IPL 2020 auction: Kaif predicts bidding frenzy for West Indies players

The West Indies players are set to trigger a bidding war when the Indian Premier League auction gets underway in Kolkata on Thursday.

Shimron Hetmyer (back) and Shai Hope during a training session.

The West Indies players are set to trigger a bidding war when the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction gets underway here on Thursday.

While most of the franchises are planning to fill in the gaps in a rather small auction, the Caribbean players like Sheldon Cottrell and Shimron Hetmyer could fetch big money.

Ask former India cricketer and Delhi Capitals' assistant coach Mohammed Kaif and he agrees that in this auction, the Caribbean players will draw attention.

“The West Indies players can be really dangerous in the shorter format of the game and that's why they will be sought after in the auction," Kaif told Sportstar on Wednesday.

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"They have proven their mettle over the years and this time too, they will be in demand. They have all the potential to go far..."

But is there a particular reason behind the franchises zeroing in on the West Indies players?

"They are genetically strong and built for this kind of format as they bring in the power. Like other franchises, we will also have that on mind," Kaif explained.

Delhi Capitals already has Keemo Paul on its roster, and Kaif indicated that the franchises could go big on Shai Hope, even though he hasn't been quite lethal in the shortest format.

“Shai Hope can hold one end, while from the other end, you can play big shots. These names don’t go around much, but you should see his record for the past one year. I feel for these players because they don’t get much attention for not having too huge a strike rate. If they wish to change their game, they can,” Kaif said.

In the previous auctions, the West Indies players made their presence felt and this time too, they would be hoping to make headlines.