IPL 2019 auction to see tactical buys as polls, World Cup loom

The 11th edition is expected to be a little different as the 2019 general elections are set to clash with IPL. And with several national Boards already looking to limit their players’ role.

With wisdom gained through using the Moneyball strategy for years at auctions, Indian Premier League franchises are expected to be smart with their choices when they meet here on Tuesday to round off their squads for the next edition.

IPL 2019 auction will take place on December 18 in Jaipur. (IPL)

The 11th edition is expected to be a little different as the 2019 general elections are set to clash with IPL. And with several national Boards already looking to limit their players’ role --- Glen Maxwell and Aaron Finch have already opted out --- in view of the World Cup that begins in England within weeks of IPL, franchises may target quality Indians when they check the pool of available players.

Most franchises would be looking to plug a few holes and get backups. The well set Chennai Super Kings, the holders, however would have no qualms going without a buy at this auction. Mumbai Indians may want to bolster their middle-order batting. Same is the case with Sunrisers Hyderabad, who recently released Shikhar Dhawan and may have to do without David Warner if Australia are keen to get him back for World Cup preparation. Rajasthan Royals, who have high-value overseas players like Steve Smith and Ben Stokes in their ranks, may have to seek back-ups as well.

But for unsuccessful franchises like Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore or the rechristened Delhi Capitals, this is an opportunity to make some solid gains as the settled franchises may refrain from heavy bidding. Interesting will be the fate of the nine high-priced overseas players --- Brendon McCullum, Chris Woakes, Lasith Malinga, Shaun Marsh, Sam Curran, Colin Ingram, Corey Anderson, Angelo Mathews and D’Arcy Short --- who have set their base price at R2 crore. The latest addition to this list, according to an official in the know of things, is England batsman Eoin Morgan. The total number of players in the auction has risen to 350 from 346.

In a clever move though, no Indian player has set his base price at R2 crore. That means players like Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel (all with a base price of R1 crore) may attract bids.

However, it will be interesting to see the bidding on lesser known players, who were requested for by the franchises. Ajay Rohera, the MP batsman who recently broke Amol Muzumdar’s record for the highest score on first-class debut by scoring 267 not out against Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy, will be one to watch out for. Also in the fray are Aaron Hardie, the pacer who dismissed Virat Kohli in the warm-up game for Cricket Australia before the Australia series, and Worcestershire seamer Pat Brown, who made heads turn with his variation in this year’s Vitality Blast (T20) in the UK.

Tamil Nadu mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy could trigger a bidding war as well but all eyes will be on West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, who was in prolific form during the India tour in October-November.

Compared to the January auction, this will be smaller with only 70 slots, including 20 overseas players, available to the eight franchises. Not many spots to fill and with specific targets in mind, expect franchises to let many high profile players pass on Tuesday.