IPL Auction: Teams Ready with ₹262 Crore War Chest; Eyes on Players like Rachin Ravindra and Travis Head
IPL Auction: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick off on March 23 next year, with teams gearing up for player auctions on December 19. The IPL auction, scheduled to start at 1:00 PM in Dubai, will see bids for 333 players this time, with a cap of 77 players who can be purchased. Among them, there are 30 slots reserved for overseas players.
Teams Gear Up with ₹262.95 Crore Budget for IPL Mini Auction
In this mini auction, the 10 teams collectively have a budget of ₹262.95 crores. Teams like Gujarat, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chennai are expected to make big splashes with budgets exceeding ₹30 crores. Speculations are rife that one of these teams might break the record for the most expensive player in IPL history, with a potential bid surpassing ₹20 crores. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 players in focus.
1. Rachin Ravindra: Emerging All-Rounder from New Zealand
Rachin Ravindra, the left-arm spinning all-rounder from New Zealand, made a significant impact in the One Day World Cup, scoring 578 runs with three centuries. With an impressive average of 64.22 in India, Rachin has showcased his batting prowess along with his left-arm spin.
Rachin, with a base price of just 50 lakhs, is set to enter the IPL auction for the first time. Teams like Gujarat, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Punjab, and Delhi, armed with budgets exceeding ₹29 crores, might consider acquiring the services of this Kiwi all-rounder.
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2. Travis Head: Aggressive Batsman and Big-Match Player
Australian opener Travis Head played a crucial role in clinching the World Cup with a match-winning 137 runs in the final against India. With a strike rate exceeding 127, Head’s aggressive batting style has also been evident in T20 internationals and previous IPL seasons.
Head, listed in Set-1 of the auction, has a base price of ₹2 crores. Teams like SRH, KKR, GT, and DC, with budgets surpassing ₹28 crores, are on the lookout for a top-order batsman, making Travis Head a potential target with a bidding war likely to reach 10 to 15 crores.
3. Harry Brook: Boundary-Hitter and Versatile Batsman
England’s middle-order batsman Harry Brook is known for hitting boundaries at every sixth ball in T20 internationals, boasting a strike rate of 141.02 with 495 runs in 25 matches. Having played for SRH in the previous IPL, Brook is listed in Set-1 with a base price of ₹2 crores.
Teams like Bangalore, Kolkata, Mohali, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, with flat pitches, are in need of a middle-order batsman. Brook, with his base price, might attract bids exceeding 10 crores from both KKR and GT, considering their budgets.
4. Shardul Thakur: Pacer, Attacking Batsman, and Finisher
Indian fast bowler Shardul Thakur possesses the ability to take crucial wickets on important occasions. Known for his big hits in the lower order, Thakur has taken 33 wickets in 25 T20 internationals for India.
Thakur, listed in Set-2, has a base price of ₹2 crores. Teams like GT, CSK, SRH, PBKS, and RCB are likely to engage in a bidding war for this all-rounder, as his skills are crucial for any team’s pace-bowling department.
As the anticipation builds, IPL fans are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the mini auction, curious to see which players will find new homes and at what prices.