Overseas players that could spark bidding war in IPL 2023 auction

NEW DELHI: IPL 2023 auction will take place on December 23 in Kochi and is sure to raise eyebrows with price tags for which players might be roped in by the franchises. The final auction list includes 132 foreign players, including four players from Associate countries, and 273 Indian players overall. With some absolute superstars making themselves available for the cricket extravaganza, let's take a look at the top overseas players that might get the biggest bids and rake in the biggest pay cheques.

1) Ben Stokes

The England all-rounder is a game-changer in all three departments of the game. He can play an absolute blinder of a knock, bowl a match-winning spell and is a gun in the field. With franchises looking to balance their team, he will be on the radar of most teams with his insane all-around abilities. He was part of Rajasthan Royals in 2021 and had opted out of IPL 2022.

2) Sam Curran

The English all-rounder was named the Player of the tournament for his superb death-over bowling in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Curran's ability to bat in the top order is an added asset. His stint with the Chennai Super Kings under MS Dhoni has helped him evolve as a cricketer. He will be eyed by franchises looking for an excellent all-rounder and could attract the heftiest price tag in the auction.

3) Cameron Green

His exploits with the bat in the T20I series on his first tour to India had grabbed everyone's attention. He is a powerhouse that can deliver with the ball as well, a perfect recipe for the T20 format. Already a regular on the Aussie test side, he will surely be one of the hottest properties going into the IPL 2023 player auction.

4) Joe Root

Reliable with the bat in the middle order, handy overs of spin and loads of experience are the USPs of the English batter going into the IPL auction. He will be a great fit with teams looking for batters who can play the sheet anchor's role and bind the inning together while other batters go ballistic. The batter has never been a part of the IPL and teams could be looking at him as a possible captain as well.

5) Kane Williamson

The Kiwi player was retained for a hefty price but was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad following his poor run with the bat in the 2022 season of IPL. He led the team to IPL final in 2018 and was the highest run-getter in the season with 735 runs and could be on the radar of teams looking for someone to lead the team.