BENGALURU: With a set of four core players already retained, Delhi Capitals will look to pick cricketers who can add more balance to the squad, says assistant coach Pravin Amre, who is expecting a lot of competition in the IPL auction on Saturday.
The IPL auction is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
The Delhi Capitals have retained four players -- wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant, spinner Axar Patel, opener Prithvi Shaw and South African pacer Anrich Nortje.
"As coaches, we always want a balanced team, we want that core," Amre was quoted as saying in a media release. The best thing we have done is that we have kept four key players in our squad, we've got a top-order batsman, we've got a wicketkeeper-batsman, we have got an all-rounder, and a quick bowler, so we have done the basics right."
"Now, we want to get seven players, who can give us more balance basically, that's our important goal, and that's the challenge, to be honest," he added.
The lucrative league has been extended from an eight-team tournament as two new sides — the Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants have also been included.
"This mega auction is always a big challenge, especially when two new teams are there. We know that there will be a lot of competition, we know that some franchises will be having more money, and that's when all the expertise and all the auction experience will count."
"A lot of study has to be done, it's not going to be that easy, and I think it's all about the preparation. It's really important to be prepared for all the challenges that are going to come, so these are very important factors, especially in a mega auction," said Amre in an official release.
The Delhi franchise heads into the auction with the lowest prize purse of Rs 47.5 crore. As the DC think-tank carry out their preparations in full swing, Amre spoke about the experience and importance of the mock auctions.
"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I think it's all about the preparation. It is so essential to have a mock auction, where every team member, who is involved in this mock auction, gets an idea of how to go about it. I think this is ultimately a good lesson for us, and this is where we can suggest to owners the possibilities and challenges. Yes, we want the best player, but can we afford it? So, that's the question comes, and ultimately as coaches, we want a balanced team," he further explained.
"It is done to understand the psyche of other owners, what they will go for, what they are missing, and ultimately it comes down to what we want. To be honest, what we want and how we are going to get it, is the whole purpose of doing mock auctions," he said.
Speaking about the auction dynamics, Amre said, "The dynamics are as such that you can't predict, and that's the beauty of it. You have to prepare for the worst, and that's the important thing."
"We think that we can get it easily, but what little knowledge I've gained from 5-6 auctions, which I've attended is, sometimes unexpected things happen. We might think that things are going to be very expensive, but then you get it at a cheap price, or sometimes cheap becomes very expensive, so that's the beauty of auctions. And, credits to the IPL because everything is possible, it's like cricket, so you have to take a chance," he added.
(With Inputs from ANI)