A pure batter almost never becomes the most expensive player at IPL auctions. One has to go back to 2014-15 and Yuvraj Singh. But even Yuvraj’s friendly left-arm spin had notional value. Players who bring more than one skill to the table generally invite bidding wars. We are talking about a very elite category of players who would be chased by at least three teams in the auction room.
With an additional purse of ₹50 crore – ₹5
A pure batter almost never becomes the most expensive player at IPL auctions. One has to go back to 2014-15 and Yuvraj Singh. But even Yuvraj’s friendly left-arm spin had notional value. Players who bring more than one skill to the table generally invite bidding wars. We are talking about a very elite category of players who would be chased by at least three teams in the auction room.
With an additional purse of ₹50 crore – ₹5 crore per team – at their disposal and a long list of released players, teams have money to spend. The collective purse is ₹262.95 crore, whereas the 10 teams spent ₹167 crore last year. But only four teams have more than ₹30 crore and plenty of slots to fill. Despite the demand-supply imbalance, Sam Curran’s ₹ 18.5 crore record doesn’t appear to be under threat.
Who would win the day from the 333 registered players in Dubai on December 19? The Impact Player rule opens up possibilities for a specialist. But gaps in playing squads and India’s batting-heavy T20 talent pool suggest England's Harry Brook and England's Rachin Ravindra may fall short of becoming headline buys.
Like every year, the big Indian names and potential match-winners have all been retained or traded. For a paucity of Indian lower-order batting options, Tamil Nadu power-hitter Shah Rukh Khan may fetch a good sum. Among capped Indian players, Harshal Patel’s slower ball isn’t fetching him wickets anymore and Manish Pandey isn’t a T20 force.
Shardul Thakur
It’s quite likely that one of the 30 overseas vacant slots will give us the most expensive buy. But don’t rule out Shardul Thakur. Don’t just look at his inability to justify his ₹10 crore prize tag last year. Or that he doesn’t bowl all that well at the death or powerplay. In a classic case of demand outweighing supply – Jaydev Unadkat took home big money in 2019 auction - Thakur for his all-round skills, wicket-taking ability, aggressive batting potential as well as international experience will again invite bidders. How far the bidding goes would depend on what franchises think about India’s domestic bowling pool. The other pace options include Harshal Patel, Umesh Yadav, Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya and younger all-rounders Shivam Mavi and Raj Angad Bawa.
Travis Head
Head last played in the IPL in 2017. But the Aussie left-handed opener wasn’t the player he has become across formats in the last two years. He delivered crushing blows to India’s ICC title hopes this year - in the final of the WTC as well as the ODI World Cup. Head bats with a strike rate of 146 (in T20s) and can bowl handy off-spin. Given his batting position flexibility, Head will be an attractive buy when his name comes up in the first set itself.
Mitchell Starc
The Australian left-arm pacer is looking at an IPL return after eight years, to prepare for the next year's T20 World Cup. With his left-armer's angle, toe-crushing yorkers and prowess at banana swing, the experienced pacer is hungry to prove a point. It presents a heady cocktail for any franchise in need for speed. Kolkata Knight Riders won’t mind having him after releasing most of their pacers.
Pat Cummins
How far would you go for a bowler who earns his living by making the red ball seam to trouble batters? Cummins' crafty bowling towards the end of the ODI World Cup and his world class captaincy proved there’s no substitute for class and experience. Cummins can win matches with the new ball and bowl hard lengths in the middle. With his ability to use the long handle, he could become the surprise jackpot winner if more than one franchise sees an opportunity and can create a space.
Wanindu Hasaranga
The Sri Lanka wrist-spinner was surprisingly let go by RCB. While that may have been to make space for the expensive Cameron Green trade, other teams may be excited at the prospect of roping him in when the paddles go up in the second set. Hasaranga’s googlies are difficult to read, and more than one team is short of quality spinners. But he’s competing with plenty of overseas spinners like Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj, Adil Rashid and Ish Sodhi and that might bring his price down.
Gerald Coetzee
Gerald Coetzee had a breakthrough 2023 -- getting plenty of wickets in SA20 and following it up with an impressive World Cup in India. Sporting a bandana, Coetzee runs in with a true fast bowler's attitude, has the T20 smarts and also has batting ability. He is only 23 and plenty of franchises may want to invest for the future.
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