AUCTION LOWDOWN
Follow UsWhat is the story?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the trimmed list of 590 players, set to go under the hammer on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru as 10 teams, after creating their initial roster ready, would battle it out to win the services of their desired players.
The list contains 44 new names who were added to the auction pool later despite not registering from their side in the first place. These players were specifically requested by the franchises to be included on the list. The original eight teams were allowed to retain a maximum of four players while the two new teams - Lucknow Supergiants and the CVC-Owned Ahmedabad franchise, internally signed three players each. Teams will have to complete the remaining slots in the auction.
Can you break down the number of players?
For sure, Yes. Among the 590 players set to be auctioned, 370 are Indian and 220 overseas players. Among those, 228 players from the Test-playing nations have already represented their country while 355 are yet to make their national debut. Seven players from Associate Nations, including Namibia’s David Wisse has also signed up for the lucrative tournament.
Who are the marquee players by the way?
R Ashwin, Trent Boult, Pat Cummins, Quinton de Kock, Shikhar Dhawan, Faf du Plessis, Shreyas Iyer, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Shami and David Warner are the first set of marquee players who will be auctioned off in the first set. These players are expected to attract a huge bidding war from the franchises.
But that is not it. From Steve Smith to Jason Roy, from Devdutt Padikkal to Deepak Chahar, from Ambati Rayudu to Dinesh Karthik, a total of 48 players have set their base price at a minimum of 2 Crores and they will be auctioned off subsequently. The auctioneer will call the batters, allrounders, wicketkeeper-batters, fast bowlers, and spin bowlers in that order once the marquee set process wraps up.
Who can be a big draw among the marquee players?
With the likes of Ben Stokes and Mitchell Starc not present on the auction table, expect the stock of David Warner and Pat Cummins to cut through the roof once again. While Warner’s abilities are not in question, despite an indifferent IPL last time around, his leadership abilities offer another dimension to his credentials. It won’t be a surprise if RCB indulge in a huge bidding war to secure his services and give him the captaincy responsibilities later.
Quinton de Kock is an excellent T20 batter and offers a great multi-dimensional option to any side he plays for. After letting go of Ishan Kishan, Mumbai Indians would be keen to get QDK back in their set-up once again, but that will not be easy, as RCB, the Saffer’s former franchise, might push the cause. Ashwin had already led Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and is a great option for the sides to benevolent the cause. A willy operator with the ball, Ashwin’s credentials are never in question, hence expect many sides to raise the paddle multiple times.
On the other hand, there is a certain Mitchell Marsh too whose reinvention is a story of its own. Marsh, since the Windies series in early 2021, has been a force to be reckoned with and helped Australia win their first-ever World T20 title. Don’t be surprised if he becomes what Chris Morris had promised to many teams in the past and walk away with a deal as big as one could imagine.
The question of availability
Australia and England players are most likely to be in the IPL 2022 and multiple players confirmed to Cricket.com, the board is likely to provide them the NoC (No Objection Certificate) even though the tournament is partly overlapped with Australia’s historic tour of Pakistan. However, it is not confirmed if the England players will stay back for the knockouts, with New Zealand touring England for a Test series from early June.
With the series kick-starting on June 2, players will have to return well in advance to England to finish the quarantine and be available for the World Test Championship games.
"The IPL 2022 Player Auction Rules and the availability details of Overseas players along with the update on the players who have been reported or banned for suspect bowling action will be sent in due course," the BCCI has told the teams.
In another development, Jofra Archer, whose injury concerns has put him off the IPL this year, is available in the auction but picking him would ensure that Archer is within their system for the next two years. Given he would be in the accelerated round of auction, the price will most certainly be at a discount and hence therein lies an opportunity for the franchises to take the risk. But teams wouldn’t be alloted an injury replacement for Archer this year.
The Star Uncapped cricketer on the list
For every evidence that there is and for everything that there will be, it is hard to imagine anyone furnishing a better credential to be the Star of the show than Shahrukh Khan. It beggars belief that the Tamil Nadu man is not in the Indian team set-up already but the world is sure to watch a lot of him in the next few years. With his big-hitting ability and a clear understanding of the workings of T20 cricket, Shahrukh can be the finisher many teams desperately missed in the past. He will laugh his way to the bank.
Any Under-19 Stars in the mix?
Of course, many Under-19 players have made the right noise in the ongoing World Cup but eight players - skipper Yash Dhull, Harnoor Singh, Aneeshwar Gautam, Raj Angad Bawa, Kaushal Tambe, Rajvardhan Hangargekar - have made the cut to the final list. Dhull, Raj Bawa and Hangargekar will be the biggest beneficiaries due to their recent performance in the World Cup.
Even though Dhull had to miss a few games after testing positive for COVID-19, his batting has become a sight for the sore eyes and his cuts and drives have a clear marking of Delhi club cricket. Bawa’s powerful hitting ability caught the eye of many and it will be a surprise if he doesn’t attract a big bid this time around.
On the other hand, 18-year-old Dewald Brevis from South Africa has been impeccable in his performance, scoring 368 runs at an average of 73.60. Known as “Baby AB”, his range of shots have all the making of a future superstar and the franchises will be eager to have him in their book sooner rather than later.
Anything more I need to know about IPL auction?
Like Pravin Tambe in the past, 42-year-old Imran Tahir is the oldest player in the auction this time while 17-year-old Noor Ahmed of Afghanistan is the youngest among the lot. Noor is currently playing for Afghanistan Under-19 in the World Cup while Tahir is plying his trade for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League.
Okay, One final Info. When is the auction and where can I watch it?
As per our understanding, the Indian Premier League auction 2022 will be held at ITC Gardenia in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. Only 10 members from a franchise can be present at the auction and a maximum of only eight at the auction table. While there will be no quarantine, the management staff need to have two negative RT-PCR test reports with them, not more than 72 hours prior to the event. Star Sports will telecast the event but you can also follow every single detail on Cricket.com.
