Amla, Miller in line to join AB de Villiers, Chris Morris on IPL roster

The morning of January 13 saw quite a few headlines made in the cricket world. For the Asian fans, the day started off with the news of Pakistan bundling out for 74. It was then followed by the surprise exclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the Centurion Test. But the news that made the biggest headline encircled around the IPL 2018 auctions. Reports surfaced the media that confirmed as many as 282 overseas players signing up for the IPL 2018 auctions.

Among these 282 cricketers, there are 57 cricketers from South Africa. They have the second highest representation in the overseas contingent after Australia’s 58 players in the list. Interestingly, the list also sees players from Ireland, Zimbabwe, and USA throwing in their hats for the auctions. Needless to concede the IPL 2018 auctions is going to be a huge affair.

Commenting on the South African representation, it is worth noting that two players from the Proteas land have already made it to the IPL 2018 roster. Veteran hard-hitting batsman AB de Villiers is one among the three players retained by the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp. AB has been an integral part of the side for the last few seasons. Meanwhile, the Delhi Daredevils opted to retain the services of all-rounder Chris Morris, who arguably has been their best player in the previous two editions.

Big names in fray

Now, the other South African big names eye a spot in the IPL to join AB de Villiers and Chris Morris. Hashim Amla, the elegant batsman, is in the pool of players. He has IPL tons to his name and had played for the Kings XI Punjab in the previous edition of the tournament. Also from the same side was David Miller. Miller had also captained the KXIP franchise for a brief while in the 2017 season.

He, too, has been a big player in the IPL history. Among the bowlers, there is Kagiso Rabada. Rabada is arguably the most impressive young pacer in the world cricket at the moment. While all pacers often end up getting injured after a series or two, Rabada’s fitness has been supreme. He had played for the Delhi Daredevils last season. Other big names like Quinton de Kock and Imran Tahir will also be up for grabs at the auctions.

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