The Indian Premier League [IPL] auction for 2017 saw huge demand for fast bowlers and all-rounders, as is evident from the following list.
Out of the top five buys at the auction, each one of them gives you four overs with their pace bowling in a T20 game, with Ben Stokes also having a lot of ability with the bat.
What did you make of the auction?
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BEN STOKES (RISING PUNE SUPERGIANTS – INR 14.5cr)
The 25-year-old England and Durham star was the talk of the 2017 IPL auction, triggering an intense bidding war between four franchisee before he was snapped up by Pune. His all-round prowess is well known, but the new England Test vice-captain is only ranked 44th in the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings and has been injury-prone lately.
TYMAL MILLS (ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE – INR 12cr)
For someone who cannot bowl long spells because of a congenital back condition, the 24-year-old England and Sussex fast bowler has worked it to his advantage by becoming a premier limited overs player. His pace and guile will be a perfect fit in a team like Bangalore, which is teeming with quality batsmen.
TRENT BOULT (KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS – INR 5cr)
Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Piyush Chawla give Kolkata plenty of spin options, but they needed a couple of good fast bowlers, and Trent Boult is just that. With an average of 20.50 and an economy rate of 7.88, he can make a big impact, especially if the ball starts to swing in humid conditions.
KAGISO RABADA (DELHI DAREDEVILS – INR 5cr)
Rabada impressed one and all with his superb bowling performances in the U-19 Cricket World Cup in the UAE in 2014, and has gone from strength to strength for the Proteas after graduating to the national squad. The 21-year-old will be a handful for his IPL rivals with his consistency.
PAT CUMMINS (DELFHI DAREDEVILS – INR 4.5cr)
Clearly, Delhi had a game plan to put together a quality bowling side and spent most of their money on two fast bowlers – Rabada and Australia’s Pat Cummins. The Sydneysider has struggled a bit with his fitness, but when on song, he could be part of a lethal partnership with his new South African teammate.