The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) may be many months away but the auctions are just a little over two months away. Hence, the build-up has already started and teams have been given a deadline. They need to submit their team’s retained and released players list by the 14th of November.

Every year, there are new entries in the IPL auction along with the released players. All players hope to get picked. In fact, there are players who attract big bids. A lot depends on their current form and also their reputation as a T20 player.

Thus, there are a few players who attract a lot of attention and run away with hefty paycheques as well. Hence, with the IPL auction for the 2020 season to be held in December, we take a look at five possible cricketers who might get expensive bids in the auction.

1. Tom Banton

In England, all eyes were on the World Cup and the Ashes during the summer. The two mega-events hogged most of the limelight. However, there was a certain Tom Banton who gained a lot of attention too. His fluent and attractive strokeplay was one of the highlights of the England domestic summer.

He was very impressive in the T20 Blast this year. Banton amassed 549 runs at an average of 42.23 and a strike-rate of 161.47. He finished the season as the second-highest run-getter. The 20-year-old Somerset lad also made runs in the Royal London One-Day Cup and County Championship.

Moreover, he won the PCA Young Player of the Year as well. Thus, he is arguably the most attractive player going around in the England domestic circuit. He has been also been awarded with a place in the England T20 side that will travel to New Zealand later this year. Hence, there is no doubt that Banton might be one of the biggest attractions this year in the IPL auction.

2. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc may not have featured in the IPL for the last four seasons but his stocks as a white-ball bowler are high as ever. In fact, he is one of the best death bowlers going around in world cricket at the moment. His ability to nail the yorkers at pace makes it difficult for the batsmen to get him away.

Moreover, Starc is useful with the new ball as he can exploit any sort of movement if it’s available. Starc was an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) set-up for a couple of years. In 2014 and 2015, he was their premier fast bowler. However, constant injuries have kept him out of the IPL since then.

In 2018, he was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a stunning amount of INR 9.4 crores. However, a leg injury ruled him out. Hence, there is no reason why Starc will not be a highly attractive player in the auctions this year. He may well end up as the most expensive players as well.

3. Shahrukh Khan

This name might come as a surprise. But the Tamil Nadu youngster has been on the rise for the last year or so. Shahrukh Khan has been making all the right noises so far. He has had a couple of excellent TNPL (Tamil Nadu Premier League) seasons and has been very good in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

For a couple of seasons now, Shahrukh Khan has built his reputation as a six-hitter. In fact, in 2018, he was third on the list of most sixes in the TNPL. Moreover, he has been scoring runs consistently at a good strike-rate. He has also played the role of a finisher really well for Tamil Nadu this season.

In four games, the 24-year-old has scored 151 runs and they have come at a strike-rate of 138.53. Hence, Shahrukh might be one of the most attractive uncapped players in the upcoming auctions. He may well walk away with an expensive bid as well.

4. James Neesham

It is surprising that James Neesham has played in just one season of the IPL so far. In fact, even in that season, he played just four games. In 2014, he represented the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals). However, he had an underwhelming time as well.

He scored just 42 runs at an average of 14.0 and a strike-rate of 91.3. With the ball, he has picked up just one wicket. Hence, Neesham didn’t play in a single season after 2014. However, the New Zealand all-rounder seems to have gotten better. He can be very handy with the bat and is a partnership breaker with the ball.

In the Caribbean Premier League, he was the highest wicket-taker for Trinbago Knight Riders (11 wickets). Moreover, he is very good in the field as well. Thus, he can be a utility option and thus, could attract a lot of bid in the upcoming auction.

5. Yashashvi Jaiswal

He may not be a popular name in the Indian domestic cricketing circles at the moment but Yashashvi Jaiswal has been piling on the runs wherever he has played. The young batsman from Mumbai has shown the hunger for big runs right from a very young age. He had averaged 81.80 in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2016-17.

Jaiswal then translated that form in Under-19 cricket and has scored heavily. He scored heavily in the 2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup as well where he finished as the highest run-getter. On the back of strong performances in age-group cricket, Jaiswal made his first-class debut earlier this year. He recently made his List ‘A’ debut and scored heavily in the two games he’s played.

Hence, the 17-year-old batsman could well be one of the shining lights in this IPL auction. Over the years, we have seen unknown and young faces dominate IPL auctions and it may be Jaiswal’s turn this time around.