IPL auction: 10 players who could start a bidding war

Glenn Maxwell, Shimron Hetmyer, Robin Uthappa, and more...here are 10 cricketers who could prompt a bidding war among the eight franchises on Thursday.

Published : Dec 18, 2019 22:29 IST

Robin Uthappa (left) and Jaydev Unadkat could sell like hot cakes on auction day.
Robin Uthappa (left) and Jaydev Unadkat could sell like hot cakes on auction day.
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Robin Uthappa (left) and Jaydev Unadkat could sell like hot cakes on auction day.

A look at the 10 cricketers who could prompt a bidding war among the eight franchises before Hugh Edmeades, the auctioneer, pounds his gavel and pronounces them “sold” on Wednesday.

  • Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
  • Base price: ₹2 crore
  • The Australian big-hitter is returning to mainstream cricket after taking a break to focus on his mental health. Known as someone who can change the course of a game in a matter of balls, Maxwell has made his presence felt in the tournament in the past and he will be hoping to make it count yet again.
  • Pat Cummins (Australia)
  • Base price: ₹2 crore
  • The last time the Australian pace spearhead featured in the IPL, in 2017, he claimed 15 wickets for Delhi Daredevils. Having missed the last two editions, the top-ranked Test bowler is set for a fat purse yet again. Even though he hasn’t played too many T20I fixtures in the last couple of years, his prowess and the demand for pacers will mean he will chased by many franchisees.
  • Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies)
  • Base price: ₹50 lakh
  • He may have failed to live up to his hefty pay cheque last year, having been released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore but the Caribbean batsman has made a strong case for himself during the West Indies’ ongoing tour. After becoming the highest run-scorer in the T20I series — 120 runs in three matches, at a strike-rate of 151.89 — Hetmyer also hammered a ton in the first ODI a couple of days ago.
  • Chris Morris (South Africa)
  • Base price: ₹1 crore
  • The South African was not retained by Delhi Capitals for his poor show in the last edition of the IPL. But his tag of a death bowler and a strong finisher in T20s could well translate into him being in the limelight again in the auction.
  • Alex Carey (Australia)
  • Base price: ₹50 lakh
  • At a base price of ₹50 lakh, Australian Carey could well emerge as a surprise package in this year’s auction. Despite featuring in six T20Is for Australia this year, Carey did not have to bat even once. However, the wicketkeeper-batsman, considered a perfect finisher, proved his mettle in this year’s World Cup, batting lower down the order. He finished with an impressive 375 runs in 10 matches at the World Cup, averaging 62.50.
  • Jaydev Unadkat
  • Base price: ₹1 crore
  • He was the highest-paid Indian in the 2018 auction. Despite the Rajasthan Royals releasing him for price-correction, the Saurashtra left-arm pacer again emerged as the highest-earning Indian in the last auction. There’s every chance he can strike a hat-trick with his skills combining with the auction likely to see a thrust on pacers.
  • Robin Uthappa
  • Base price: ₹1.50 crore
  • The veteran batsman enters as the Indian with the highest base price. Despite his mediocre outing last IPL, which paved the way for the Kolkata Knight Riders releasing him after a long association, Uthappa could still be more than handy for a majority of IPL outfits. He will be hoping to attract a bid up front, rather than the franchisees opting to wait and watch on him and go for him at base price in the second round.
  • Piyush Chawla
  • Base price: ₹1 crore
  • Uthappa’s team-mate from KKR also finds himself in the auction pool after a long time. But the leg-spinners — one of only four bowlers with 150 IPL wickets — will be keeping his fingers crossed for the franchisees reposing faith in his abilities.
  • Ishan Porel
  • Base price: ₹20 lakh
  • Ever since uncapped Indian cricket were included in the IPL auction in 2014, every season has thrown relatively unknown crorepatis on the auction day. The Bengal pacer is set to join the list next week. Porel came into limelight with his impressive performances during India U-19s’ triumphant campaign in 2018 and has proven his mettle at the senior level with excellent performance during domestic white-ball season.
  • Yashasvi Jaiswal
  • Base price: ₹20 lakh
  • The left-handed opening batsman is set lead India U-19s’ batting unit in South Africa next month. Having become the youngest batsman to score a double hundred in List-A cricket during the Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, Jaiswal could well be the latest entrant into the league of Indian domestic crorepatis come Wednesday.
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