CHENNAI: Every time there is an Indian Premier League (IPL) mini auction, the buzz is always around whether the ceiling for the highest-paid player will be broken, which team will break the bank, so on and so forth. Oftentimes, the mini auction is about plugging holes and doing course correction for most times. One or two teams will come in with a clean slate trying to form a core.
This time, however, things are a little different. At least four teams come into the auction with 16 players or less with Kolkata Knight Riders having only 12 players. Most teams usually look to fill at least 20-22 of the 25 and that is why, there is nothing mini about this particular auction.
KKR, for starters, will be looking to form their core batting at the auction and they have the money to do so. Opener, keeper, all-rounder, overseas striker, you name it, they will be looking to fill the slot. KKR usually pick a strong 16-member squad but the tricky aspect will be whether they have the pool of players to pick from in the auction.
If KKR have Rs 64.3 crore, there is Chennai Super Kings with Rs 43.4 crore. They too have a fair bit of work to do at the auction. An opener, middle-order batters, including all-rounders and spinners who could contribute with the bat like Ravindra Jadeja used to. And some of the players these two franchises will go for are Australia all-rounder Cameroon Green, India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. “Venkatesh Iyer is a special talent. He’s shown the ability to open the innings, anchor the middle order, and even finish games when required, which speaks volumes about his flexibility and impact," former chief selector MSK Prasad said during TATA IPL Auction Most Wanted on JioStar.
“Cameron Green is a top-quality all-rounder, and with KKR entering the auction with a sizeable purse, they’ll surely target him. With Andre Russell retired, Green offers a like-for-like replacement — someone who can contribute with both bat and ball, though he’ll probably bat a bit higher in the order. I expect CSK to show interest too," former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said.
If either of them do not get the aforementioned players, they will be looking at options like David Miller, Daryl Mitchell and Liam Livingstone among overseas stars. Teams will also be looking at someone like Quinton de Kock and Jonny Bairstow, who can keep and bat anywhere in the top five. With no Glenn Maxwell in the auction, these overseas batters could have big pay day. “Miller will likely be among the top three most expensive players in this auction. Several teams need a player with his finishing ability — Gujarat Titans, for instance, would benefit from his experience, while KKR could target him too," said former India player Sanjay Bangar.
As is often the case, expect the overseas players to break the bank in this mini auction. However, it might also leave some teams, especially CSK and KKR, stranded a little. Teams will look to raise the bids for the stars they are looking for, allowing themselves to afford the mid-level players who can fill the holes. Teams like Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Titans have all but settled squads and will be keen to get some back-ups and local uncapped players whom they may have scouted.
And the two Indian names to look forward in the auction would be Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw. The former has 256 runs in Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy averaging 64 and 182.85 strike rate while Shaw has 183 runs at an SR of 160.52. Among bowlers, Auqib Nabi will be one to watch for and same goes for someone like Kamalesh Nagarkoti who has done will in the ongoing SMAT.
However, the last 18 years of IPL has shown auctions can be unpredictable. A lot will depend on when the players come and who has how much money at the time. One thing is for sure, by the time the final player is sold, there will be a fair few big pay days on Tuesday.