'He will go for 15-17 crores' - R Ashwin backs this explosive opener to trigger bidding war in mega auction

The excitement for the Indian T20 League mega auction is growing with every passing second. The teams are ready with their strategies, the experts are putting forward their opinions, and the fans are chipping in by suggesting who their teams should target.

Ravichandran Ashwin has been very active with his opinions on the Indian T20 League mega auction. He put up a video on his YouTube channel, where he spoke about Indian batters that could earn big in the upcoming auction. Shikhar Dhawan and Ishan Kishan were the two names that he emphasized.

Ashwin backed Shikhar Dhawan and said that experience is worth a lot in the T20 format. He pointed out that T20 was considered a sport for youngsters, but experienced players are the ones making a difference. Dhawan can score 450-500 runs in the next season, and every team will need him, he said.

"Then, we have Shikhar Dhawan. As the saying goes, Old is Gold. There is no doubt when it comes to that. In fact, when T20 started, it was seen as a young man's sport. But as time flies by, these experienced cricketers are making all the difference and winning you championships.

"So, there is always a value for experience and therefore, Shikhar Dhawan will go for a decent amount. And he will surely score 450-500 runs as well. So, you might ask who will need Shikhar Dhawan? Except for Rajasthan Royals, every single team will need Shikhar Dhawan," he said.

Ashwin also praised Ishan Kishan and said that he will earn big bucks for the many skills he brings in. He pointed out that Mumbai used him in different roles, at the top, and in the middle-order. His wicketkeeping, the fact that he is a left-hander, and his sledging skills add to the variety of options. He sledges better than Rishabh Pant, Ashwin added.

"Ishan Kishan is one exciting option. But Mumbai also used him in the middle-order. So, he is a 3-in-1 package since his main dynamic of being a keeper adds a massive value. A keeper who can bat at the top, in the middle and he provides another variety of him being a left-hander as well.

"The general perception is that he will go for 15-17 crores. I don't know about the exact value. But he is worth every crore that you are gonna be spending. So, Ishan Kishan will go for plenty since he is a 5-in-1 player. And he can sledge you from behind the stumps as well. In fact, he sledges you more than Rishabh Pant," he concluded.