IPL 2017 auction: Australia’s Ben Dunk and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad are anticipated to be in huge demand

All the teams heading into the IPL 2017 auction on Monday in Bengaluru must be close to completing their homework about which players to buy. However, that process of research into who to buy is never-ending and franchises will still be mulling over alternative options.

The eight participating teams come into the auction with the thought of buying the players who will strengthen their overall squad. Though they may have their set of batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers ready in their existing squad, buying some additional players to make the team even stronger is what the franchise will aim at in the IPL 2017 auction.

The names of 351 players will go under the hammer in the IPL 2017 auction, and the list includes some quality batsmen, bowlers, all-rounders and wicketkeepers. All the players in the list will be eager to land a mega contract, and become richer by a few millions.

But franchises will also be looking out for players who do not have a huge base price, and try to get quality players for less money. Here is a look at two wicketkeeper batsmen, who franchises should think of buying as they can add great value to their squad.

Ben Dunk (Base price: Rs 30 lakh)

This Australian player could be one of the surprise packages at the IPl 2017 auction. Though he featured for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2014, he did not impress much then. However, Dunk has matured as a cricketer and his recent stunning record in the Big Bash League, where he scored 364 runs to become the highest scorer in the competition, should be indicative of his prowess with the bat.

The opener is known for his hitting skills, and he hits sixes at will. If the Australian gets going, he treats bowlers with disdain. The player makes brilliant use of the field restrictions and scores big from the first ball, providing a perfect base for the middle order.

Mohammad Shahzad (Base price: Rs 50 lakh)

There are five Afghan players in the IPL 2017 auction list, but it is Shahzad, who could create a bidding war amongst the teams as he is a tremendous hitter. He knows just one way to play, and that is through attack. His fearless approach has brought him tremendous success in international cricket as well.

He has an impressive record in T20I for Afghanistan, scoring 1,656 runs in 55 matches at a strike rate of 136, which is not a mean feat for any batsman. Teams which are looking for an opener who can perform an additional role would find Shahzad to be a perfect fit as a wicket-keeper batsman.

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