The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 auction will take place in Bengaluru on Monday and like every season, it will see a number of talented Indian players (both capped and uncapped) go under the hammer.
Here’s a look at the Indian cricketers who can spark a bidding war in the auction -
Irfan Pathan
The 32-year-old has played for a number of teams in the IPL over the years and, with 80 wickets to his name, he boasts of a decent bowling record in the tournament. A series of injuries kept Pathan out of the domestic circuit for the majority of last season, but he has shown good form in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with both the bat and ball. The all-rounder is a proven talent in the T20 format and his experience can make him a top pick in the auctions.
Priyank Panchal
The 26-year-old batsman was one of the mainstays of the Gujarat batting line-up and he played a major role in his team winning the Ranji Trophy title in 2017. The left-hander scored a brilliant 149 in the Ranji semifinal against Jharkhand and then, followed it up with a gritty performance in the Irani Cup. Panchal also proved his mettle against international bowlers when he scored 103 against Bangladesh in the warm-up tie.
{{/usCountry}}The 26-year-old batsman was one of the mainstays of the Gujarat batting line-up and he played a major role in his team winning the Ranji Trophy title in 2017. The left-hander scored a brilliant 149 in the Ranji semifinal against Jharkhand and then, followed it up with a gritty performance in the Irani Cup. Panchal also proved his mettle against international bowlers when he scored 103 against Bangladesh in the warm-up tie.
{{/usCountry}}Ishank Jaggi
The 28-year old from Chhattisgarh was a late addition to the auction list, but his recent form has made him a lucrative prospect for all the franchises. Jaggi was the third-highest scorer in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with 148 runs from four matches and a highest score of 90. He averages 74 and has scored his runs at a strike rate of 156, while he also has a couple of half-centuries. He had a brilliant run of form in the domestic season and the wicketkeeper-batsman played a match-winning innings to help East Zone clinch the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Aswin Crist
The young medium pacer from Chennai had a good run with Tamil Nadu in the 2016 Ranji Trophy season and with 35 wickets from 10 matches, he was the most successful bowler for his team. The 22-year old is a product of the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai and, with franchises looking to add young Indian medium pacers to their ranks, Crist will surely be at the back of their minds when the auction begins on Monday.
Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw burst onto the scene when he slammed a record 546 while playing for Rizvi Springfield in an interschool game in the 2013 Harris Shield. He followed it up with good performances on the international stage when he scored 191 runs from five matches as an opener in Asia Cup for India U-19. But, his biggest achievement came this year when he was chosen for the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad and he repaid the trust by slamming 239 runs in his first two matches. Shaw’s meteoric rise has created a lot of buzz in the Indian domestic circuit and he can turn out be a big-money pick in this year’s IPL auctions.