Ahead of IPL 2022 auction, Shane Watson shares his top 5 picks for the season

Ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, former Australian all-rounder and CSK player SHane Watson said it's "a super exciting time for world cricket". (Image credit: @ShaneRWatson33/Twitter)

Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson on Friday revealed his top picks for IPL 2022 auction to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.

Taking to Twitter, the all-rounder said that it's "a super exciting time for world cricket" and he couldn't wait to see the player selections.

On the eve of the IPL mega auction, here are 5 players that I feel are the top picks for any team. One former teammate is at the top of my list @MELbet_in @melbet_bangla pic.twitter.com/ZJJi6erp5r

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— Shane Watson (@ShaneRWatson33) February 11, 2022

Here's more details about the 5 cricketers who made it to Shane Watson's list for IPL 2022  auction:

'David Warner's got a big point to prove'
The swashbuckling opener from Australia is being touted as the most sought-after player in the mega auction. Warner had silenced his critics last year with his key role in Australia’s maiden T20 World Cup triumph following a poor IPL season with Sunrisers Hyderabad.

David Warner, 35, who led the side to their only IPL title in 2016, was removed as Hyderabad’s captain in the first leg of the pandemic-hit competition, later dropped from the team and finally released.

'Mitchell Marsh has been a match winner in every game he played over the last year'
Marsh is riding a crest of wave in the T20 arena. He hit a 50-ball 77 against New Zealand in the final of the 2021 T20 World Cup to help Australia lift their maiden T20 WC trophy. He finished as Australia's second-highest run-getter with 185 runs from 5 innings at 61.66, reported ESPN Cricinfo.

'Shreyas Iyer is an impressive batsman and team leader'
He took his former franchise Delhi Capitals to the final of IPL 2020 and under him, DC went through a massive transformation. Shreyas Iyer has also resumed training after recovering from Covid recently.

'Yuzvendra Singh Chahal takes crucial wickets in the middle'
Chahal has maintained a fantastic run in the IPL. He has been a regular wicket-taker especially when the ball is thrown at him right after the powerplay.

Last week, Chahal made history during the first ODI game between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad. By taking the wicket of Nicolas Pooran, Chahal reached the landmark of 100 ODI wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

He reached the landmark in his 60th ODI for the Men in Blue. Only Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Irfan Pathan took fewer games than Chahal in the history of Indian cricket to take 100 wickets.

Read more: Punjab Kings owner Preity Zinta to miss IPL 2022 auction in Bengaluru

'Teams are going to try hard to get Kagiso Rabada'South African player Kagiso Rabada, who regularly bowls in the 140-150kph range, is the most exciting talent to emerge from South Africa in the post No.1 Test ranking era, reported ESPN Cricinfo. Before he had turned 21, Rabada had already established himself as a potential leader of the attack.

Rabada is likely to be a hot pick in the IPL mega auction because it's very difficult to score off him in the death overs.