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Follow UsWanindu Hasaranga to SRH
With Adil Rashid released, Mayank Markande is now the sole wrist-spinner in Sunrisers’ squad. With them having a purse of 34 crore (second-highest), the franchise going after Wanindu Hasaranga is a realistic possibility.
Hasaranga will bring x-factor to their spin department, something which they currently lack, and his acquisition will make their bowling unit a complete one, with them already having an off-spinner, a left-arm spinner, right-arm pacer and left-arm pacer. Hasaranga will be expensive but, luckily, SRH have the purse for it.
Shahrukh Khan - CSK or DC
CSK need an Ambati Rayudu replacement; DC need quality lower-order hitters, particularly Indians. Considering both franchises have a big purse available, expect the two sides to fight hard to secure the services of Shahrukh Khan.
Again, DC probably need Shahrukh more than CSK because they’ve released tons of Indian batters, including Manish Pandey, Sarfaraz Khan and Priyam Garg. None of these batters fit into DC because they were accumulators, but SRK will fit like a glove due to him naturally being a finisher. He will essentially be their Rovman Powell replacement.
Harry Brook - RR or MI
At the IPL 2023 auction, Rajasthan were willing to blow their ENTIRE PURSE on Harry Brook, so don’t be surprised if they come back for the England superstar this time around as well. This time around, too, they will enter the auction as a financially challenged franchise but there’s every chance that they might be willing to spend 6 or 7 crore on Brook. He’ll be a fine upgrade on Joe Root, won’t he?
Do RR need Brook? Not at all. But will they want him? Definitely.
If not RR, watch out for MI. Having let Green go, they might just snap up Brook if they feel he’s there to be bought.
Yes there is Dewald Brevis waiting, but with both Cam Green and Tristan Stubbs gone, Mumbai will definitely not pass up the opportunity to sign a player of Brook’s caliber, should he be available at a price that's attainable for them (say, around 5 crore).
Harshal Patel - KKR
If reports of Eden being a ‘slow’ wicket in IPL 2024 are true, then expect KKR to go all in to secure the services of Harshal Patel. On slow and low wickets, his cutters and variations will prove to be mighty effective.
With KKR already having two Indian seamers who are pretty good new-ball bowlers (Harshit Rana & Vaibhav Arora), drafting in Harshal as a middle / death-overs specialist will be a smart move.
Since they have 32.7 crore in their wallet, money won’t be an issue.
Kartik Tyagi - MI or RCB
Don’t be surprised if Tyagi ends up in either Mumbai or Bangalore, considering both teams are in need of at least one quality Indian fast bowler. Having let Harshal Patel go, RCB probably need someone like a Tyagi more so they might just be willing to dish out up to 6 to 7 crore for the youngster.
To check out the full list of retained / released players, click here
Shardul Thakur - CSK or GT
Only one team in the world has managed to get the absolute best out of Shardul, and that’s CSK. So with them having released as many as five pacers, there’s a good chance they might try and get back Shardul Thakur. Remember, they bid up to 7 crore for Shardul in the IPL 2022 mega auction before pulling out.
That being said, don’t expect them to shell out big money for Shardul. They’ll probably have an upper limit (say, 4.50 crore) beyond which they might give up.
GT are very similar to CSK in the way they operate so they, too, could realistically bid for Shardul. They need a couple of Indian seamers too, having released both Yash Dayal and Shivam Mavi.
Rilee Rossouw - PBKS
Having released both Matt Short and Bhanuka Rajapaska, Punjab need an overseas batter, preferably a cheap one, that can bat at No.3 or No.4. Rilee Rossouw fits the bill perfectly and thus could get snapped up by the Kings at the auction next month.
Taking down spin has been a problem for the Kings, in general, and Rossouw will help them solve that particular problem to a certain extent as well.
The South African will be a more realistic target for the Kings than, say, a Travis Head, due to their purse, which is surprisingly not on the higher side for once.
Adil Rashid - MI
With Hardik Pandya replacing Cameron Green, MI have an additional overseas slot that can be used to purchase a world-class leg-spinner. They would ideally want Hasaranga, but their purse of 17.75 crore might stop them from acquiring the Sri Lankan.
However, they might still be able to get someone like Adil Rashid, who will likely be one of the best wrist-spinners available in the auction next month.
Rashid is a very realistic target for Mumbai because he will likely be available between INR 2 crore to INR 6 crore, which will fall within their budget.
A team like RCB could also target Rashid but expect MI to fight hard for the leggie, for spin is one area in their squad that needs reinforcement.
David Willey - RR
Having released Jason Holder, Rajasthan Royals need a pace bowling all-rounder who can double-up as a lower-order hitter, which is precisely why David Willey is a near dream-signing for them.
What’s more, Willey can also serve as both a new-ball partner for Trent Boult and a back-up for the New Zealander at the same time.
He will also (likely) be cheap, and that’s another important factor for RR as they only have 14.5 crore in their wallet, the second-lowest among all sides.
Alzarri Joseph - MI
Having let Jofra Archer go, Mumbai need a high-profile overseas seamer that’s both experienced and efficient at the same time. That way, Alzarri Joseph is a very good option that they could target.
That Joseph knows the Wankhede stadium well, having already spent a year representing Mumbai (back in IPL 2019), is a big bonus as well.
But acquiring Joseph won’t be easy, considering he’ll be in high demand during the auction. But don’t be surprised if MI spend up to INR 7 crore - INR 8 crore for the West Indian pacer.
Lockie Ferguson - LSG
Lucknow need a hit-the-deck seamer having let Avesh Khan go, and they also need a backup in the squad for Mark Wood. So Lockie Ferguson is someone that might be in their radar.
The unpredictable, capricious nature of the Lucknow wicket might also just benefit someone like a Ferguson, who loves to bang the ball into the surface.
Josh Hazlewood - GT or CSK
RCB let Josh Hazlewood go because of his availability (he is likely to miss the first half of IPL 2024 due to the birth of his child) but don’t be surprised if either GT or CSK take a gamble and snap up the services of the right-armer.
GT already have a gun in Mohammed Shami, but they could take their new ball bowling to a whole different level by bringing in Hazlewood. The Ahmedabad wicket (usually true in IPL games) is also bound to suit Hazlewood, who is a true master when it comes to hitting that back-of-a-length relentlessly.
CSK, meanwhile, might also bid for Hazlewood because they already know his value, with the 32-year-old having been a part of the title-winning side in IPL 2021.
Other potential buys
Tristan Stubbs - DC
Ramandeep Singh - DC
Shivam Mavi - RCB or MI
Manish Pandey - CSK
Jason Holder or Rovman Powell - GT
Jhye Richardson - KKR
Phil Salt - GT
