Before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction, all 10 franchises submitted their retention and release lists on November 26. Following this development, released players will look to find buyers, enrolling themselves for the mini-auction to be held in Dubai on December 19, 2023.
Some franchises have also released their star middle-order batters before the business event in December. These players couldn’t do much in IPL’s 2023 installment but they have the potential to cause a bidding riot among the buyers at the auction. Talking more, let’s talk about four middle-order batters who are the favourites to get massive prices in Dubai, next month.
Here are four released middle-order batters who can earn big bucks in the upcoming auction
4. Rilee Rossouw
Rilee Rossouw got a chance to feature in the league after eight years. Delhi Capitals (DC) picked him up for INR 4.6 crore in the previous auction to reinforce their middle-order but he couldn’t do wonders with his bat. Appearing in nine games, he scored only 209 runs with a fifty against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamshala.
Witnessing his sub-par batting performance, DC parted ways with him and now, he will have to go under the hammer, next month. Rossouw plays as a T20 International (T20I) specialist in South Africa’s squad and his record is excellent for the side. He has racked up 767 runs in 29 matches, with two hundreds and three fifties.
Noting his brilliant T20I numbers and aggressive batting style, some franchises might not hesitate to invest a heavy amount in the Protea stalwart at the auction. Rossouw has played a lot of league cricket in his vast career which can benefit him in the upcoming event.
3. Harry Brook
Harry Brook struggled to be among the runs in IPL 2023 which led to his ouster from Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) 2024 squad. In 11 games, he amassed only 190 runs at an ordinary strike rate of 123.37 and an average of 21.11. These numbers hurt SRH as they signed the England batter in the last auction, at a hefty amount of INR 13.25 crore.
This time, the 24-year-old will be the favourite to bag a heavy amount again at the upcoming business event, due to his extraordinary batting skills. His T20I batting record is stunning and that could tempt the franchises. The star player has amassed 494 runs in 24 T20Is at a superb strike rate of 141.54.
He exuded confidence with his bat in the Hundred 2023, ending up as the third-leading run-getter of the tournament, with 238 runs for Northern Chargers, in seven innings at a mind-boggling strike rate of 196.69.
2. Shahrukh Khan
Punjab Kings (PBKS) have also released their lower-middle-order batter, Shahrukh Khan. Back in 2022, the right-handed batter was picked up for a whopping amount of INR 9 crore by the franchise. The Tamil Nadu stalwart failed to justify his price in the last two seasons while representing Punjab.
In 2022, he scored only 117 runs in eight matches at a dismal strike rate of 108.33 but the franchise didn’t lose faith in him. His 2023 performance was the last straw and this time, PBKS lost their patience and broke their association with the 28-year-old. This year, he accumulated only 156 runs in 13 innings at an average of 22.28.
Shahrukh didn’t look decent with his bat in the previous two seasons but he has the capability to play exceptional match-finishing knocks in the lower-middle-order. His exceptional batting quality might get him a massive amount again in the auction.
1. Phil Salt
Phil Salt’s inconsistency with the bat in his maiden IPL season threw him to DC’s release list. In the last auction in Kochi, he was signed for his basic amount of INR 2 crore by Capitals. With the availability of David Warner and Prithvi Shaw, the England batter was tasked to strengthen the team’s middle order in two matches.
In his debut game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he came at number four but returned to the pavilion after scoring only five runs from his bat. After the KKR game, he came to bat in the middle order against PBKS in Dharamshala. This time, he hit a blazing 26 off 14 but that performance wasn’t enough for Capitals to retain him for the 2024 season.
Salt is known for his hard-hitting abilities and in the tournament like IPL, franchises need a batter who has the capability to take bowling attacks to the cleaners. This year, he looked phenomenal in the Hundred competition. Piling up 232 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 194.95, he ended up as the fourth-leading run-scorer in the tournament. His current form and incredible batting talent might get him a lucrative contract in the upcoming IPL auction.
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