Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer’s age, batting talent, brand potential, and success as a leader have made him such an appealing option that franchise officials believe he could end up being the most expensive purchase at the auction. Iyer hasn’t played much as a batter since 2015, when he made his debut for the Delhi Daredevils and finished as the IPL’s Emerging Player of the Year after scoring the most runs (437) by a debutant (a record he held until 2018). Given captaincy midway through the IPL 2018, Iyer demonstrated leadership by leading the Capitals to two consecutive play-offs, including their first final (in 2020).
David Warner
Few people would have predicted David Warner’s demise. Warner is a living legend in the Indian Premier League. He is the most successful overseas player in the league’s history. Warner amassed 3819 runs from 2014 to 2020, with an average of 52.31 and a strike rate of 144.98. Virat Kohli came in second with 3605 runs, but at a strike rate of 135.27. The truly amazing thing is that Warner achieved his total despite missing the entire IPL 2018. He won the orange cap twice and captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to the 2016 IPL title. Warner’s main strengths in the IPL are his ability to play spin and consistency.
Ishan Kishan
Scouts believe he has a much stronger swing than Pant. During his set-up, he has a better base than Pant. And, like Pant, he is short but regarded as one of the most dangerous powerhitters in the game. Ishan Kishan is only 23 years old, but he already has an impressive resume as a wicketkeeper-batter. Kishan hit a record-breaking 30 sixes in IPL 2020, which helped him finish as Mumbai Indians’ highest run-getter during their title run. Kishan had proven he was well worth the INR 6.2 crore Mumbai paid for him in the 2018 auction, nearly 35 times the price Gujarat Lions paid for him in the IPL in 2016, after emerging as a young talent and leading India to the Under-19 World Cup.
Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar’s flashing blade has produced two of the best batting performances in ODI cricket in the last year. Both heroic performances, one of which resulted in a win – against Sri Lanka – and the other which came close to winning India a match – against South Africa – demonstrated that Chahar has added another string to his bow. He will now be regarded as a bowling allrounder. Chahar, a Powerplay specialist with the ball for Chennai Super Kings, the franchise he has been with since 2018, took 42 of his 58 wickets in the first six overs. In the last four IPL seasons, he had 15 more wickets than the next best player, Trent Boult (2018 to 2021). During this time, Chahar was also the Super Kings’ leading wicket-taker.
Jason Holder
Jason Holder’s stock is on the rise, and it’s on the rise quickly. Chennai Super Kings (2013) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2014) drafted him at a young age and at a low cost. Then, in 2020, he went unsold and was signed by Sunrisers as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh. Holder’s IPL performances improved significantly, with him taking 30 wickets at an average of 16 and scoring 151 runs, often at crucial times. However, the majority of his wickets have come in the UAE, so whether he can replicate that in India remains to be seen. His height enables him to extract bounce from a good length, and his ability to play spin is a significant asset. There aren’t many players who can give you four overs across phases and bat in the middle of the game.
Yuzvendra Chahal
No bowler has more than Yuzvendra Chahal’s 139 IPL wickets since joining Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014. It is remarkable that Chahal has accomplished this despite playing a significant portion of his matches at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. Only Rashid Khan has more consistency and impact as a wristspinner than Chahal. Chahal may have lost speed and confidence in recent years, but he has recently demonstrated that his rhythm has returned. While the Royal Challengers did not keep Chahal unless he wanted to go to the auction, it would not be surprising if the franchise bid for him again.