The Indian Premier League auctions, where life-altering sums of money are on offer to cricketers from around the world, generate as much interest as the tournament matches.
A ‘mega auction’, with a bigger pool of players vying for a bigger total purse, will draw much more attention. Over the weekend, 600 cricketers will be up for new contracts, with franchises entitled to spend up to ₹561.50 crores to acquire their services.
Among the 10 marquee players, David Warner, Shreyas Iyer and Pat Cummins could go for megabucks. They are proven performers, who double their value as potential captains. They will pique the interest of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) - franchises in search of a concrete leadership group.
Warner, who led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to the IPL title in 2016 but was unceremoniously dropped from the side in the previous season, still has plenty to offer. Cummins will welcome the thrill of watching multiple teams vying for his signature, even if it is a temporary distraction from the drama surrounding a fallout with now ex-Australia coach Justin Langer. West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder (base price ₹1.5 crores) is another skipper who is up for grabs.
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Ishan Kishan, a dashing wicketkeeper-batter tailor-made for T20 cricket, is a hot prospect in the ₹2 crore base price club. Pacer Harshal Patel, the highest wicket-taker of IPL 2021, is worth his weight in gold. His variations are tough to pick, and his miserly death over bowling is an invaluable asset.
Southpaw opener Devdutt Padikkal, who not too long ago was a young, rising star at RCB, now enters the auction list as an elite pick. Like Kishan and Harshal, Padikkal’s stock (and base price) has risen considerably after having turned out for the Indian team.
Prasidh Krishna’s brilliant 4 for 12 against West Indies in the second ODI on Thursday could not have been timed better. The tall Karnataka fast bowler, who commands a base price of ₹1 crore, has entered the pool as a reliable new ball option.
Shardul Thakur will fit the bill for a franchise looking for a seamer who can contribute with the bat as a finisher.
Among the 223 overseas players in the auction list, Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult (all with a base price of ₹2 crores) stand out. At a base price of ₹40 lakh, Singapore-born Australian Tim David offers great value for money. The big-hitting batter, who featured in just one game for RCB last season, is in great form now for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Is there a better feel-good story than to see an unheralded cricketer snap up a blockbuster deal at the auction? Explosive Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan, Hyderabad skipper Tanmay Agarwal, Karnataka shot-maker Abhinav Manohar, Vidarbha seamer Yash Thakur and Kerala wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod are some of the uncapped players who could strike gold.
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