Hyderabad: The reason behind the success of the Indian Premier League is that it gives opportunities to aspiring young cricket talents to showcase their skills on a platform against or alongside well-established cricketers in the world.
332 players will be in the fray for the 73 available spots across the eight IPL teams.
Of the 332, shortlisted from among the 997 players who registered, 186 are Indian, 143 overseas players and three from associate nations.
Two-time champion KKR have released some star players like Piyush Chawla and Robin Uthappa. Robin is the only Indian player with a base price of INR 1.5 crore.
So, let's have a look at some of India's top players who could attract big bids this year.
Robin Uthappa
Former KKR opener Robin Uthappa was in the Kolkatta team since 2014 when the side won the IPL for the second time. The right-hand batsman smashed 660 runs in that year and played a key role in team's triumph and now he has been released.
If there is one consistent Indian player in IPL after Suresh Raina then the Uthappa's name will surely come forward.
However, the 34-year-old had a poor run at the 2019 IPL as he could only manage to score 282 runs in 12 games at an average of 31.33, with just one fifty in the season. He will look to change the fortune this year.
With 4,411 runs in the league so far Robin is eighth in the list of highest run-getter. A career strike rate of 131.84 and a dogged approach at the top of the order, many franchises will like to get Uthappa in their side. A team like RCB who are in search of one top Indian opener will definitely go for him.
Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla, a veteran of 157 IPL matches, has 150 wickets under his belt at an economy rate of 7.82 and will go under the hammer at a base price of Rs. 1 crore. Chawla was part of Kolkata Knight Riders in the last season of Indian Premier League and ahead of the auction, KKR have released him. He was bought for Rs. 4.32 crore in 2019 IPL by KKR.
Even though Chawala is no longer part of Indian national squad, he can be crucial for any IPL team, as the cricket pitches in the country support spinners, that is looking to take the trophy home.
In Chawal, IPL teams can get a world-class spinner as well as a mentor for young talents. The leggy has contributed usefully in the two IPL victories for the Knight Riders and etched his name in the record books when he scored the winning runs in the 2014 version. His subtle control with the ball and intelligent use of the conditions make him a vital component of any team's attack.