The Indian Premier League’s annual auction is upon us, and the officials of the participating franchises are getting ready to put their cards on the table. Fifteen seasons have passed since the tournament started. The strategy behind the auction has proved to be quite a challenge without an insider’s knowledge.
Over 400 players are in the pool for the mini-auction to be held on Dec 23 at Kochi. Some of the prominent names expected to go under the hammer are Ben Stokes, Cameron Green, and Sam Curran, all capable fast-medium all-rounders. Last year, the India fast bowlers went home with fat pay cheques.
The highest amount that can be bid for a player is expected to from the purses of– Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the India Express reports. Out of the eight participating teams, only the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore have less than Rs 10 crores left in their pockets and seven, 14 slots to fill.
The three participating teams, including Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Chennai Super Kings, have a total of five, nine and seven slots available respectively. A huge spend on one of the players would leave them with very little.
The availability of players, especially those from Australia and England, will be a major factor that will affect the success of the auction. With the World Cup and the Ashes both coming up soon after the IPL, the executives of the participating teams are worried that a few players might not be able to play in the tournament due to their exhaustion.
Despite the availability of Ben Stokes, who can play a crucial role in a team’s success, the executives of the participating franchises are still nervous about signing him due to the risk of him pulling out of the tournament at a later stage. For instance, Pat Cummins, Chris Woakes, and Mitchell Starc have already withdrawn from the tournament.
According to a franchise official, the teams are willing to take such risks due to the presence of a player who can make a big difference in their team. For instance, last year, Mumbai Indians bought Jofra Archer even though he wouldn’t be able to play in the 2022 season.
Even though teams can acquire up to 25 slots, the executives and support staff members of the participating franchises are not only looking for quantity but also for quality players. According to a support staff member, the availability of players is a major factor that determines the success of the league. Having a well-rounded pool of 18 players is very important for any team as it allows uncapped Indian players to benefit.
According to multiple executives of the participating teams, they have been conducting double-checks with the agents of the overseas players to make sure that they will be part of the IPL post their commitment. With the World Cup and the Ashes coming up soon, the executives of the participating teams are expecting a few overseas players to arrive with a set of conditions. For example, Australian and England players might miss a match or two.
The impact player rule, which allows teams to bring in new players during a game, can make the auction more interesting. However, while teams usually focus on picking a particular XI, the impact player rule makes it more difficult for them to identify their 14 players.