It’s that time of the cricketing calendar when every performance around now will be a platform that could end up opening doors for the player toward the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). As the second decade of the league is set to begin, a mega-auction and a complete overhaul of the eight franchises awaits.
It is also no news that it is an opportunity not only for Indian cricketers but players all around the globe. Sri Lanka may not be having the time of their life in the International arena as a team, but they have multiple individuals that can be handy in T20 cricket.
As many as 18 players will feature in the IPL 2018 auction and their base price has been revealed as well. Some among them are recognized veterans like Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews. While one of the most iconic T20 bowlers, and perhaps one of the most successful bowlers in the history of the league, Malinga has a base price of Rs. 1 Cr the Lankan skipper Mathews has set his base price at Rs. 2 Cr.
Top Sri Lankan players
Malinga and Mathews, are the top players not just because they are two of the most impactful players in the Lankan side. Even though there will be questions about their fitness because how injury prone Mathews is and because of how Malinga has become less intimidating over the years, yet many sides will want to bank on their experience.
One more player that one can consider top-class is Niroshan Dickwella. Aggressive, attacking and handy with the bat and behind the stumps, he can be a good buy considering he has a base price of Rs. 50 Lakh.
Players that can go big at the auction
It is hard to imagine Malinga anywhere except his previous franchise, Mumbai Indians. It will not be surprising if the Mumbai Indians go after him to reunite the Mumbai Indians family. It is also likely that any team may not go after him at all. However, if he does, there can be a bidding war.
Any team that buys Mathews will not regret it. He may not even bowl and hence, compromise on the all-round ability yet he is one such player that teams would like to rope in. He played for Delhi Daredevils last, and it is likely that they might go after him again.
Dickwella, Thisara Perera and Asela Gunaratne can be surprise picks, even though many may prefer the former. Gunaratne was bought by Mumbai last year but did not get a game. The other players include Kusal Perera, Akila Dhananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Sachithra Senanayake, Upul Tharanga, Dilshan Munaweera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Dasun Shanaka, Dushmanta Chameera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Dhananjaya Silva and Isuru Udana.
Here is the complete list of Sri Lankan cricketers and their respective base prices for the upcoming IPL auctions:
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