IPL 2023 auction: 5 all-rounders who could trigger a bidding war in Kochi

All-rounders are crucial in T20 cricket and they are likely to trigger a bidding war among the 10 franchises when the IPL 2023 players’ auction takes place in Kochi on Friday (December 23).

Also read: IPL 2023 auction full list; 405 players to go under the hammer

Ahead of the big day, here are the five all-rounders, who are likely to be among the most expensive buys of the IPL 2023 auction.

Ben Stokes (England) – Base price ₹2 crore

Considered by many to be one of the great all-rounders of modern cricket, there is no doubt that Ben Stokes will be one of the biggest buys of the IPL 2023 auction. The all-rounder was the most expensive player in the 2018 IPL auction when he was bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹12.5 crore. Stokes is widely known as an expressive cricketer who relies on his instincts to get his team out of tight situations. Stokes also has great leadership abilities and his character is looked upon by youngsters in the team, which makes him the perfect role model to have in the side. Stokes did not feature in last year’s IPL as he wanted to focus on his mental health and well-being, but the former Rajasthan Royals man will be gearing up for the 16th edition of the tournament and can expect a lot of paddles raised to sign the left-handed all-rounder. Stokes has scored two centuries in IPL.

Also read: IPL 2023: Full list of retained/released/traded players; remaining purse

Cameron Green (Australia) – ₹2 crore

Australia’s Cameron Green is another all-rounder in the mould of Stokes. The tall right-hander will be in the IPL auction for the first time. He has already proved his big-hitting abilities in international cricket and is also a handy pace bowler. Experts believe Green can be one of the most expensive foreign players in IPL history.

Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – ₹1.5 crore

One of the finest cricketers to emerge from Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan has been the backbone of a plethora of teams in his decorated cricket career. The all-rounder is known for his consistency, accuracy and aggression with the ball in hand and has a wide range of shots when batting. His confidence and temperament have led him and his sides to perform at the biggest stages both internationally and domestically. He has represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL and a lot of teams will be looking to bring him into their squads not just for his cricketing prowess but also for his unmatched experience and ability handle pressure in clutch situations.

Also read: IPL 2022 award winners, prize money, key stats

Sam Curran (England) – ₹2 crore

Sam Curran comes into the IPL 2023 auction riding on the success of England’s win of the T20 World Cup in Australia. The young all-rounder had an outstanding World Cup, not only winning the Man-of-the-match award in the final but also the Man-of-the-series award in the tournament. The talented all-rounder has already shown great performances for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in previous editions of the IPL and is highly effective with both bat and ball. Sam Curran’s growing experience, coupled with his leadership qualities make him an ideal buy for IPL teams. His ability to clear the fence even as a lower order batsman and his accuracy when bowling at the death make him an ideal buy for any team at this year’s auction.

Also read: IPL 2023 auction: Top 5 bowlers who could trigger a bidding war

Jason Holder (West Indies) – ₹2 crore

West Indies’ Jason Holder is not new to IPL. He has already played the tournament for six seasons including the last one for debutant Lucknow Super Giants. He has previously played for Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kolkata Knight Riders.