IPL 2022 Auction: 5 Pakistan Players Who Can Cause a Bidding War

The IPL Mega Auction 2022 is scheduled to be held on 12^th and 13^th February 2022 in Bangalore. The eight existing teams have announced their list of retained and released players. The two new teams, Lucknow and Ahmedabad will also be announcing their three picks before the auctions. As of now, the eight existing franchises have retained a total of 27 players, which includes 19 Indians and 8 overseas.

The rest of the players should find themselves back into the auction pool unless they are picked by the two franchises. Given the fact that it’s a mega-auction, a lot of players will be going under the hammer. The franchise willingly or unwillingly released a lot of world-class players and all those are likely to cause a bidding war at the auctions.

The Pakistan players aren’t allowed to participate in the Indian Premier League. A total of 11 players from Pakistan played the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. However, the political tensions between the two countries grew thereafter and the players from Pakistan were barred from participating in the Indian Premier League.

There are a lot of talented players from Pakistan who can bag an IPL contract if given an opportunity. On that note, we take a look at five Pakistani players who can cause a bidding war at the auctions if they are allowed to play in the upcoming edition of the IPL.

IPL 2022 Auction: 5 Pakistan Players Who Can Cause a Bidding War

Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman, Mohammad Rizwan had an outstanding year with the bat as far as T20 cricket is concerned. No other cricketer has scored most runs than Rizwan in T20 internationals this year. Averaging 73.67, Rizwan has scored 1326 runs in 29 T20 internationals.

Rizwan exhibited phenomenal performances in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 for Pakistan. In 6 matches, he amassed 281 runs at 70.25. Rizwan has been in blistering form and the franchises would be highly interested in buying his services if he finds himself at the IPL auction pool.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pakistan’s premier seamer, Shaheen Shah Afridi would be in high demand if he will be allowed to participate in the IPL. Afridi has a great pace and his ability to swing both ways makes him a lethal force in T20 cricket.

Besides, his toe-crushing yorkers allow him to be the first-choice bowler for Pakistan in the death overs. He is currently one of the best bowlers in the world going around. In 21 T20 internationals played this year, Afridi has managed to pick 23 wickets at an average of 26.04.

Babar Azam

Pakistan captain, Babar Azam should make it to the list. He has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the world for the last few years across formats. Babar Azam has given the team a plethora of exceptional starts in T20 internationals. He made an immense contribution to Pakistan’s success in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

He finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer with 303 runs in 6 matches at an average of 60.60. His recent form inspires a lot of confidence. Besides, his leadership skills could tempt the franchise to splurge a hefty sum of money for him at the IPL auctions.

Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf came into prominence with his bowling exploits in the Big Bash League. Impressive performances in BBL and PSL helped him get into the Pakistan Cricket Team. He has been a consistent performance for the side in the last year in white-ball cricket.

Rauf’s ability to vary his pace helps him succeed in T20 cricket. He was outstanding for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021. He varied his pace wonderfully and bowled in all phases of the game. In 6 matches, he picked 8 wickets at an average of 21.00.

Shadab Khan

Leg-spin all-rounder, Shadab Khan is one of the most important players for Pakistan in white-ball cricket. His variations have been pretty effective in T20 cricket. There aren’t a lot of players who have managed to take him on and play him with ease.

Shadab Khan gave away runs at just 6 runs an over in the ICC T20 World Cup and his average of 15.33 was the best amongst his allies. Shabad Khan bowled an outstanding spell of 4 for 26 in 4 overs in the semi-final match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 against Australia.

It was one of the best spells in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup knockouts. Apart from his bowling exploits, Shadab Khan can hit big sixes in the slog overs and is an exceptional fielder.

Keeping in mind his multiple skills in the game, he can cause a bidding war at the IPL auctions.