CHENNAI: It has been 15 years since the sport saw for the first time what has been a regular occurrence every year now. And Richard Medley, the auctioneer remembers vividly how the entire world looked at it. This was a practice that existed in the 19th century, and according to a report in CNN, continues from time-to-time in African countries where slaves are auctioned.
Human beings being auctioned is seen as nothing but a violation of human rights. Yet, it is there forefront and the headline making event in what is now amongst the most-watched events in the world, the Indian Premier League.
In an interaction with Indian cricketer R Ashwin, Medley recounts how it was ahead of the first IPL player auctions.
“No I haven't (auctioning humans). I'm not sure if any auctioneer has since perhaps the slave auctions of the 19th century. So it was a new concept to me when back in the day, somebody said we're going to dream up this new concept to revolutionise cricket, we are going to sell off franchises and then auction off the players. And lets face it, most people that we were mad,” Medley said in Ashwin's YouTube show.
Over the next 48 hours – Saturday and Sunday — the rest of the world's eyeballs will be in Bengaluru, where a total of 601 players will be up for grabs. For several weeks, the 10 franchises have been busy with their homework. Some were still in a huddle as late as Friday evening, trying to get their math right.
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Deep down everyone knows it is beyond their control. No matter how many times they stimulate the auction process, or went through the mock auctions in their respective board rooms, it is hard to second guess who the other franchises are after. But this is a stage where this is not akin to playing poker or bluff.
For all the unpredictability, there is a method to it. Through AI and data, franchises have become smarter. Some are yet to crack it, but with each experience, have only got better. So, this would be an acid test for a few franchises. For a league that has evolved into a global phenomenon, it still adopts what is seen as a process from a bygone era beggars belief, especially when other leagues have a draft system in place. In this draft system, there is no auction.
Instead, franchises are allotted a certain budget through which they are free to pick their choice in an order based on the price at which they bought the team or where they finished in the league table the previous season.
The reason why the IPL persists with the auction system is, it actually acts as a curtain raiser for the event months before it starts. In simple terms, it is the beginning of another season, one in which the broadcasters are able to milk money. And ahead of a full-fledged player auction, there is a sense of total unpredictability. While some franchises have a model in place which they try to follow as much as possible, the inclusion of two new teams and the budget available make for an interesting couple of days.
While franchises are known to spend big with name, talent, reputation having no relevance to it — remember Chris Gayle has gone unsold twice in full player auctions — this time the challenge is to put together a balanced squad. Given Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders have already retained four players, they have only have Rs 48 crore to pick the rest (18 players minimum).
Going by the IPL insiders, given the budget remaining, and the demand factor, all things point to an open auction with some keen on going for players they let go.
While players will definitely go beyond the premium, prices may not be as huge as what one will see in small auctions. With this likely to be the last full auction, the franchises are also on the look-out for format specific players, who will be available throughout the season.
With the tournament set to extend the match-days from 2023 season, some of the all-format players may not be able to play all matches. Which is why, some franchises are looking at T20 specialists, who are in abundance these days.
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