Former England captain Eoin Morgan has backed Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan to fetch a huge amount in the IPL 2024 auction. He believes the all-rounder can bat in Rinku Singh’s model of finishing the innings.
Shahrukh Khan will be one of the players who will fly under the radar of some of the big franchises in the IPL auction. The hard-hitting batsman could be a game-changer for any team and if he is fit, he is likely to fetch a good amount of money.
Shahrukh Khan’s ability to finish innings and chase bowlers early on will make him attractive to all teams. It won’t be a surprise if there is a bidding war between many teams for the Tamil Nadu batsman in the auction.
Shahrukh Khan, who was a part of Punjab Kings for the last few seasons, played a decent role for the team in both the editions. However, before IPL 2024, the team released him and this surprised many.
Eoin Morgan, during an interaction with the Times of India, made a bold claim and said that Shahrukh Khan could spark a bidding war in the auction. He noted that the hitter can be destructive. He stated:
“He’s obviously been in good shape. She has also taken some ground recently. When he is fit, he is very destructive and players who can bat in that kind of Rinku Singh finishing model could potentially create a bidding war.”
Shahrukh Khan played 14 matches in IPL 2023 for Punjab Kings and made a huge impact for the team. He managed 156 runs at a strike rate of 165.96 and played some vital cameos for the team.
Shahrukh Khan would hope that Eoin Morgan’s prediction for him comes true when his name appears in the auction. Chennai Super Kings are likely to opt for him as they were also interested in him earlier.
IPL 2024 auction: I don’t see many of the batsmen going for big money – Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan believes batsmen will not be in demand in the IPL 2024 auction because teams have sorted their top order. He said players will get big offers since most teams don’t have that department figured out. He explained:
“I think when you look at the teams that I assume will enter the auction tomorrow, the top order in almost all the teams is already fulfilled. So in that sense, I don’t see many of the hitters going for big money. Obviously Harry Brook will be there and he will be selling after the likes of Phil Salt from an English point of view as well.
“But the way most sides are set up, the top order is mainly consolidated going forward. So you imagine going for bowlers mainly because sides need faster bowlers than, say, wrist spinners and mystery spinners.”
The IPL 2024 auction will be held on Tuesday (December 19) at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. A total of 333 players are ready to be auctioned and there are 77 vacant positions.