at a good pace. He has been outstanding in the BBL this season and is currently the top wicket-taker. The Perth Scorchers bowler has picked up 27 wickets in 15 games with a strike rate of 14.59 while conceding at just 7.23.

The 24-year-old hasn’t had the best of time with injuries, but he seems to have put them behind with his excellent performances in recent times. In addition to his bowling, he is a pretty handy lower-order batsman. There could be quite a few teams in the mix for him, including Royal Challengers, Kings XI, and Mumbai Indians.

Richardson has picked up 76 wickets in 59 T20s at a strike rate of 17 while conceding at 7.74. The Australian quick has also had the better of Virat Kohli on a few occasions, and it is only going to help his growing stature and reputation in the game. The Perth Scorchers player could be amongst the most in-demand quicks.

Rassie van der Dussen

Rassie van der Dussen has established himself as a key player in the South African team and has proved himself as one of their most consistent performers over the last couple of years. He averages a stunning 70.7 in ODIs after 16 innings and 38.71 after 17 innings in T20Is. The South African international is yet to play in the IPL, which has surprised quite a few given his excellent T20 record and brilliant form in the recent past.

He has scored 3571 runs in 111 innings at an average of 37.98 and has a pretty good strike rate of 131.33. The 31-year-old has the ability to clear the ropes with ease and can bat anywhere from the top of the order to No.5. His versatility is surely going to help a lot of teams, and the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, and Delhi Capitals, who need a middle-order batsman (as starter/backup) could bid for him.

Amidst all the hype surrounding the likes of Malan, Steve Smith, and Glenn Maxwell, van der Dussen could potentially turn out to be a bit of a bargain.

Riley Meredith

The young Australian fast bowler has been highly impressive in the Big Bash over the last couple of seasons and is quite possibly one of the fastest bowlers in the world. With the ability to consistently bowl at over 145 kph, he has the ability to hurry most batsmen in the world. He has been decent in the ongoing BBL with 16 scalps in 13 games at a strike rate of 18.8.

The stats might not be overly impressive, but the control he has exhibited has been quite good. He is also pretty good at the death. The uncapped player has also been a part of the Australian squad previously. Because he is still yet to play for his country, Meredith’s base price will be Rs 40 lakh or less, and he could turn out to be a budget gem for any team that decides to bid for him.

The likes of Sunrisers, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals are in need of a backup pacer, and Meredith could be an option for them.

Ben McDermott

The 26-year-old has been in terrific form over the last couple of months and has shot himself back into national contention. The Australian has been outstanding in the ongoing Big Bash and has impressed one and all with his power-hitting range. He has scored 402 runs in just 12 games this season at an excellent strike rate of 140. In addition to his batting, McDermott can also keep wickets.

The right-handed batsman is at his best while batting in the top 3, and can provide teams with that much-needed spark at the top. The Hobart Hurricanes batsman is most likely going to have a modest base price, and teams in need of an overseas batsman could snap him up.

He has scored 1660 runs in 73 T20s at an average of 31.32 and strikes at 130.7. With such a healthy average and strike rate, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if he earns himself an IPL contract.