3 Overseas players who might bag their debut IPL contract in 2023 season

Well, after the 2022 T20 World Cup, the IPL 2023 is now the next marquee T20 event. The 16th season of the cash-rich league will unleash itself with a mini-auction on December 23rd.

So far a total of 405 players are expected to go under the hammer from the shortlisted pool. However, the demand from all 10 franchises only allows 87 slots to be filled. Also out of those 87 slots, around 30 of them will be available for overseas players.

Hence with each team needing at least 2-3 foreign names, the mini-auction will sizably reward many overseas cricketers. Therefore in this list, let’s check out 3 foreign names who might bag their debut IPL contract in the 2023 season.

Harry Brook

This youngster from ENG has emerged as a hot potato in international cricket. The batter across formats has been consistently producing one match-winning innings after another. Before the 2022 World T20, Brook was the Man of the series against PAK. Even in the longest format, the cricketer has been exhibiting his aggressive batting skills. Some experts have already hailed him as the next Kevin Pietersen for the Lions.

So far in T20s, Brook has featured in top leagues like BBL, PSL and The Hundred. As a proposition, the 23-year-old is a hard-hitting batter against both spin and pace. From his 99 T20 appearances, Brook has a lofty strike rate of almost 150.

See Also: Australia vs South Africa, a Tale of Strong Bowling and Top-Order Batting (cricketwinner.com)

Now such a budding talent in international cricket will certainly fetch a lot of demand from many franchises. Especially a team like KKR might look to sign this young talent. As the purple army only has two overseas batters (one being Andre Russell) Brook can be an exciting option to shop. In Kolkata’s batting order, this lad will also fit comfortably.

Barring KKR, even Rajasthan might keep their eyeballs on Harry Brook. As the pink army has discarded the likes of Rassie van der Dussen and Daryl Mitchell, this Englishman will fulfil their foreign batter needs.

Overall, as Brook’s name is also placed in the very first set, the youngster might even start a bidding war among teams. Hopefully, this Englishman soon will reward himself with IPL’s extravagant salary.

Cameron Green

Cameron Green made massive headlines during Australia’s T20I series visit to India. Being the highest runs-scorer in those games immediately made Green a talking point for the IPL 2023. Based on that, this Aussie youngster now wants to explore T20 cricket including the IPL. With a price tag of INR 2 Crore, Green will be a hot cake for many franchises to sign.

As a proposition, the 23-year-old is a floating batter who can tonk hard. Though the all-rounder hasn’t much played in the shortest format, in T20Is he has a towering strike rate of 173.75. Also, his medium-pace bowling can easily make him a fifth or sixth bowling option. Very soon before the IPL 2023, Green will also play the BBL for Perth Scorchers.

With regards to his IPL 2023 demand, franchises like SRH, LSG, MI and RR will dent their wallet to bag him. Especially the orange army that has the most cash (INR 42.25 Cr) will look to cast Green as their top-order all-rounder.

In LSG’s case, this Aussie might be considered to fill the void of relinquished Jason Holder. Even MI might ideally target Green as a replacement for Kieron Pollard. Overall, expect this cricketer to be on the list of the top 5 most expensive players in the IPL 2023 auction.

Joe Root

Since the year 2021, Joe Root has been in the best batting form of his life. In Test cricket, the batter has been a run machine for England. Even in ODIs, the cricketer is still a vital cog for the Lions. And with the 2023 50-over World Cup happening in India, it seems to be the best time for Root to explore IPL. However, in 2018, the former England skipper sadly was unsold in the mega auction.

Also with regards to his recent shortest format exposure, the 31-year-old had last played a T20I in 2019. From 2021 onwards, Root has just made 11 T20 appearances collectively for both Yorkshire and Trent Rockets. But his lacklustre in T20 cricket might not be a hindrance this time in the auction.

Particularly as Hyderabad will look to sign their captain, Root can be an alternative against Kane Williamson. His gameplay also is very similar in comparison to the Kiwi skipper. Barring this, the orange army can also bag Root at a reasonable price.

Comprehensively, as a backup option, Root can also join either LSG or DC either Quinton De Kock or David Warner’s replacement. Both these franchises barely have a proper replacement for these two batters. Overall, even KKR can rope in this cricketer considering they hardly have any overseas batters. All in all, optimistically for Joe Root, IPL 2023 can be his entry point in the mega cash-rich league.