IPL Auction: 5 international players who could get big money

Kevin Pietersen has always been an attraction in the T20 leagues around the world. This year he is going to an even bigger an attraction for the IPL franchises. For, Pietersen is in the form of his life. He has scored runs in every T20 league he has played in the last few months. He was a major force in taking Melbourne Stars to the finals of the recently concluded Big Bash League. Though Melbourne Stars couldn’t win the title, KP continued his rich form hitting fifties in both the semi-finals and final.

The last six months have been great for Usman Khawaja. He has not just proved himself as a Test batsman, Khawaja has shown that he is equally effective in shorter formats of the game. In the recently concluded Big Bash League, Khawaja proved that he can be a difficult batsman for bowlers to bowl at. He scored two sensational centuries in the tournament to help Sydney Thunders lift the BBL trophy for the first time this year.

Like several other West Indies cricketers, Andre Russell is a much sought-after cricketer for T20 Leagues franchises around the world. In the past one year, his stocks have taken a big jump. Be it the Caribbean Premier league in his own country or the Big Bash League in Australia, Russel has been proving his worth everywhere.

It was a big surprise when none of the Rajkot and Pune franchises picked Shane Watson during the IPL draft last year. But it may prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Australian all-rounder, who knows. After his blistering century in the 3rd T20 against India, he is expected to be on the radar of all the eight franchises who will be bidding during the IPL auction on Saturday. Despite the concerns over his batting form recently, Watson remains a big impact player in the T20 format.

New Zealand opener Martin Guptill has been around for a long time now but it seems he has finally come of age. The consistency and aggression that he has displayed in the last one year, it would be a big surprise if he doesn’t attract fierce bidding from the all the teams.