A lot of England players are available for the IPL auction: Eoin Morgan

England captain Eoin Morgan is expecting a solid participation from his colleges in the upcoming Indian Premier League. Over the years, most of the England players have given the IPL a miss. Asked on whether he is looking forward to the auction, the skipper replied, “Yes, I do and a lot of them will be available for the auction this year. Hopefully, they will be picked up and playing the majority of the games. That’s the best case scenario.”

Morgan feels playing in the IPL will make them much more competitive while countering the Indian conditions. “It’s with our skill level. The belief is there, character is there, talent is there – it’s reproducing your skill level. As I mentioned, India are a tough side to beat at home. You need to have skill level. The guys playing the IPL I believe will set them up.”

England are currently 0-2 down in the 3-match ODI series, and the skipper believes this tour will help them build a plan for the upcoming Champions Trophy. “Although the series is gone, looking further ahead, it’s still to be a good test for us as we prepare for the Champions Trophy. The wickets are not turning square, it’s not the typical India, it’s actually modern-day 50-over cricket challenge,” Morgan told the media in the post-match media conference after their close defeat to India at Cuttack.

“You’re learning all the time, given the conditions. It’s different from what we are used to. The grounds have been very similar, very small, very batting-friendly which continues to be the case for white-ball cricket. It’s almost the case of who bats the best wins. And we haven’t produced our best with the bat. We’ve pushed them close twice, there are positives signs within themselves, but as you said we’ve lost the series.” he concluded.

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England will take on India in the third and final ODI match at Kolkata on January 22.