Sanjay Manjrekar picks England star as 'hottest property' at IPL 2023 auction

Even though Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have cut their ties with New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson and Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise has released India opener Mayank Agarwal, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar still feels the batting stars are expected to get pipped by a T20 World Cup 2022 hero at the mini-auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2023. The former Indian batter has hailed an England star as the 'hottest property' at the IPL 2023 auction.

Guiding England to T20 World Cup glory in the 2022 edition of the showpiece event, all-rounder Ben Stokes re-established his credentials as one of the game's greatest performers in clutch moments. The Englishman played a gritty knock to help Jos Buttler and Co. upstage Babar Azam's Pakistan in the low-scoring final at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

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After missing the 2022 edition of the IPL, Stokes is expected to make his presence felt in the forthcoming season. The former Rajasthan Royals (RR) star is tipped to go under the hammer for a hefty price at the mini-auction. Former Indian cricketer Manjrekar feels Stokes can be the top pick at the IPL 2023 auction. "Ben Stokes, straight away. No. 1 (hottest property). He is a match-winner. If you make it to the playoffs, the big stage. These are the people who come to the party." Manjrekar told Star Sports.

Stokes' teammate Sam Curran is also expected to land a bumper deal at the IPL auction. Curran was named the Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2022 final. The former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star was also adjudged as the Player of the Tournament in Australia.

"Sam Curran is a very interesting English player who has a lot of Asian quality in the way he bowls. So he would ideally be picked by a team that is going to play a lot of home games where the bounce is a little low and the pitch is a bit slow. That is why CSK used him beautifully when he had a big season with them. That would be a consideration," he added.

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