IPL 2014 Player Auction: Top Five Uncapped Players to Watch

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014 season is coming alive with the much-awaited player auctions starting off on 13 February.

Featuring in the list of 514 players to be bought off are 295 uncapped players, including three from associate cricketing nations.

Some of these are expected to be targeted strongly at the auction, which starts in less than 24 hours at the ITC Gardenia hotel in Bangalore.

IBTimes UK takes a close look at the list and marks the five most sought after players at the seventh edition of IPL.

Ishwar Pandey

Born in Madhya Pradesh, India, Ishwar Pandey first featured in the IPL last year, playing two matches under the banner of Pune Warriors India (PWI).

He was selected due to his exceptional bowling performances in the 2012/13 Ranji Trophy which saw the right-handed bowler nab 48 wickets in just eight matches.

However, with the team's termination from the tournament, the 24-year-old will be up for grabs by the eight teams competing this season. His consistent performances with the ball in 2013 prompted the Indian selectors to give him a call to the national side on India's tour of New Zealand last month.

Although he has not featured in the starting XI so far, Pandey is set to hog the limelight in this year's IPL.

Ben Dunk

Appearing for Hobart Hurricanes in the T20 Big Bash League (BBL) in the 2013/14 season, Ben Dunk was named the best player of the season as he piled up 395 runs, the highest in the tournament.

The left-handed wicket-keeping batsman has been in sensational form this year in the T20 arena and he scored his highest score of 96 runs last month to help his side emerge victorious against Sydney Thunder.

Although Dunk's average of 29.19 runs in 26 T20 matches cannot be considered respectable, the 26-year-old's current splendid form can catapult him into big league.

Ricky Bhui

It is said it doesn't matter what your age is, but what matters is the performance you display on the pitch. This is applicable for Ricky Bhui, 17, who is the youngest in this year's list of uncapped players.

Bhui is the most surprising inclusion in the Player Auction this year with just one first class performance to his name, representing Andhra Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh in December 2013.

A middle-order batsman, the 17-year-old's work with the bat for the U-19 team is probably the reason behind his inclusion. Bhui may be poised to make his IPL debut this year and is currently on tour with the India U-19 team for the ICC Under-19 World Cup warm-up matches.

Cameron Gannon

Cameron Gannon, 25, has been impressive with the ball in this season's BBL with Brisbane Heat. This outstanding performance has paved the way for his participation in the decorated IPL.

The right-handed fast bowler is the leading wicket-taker in this season's BBL with18 scalps to his name. His best was the haul of four wickets for just10 against Sydney Thunder.

His attacking prowess with the ball is enhanced by the bounce he is capable of producing due to his height of 6' 6". IPL teams this season will certainly relish having him in their lineup.

Rajat Bhatia

At 34, Rajat Bhatia is the second-oldest player among the list of uncapped players, but has played in 68 matches in the IPL, for DD and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He could be one of the most sought after players in the list due to his experience.

An all-rounder, Bhatia has taken 51 wickets in the tournament in the last six seasons with his best wicket-taking performance of 4/15 coming in 2009 against Deccan Chargers.

His exploits with the bat are yet to surface in the tournament as he holds the highest score of just 26 runs, scored last year.

Despite having never played for India in the international circuit Bhatia has vast experience in the domestic arena, having played in first class and List A matches for over a decade, amassing over 5000 runs.

Notable Mention

Ryan Ten Doeschate

Although capped for his country Holland, Ryan Ten Doeschate features in the uncapped list as his country is listed among the associate nations by the ICC.

Doeschate made his debut in the IPL with KKR in 2011. The all-rounder has only one wicket to his name but his knock of 70 runs during his first season in the tournament has caught the eye of teams vying with each other in IPL 2014 talent hunt.

Doeschate has represented many teams in various Twenty20 tournaments with 197 appearances to his name so far.

The 33-year-old has scored over 4,000 runs in T20s and his experience will be something franchises will be keen to add to their squad.

The Dutchman is among the most expensive players in the uncapped list with a reserve price of Rupees 10m.