IPL 2024 Auction: 5 Underrated Players Who Might Attract Massive Bids

The upcoming IPL auction for the 2024 season is scheduled to occur on December 19 in Dubai, featuring 333 players, with the majority being from India and some from overseas. It is a mini-auction, with teams looking to fill gaps in their squads, rather than overhauling them after the player retentions announced by all 10 teams on November 26. The event is expected to draw significant attention, with star players like Mitchell Starc, Shahrukh Khan, and Rachin Ravindra, likely to attract high bids. It will be a crucial opportunity for teams to strengthen their rosters ahead of the 2024 IPL season and is notable as the first time that the IPL auction has been held outside of India.

But here are 5 Underrated Players who can be a best-sold -

1) Gerald Coetzee -

Gerald Coetzee, known for his exceptional performance for South Africa in the 2023 World Cup, has gained wide recognition among cricket fans. In eight games during the ODI tournament, he clinched 20 wickets and emerged as the leader in wicket-taking for South Africa. With Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) releasing fast bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee ahead of the 2024 IPL auction, Coetzee's impressive bowling numbers might help him earn a lucrative deal in the auction. The 23-year-old bowler, who displayed his skills in the inaugural SA20 League earlier in the year, could be a valuable addition to KKR's pace attack after taking 17 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 8.07, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker for Joburg Super Kings.

2) Azmatullah Omarzai -

A 23-year-old all-rounder from Afghanistan has shown impeccable performance in the World Cup 2023. He is a middle-order batter and is also a handy medium pacer who can pick wickets. Omarzai, with a T20 strike rate of 130 and 59 wickets in 62 matches, is an attractive player that many teams, such as Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, would benefit from having. The young player's abilities may incite bidding wars, so he is worth keeping an eye on.

3) Dilshan Madushanka -

In recent years for Sri Lanka, Dilshan Madushanka has been one of the few players who has stood out. The left-arm pacer has displayed his talent and potential, most notably in the 2023 World Cup, where he claimed 21 wickets in only nine matches. Madushanka's height and pace combined with his impressive control make him a valuable asset for any IPL team. His base price of 50 lakh only adds to the appeal for interested teams.

4) Josh Inglis -

Josh Inglis, the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, may be in for a significant deal during the upcoming auction. His performance in the five-match T20I series against India was impressive, particularly in the first T20I in Visakhapatnam, where he scored a hundred in just 47 balls, matching Aaron Finch's record for the fastest T20I hundred by an Australian.

Inglis has played for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League (BBL) and has accumulated 1509 runs with 13 fifties in 65 matches at an extraordinary strike rate of 142.76. In 2023, Inglis played an important role in Perth's fifth BBL championship, scoring 431 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 146.59, ending up as the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament. With Dinesh Karthik, RCB's current wicketkeeper-batsman, struggling for form in 2023, they may be willing to splurge big on Inglis at the 2024 IPL auction.

5) Phil Salt -

Delhi Capitals (DC) has not included Phil Salt in their retained list for the IPL 2024. The English batsman's performance in the 2023 season, where he scored 218 runs in nine games at an average of 27.25, led to his exclusion from the squad. However, Salt's impressive record in the 2023 Hundred Men's competition, where he scored 232 runs in 10 games at a remarkable strike rate of 194.95, and his strong performance in T20Is for England, where he scored 308 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 148.79, may attract interest from franchises in the upcoming auction. It is speculated that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) might bid heavily for Salt, as they need an experienced batter for the next IPL edition, especially after parting ways with Harry Brook. The IPL 2024 auction is set to take place on December 19 in Dubai, and Salt is expected to be one of the players to watch during the event.

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