Former England and Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan believes that Australian bowling spearhead Mitchell Starc could trigger a bidding war between the Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans.
“I think Mitchell Starc alongside Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, probably, Gerald Coetzee as overseas bowlers will be the most sought after. KKR and GT need good pacers at the moment.
"GT probably have one of the biggest purses in this auction and they let go of Hardik Pandya. So, they have a lot of recruiting to do, but I think they probably need an imposing strike bowler,” Morgan said on Jio Cinema.
While Morgan asserted that bowlers will be in demand during the auction to be held in Dubai, batsmen like England's Harry Brook, Australia's Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand will evince some interest from the bidders.
"When you look at the teams, I suppose they are coming into auction when their top-order is pretty much full. So, in that regard, I don't see many batters going for huge amounts of money.
"Brook is going to be in there and will be sought after. I think Head is going to create a strong buzz, given the last year and a half to two years he has had in all formats of the game. Man of the Match in the WTC and World Cup final. He has really left an indelible mark on Indian minds. So, he will definitely be sought after,” he said.
The Ireland-born cricketer said Ravindra also has an edge because of him being left-handed top-order batter.
“Likewise, Head, Ravindra is a player you can actually see teams identify with their need…you know, a top order left-handed batter. Whoever goes for one and doesn't get it and will go for the other,” he added.
Morgan felt that all-rounder Shardul Thakur and uncapped batter Shah Rukh Khan could be the biggest buys among the Indian players.
Shardul could be the most-sought-after Indian player given his all-round ability and the flexibility with his bowling and the attacking nature in which he bats. He makes himself a very attractive selection.
"Shah Rukh too, because I think he's in fine form. He's so destructive and carries a sort of Rinku Singh model of finishing, and he could potentially create a bidding war,” Morgan signed off.
