Kevin Pietersen names four players to look out for at the IPL 2021 auction

Kevin Pietersen has picked out four of the biggest names in the IPL auction as ones to watch for where they end up.

The former England batsman who was snapped up for $1.5 million in 2009 along with Freddie Flintoff knows that there are some big contracts available for the best players.

But with many of the top talent being retained by their franchises, the chance to pick up a world class gem is perhaps a little harder to come by than it once was.

And Pietersen has identified Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith as four who should get the paddles moving during the 2021 auction when they go under the hammer.

Pietersen said: "The IPL auction – which takes place for the 2021 competition on Thursday – can be very exciting, or very disappointing. It's as simple as that.

"You can get signed for big money and see your life change, or you can sit there with nothing.

"In 2009, me and Freddie found out we'd gone for $1.5m in the middle of a Test match in the Caribbean. The next day I slogged one up in the air on 97, and the headline was: “Dumb Slog Millionaire” I still think that was the best headline ever written about me.

"There are quite a few exciting names in this year's auction. It will be interesting to see, out of the overseas guys, where Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith end up because they are all proven world-class performers. There's some serious talent available."

Hales will be hoping to enjoy another bumper T20 tournament if he gets picked up to help in his stated bid to become the top T20 runs scorer in the history of the game.

Chris Gayle is currently on top with 13,584 runs to his name, while Hales, who top scored in this year's Big Bash is on 7927 and he still harbours England ambitions too.

"I'm desperate to get back into the England team," Hales told the Sky Cricket Show. "The pinnacle is still international cricket so I'd love to force my way back into that limited over side somehow.

"If not then my goal is to try and have the most T20 runs in the world. It will be some effort to catch up with Chris Gayle, but if I have a good six or seven years in T20 cricket then I really want to achieve that as a personal goal.

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