IPL 2021 Auction: Five players to watch out for

Glenn Maxwell (Base Price: Rs 2 Cr)

The all-rounder’s reputation of being a game changer precedes his IPL statistic on auction days. F not for couple of season where he was massively successful, he has been rather disappointing in the IPL. Maxwel, however, still attracts high offers because of the power he possesses to change the tone of the game in a matter of seconds. Maxwell had a horror season in 2020 for Kings XI Punjab, where he didn't even hit a six.

Steve Smith (Base Price: Rs 2 Cr)

Let out by Rajasthan Royals following a disappointing season, Steve Smith has made a rather strong case for himself ahead of the auction. He hit a sensational hundred for New South Wales against Victoria in the 2021 Marsh One-Day Cup. Although he had a poor 2020 IPL season, he 'found his hands' and smashed a back-to-back 62-ball ODI centuries against India. Coupled with his experience and his ability to switch gears across formats makes him a good middle -order buy.

Shakib Al Hasan (Base Price: Rs 2 Cr)

The all-rounders come back following his one-year ban has not been an easy one. given that he has been hit by injuries after rediscovering his form with both bat and ball. However, there is a small question when it comes to his ability across formats, which makes him an important buy for Teams given his all-round abilities. Besides that, his vast experience of playing in leagues and having been an integral part of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past, any teams looking for a reliable all-rounder will have their eyes set on Shakib.

Dawid Malan (Base Price: Rs 1.5 Cr)

Ranked the No.1 batsman in T20I cricket in ICC's rankings, His reputation as one of the best batsmen in T20I cricket is not just for nothing; in 19 T20Is, Malan has 855 runs, averaging 53.43 at a brilliant strike-rate of 149.47, with nine scores of 50-plus and century.

Alex Hales (Base Price: Rs 1.5 Cr)

The top-run scorer in this Big Bash League -- 543 runs at 161.6 SR- is likely to have teams interested given his success in Australia. He scored a century and three half-centuries in the league, hitting as many as 30 sixes and 54 boundaries throughout the tournament. Earlier, Hales was part of the 2019 auction, but went unsold.

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auction: RCB set to do heavy lifting, CSK look to find stop-gap arrangements