Martin Guptill: Tests, not T20s, remain key focus

He may be one of the hottest properties in Twenty20 cricket, but Black Caps batsmen Martin Guptill says he has given next month's Indian Premier League auction little thought.

Guptill, who has been in impressive form with the bat during the recent Sri Lankan series, is ranked fifth in the world in the ICC's Twenty20 rankings.

His eye-catching form, which included two quick-fire half centuries in last week's Twenty20 internationals against the tourists, is expected to make Guptill one of New Zealand's most sought-after players in the IPL auction in Bangalore early next month.

"I'm going to put [my name] in as a bit of fun and if I get picked up, I get picked up. If I don't then I get to have a bit of time off and get fit and strong again for the next series," Guptill told Radio Sport's Martin Devlin.

"We've just got to see what happens and keep playing well."

While Guptill's heroics in the short form of the game have attracted the headlines of late, the 29-year-old said test cricket remains his key focus.

"Test cricket is awesome, it's called test because it is a test. Playing five days of cricket in a row and seeing the game unfold and how it ebs and flows between the two teams is amazing," he said.

"It's a very tactical game and seeing the different tactics of the captains come out with is cool to watch and see unfold."