Five things to expect from 2018 IPL auction

Ajit Vijaykumar 17:36 25/01/2018
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  • The IPL auctions are always an interesting affair.

    IPL auctions have developed a mechanism of their own. All franchises know exactly what kinds of players they want in Indian conditions and have started, in some cases, to look beyond star value and concentrate on records.

    With 578 players in the auction pool and all eight teams basically hitting the reset button for the 11th edition of the league, now is a good time to look at trends seen over previous auctions to give us a better idea about what can happen on auction days January 27 and 28.

    AVAILABILITY MATTERS MOST

    This is the first aspect franchises look at when it comes to foreign players. It was the main issue for teams staying away from a few England players in the earlier seasons. In 2013, keeper Matt Prior had said it was frustrating for England players as at that time, the ECB gave clearance for just a month of IPL, making English players an unattractive proposition for franchises.

    Now, the IPL has a clear window in the international calendar but individual instances of availability persist. Ben Stokes’ court case over his brawl in Bristol will weigh heavily on the minds of teams even though he had a stellar 2017 – 316 runs and 12 wickets from 12 games.

    Ben Stokes' court-case will bear heavily on the minds of the franchises.

    Ben Stokes’ court-case will bear heavily on the minds of the franchises.

    UNCAPPED INDIAN PLAYERS THE REAL DEAL

    Ultimately, the IPL is about local lads and uncapped players are of particular interest for franchises. Their base price is lower compared to national and international players, with those who are picked up getting a seemingly direct route into the international fray.

    Players like Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar found themselves on the selectors’ radar on the back of their performances in the IPL. This year, Krunal Pandya is expected to attract considerable bids as the left-arm spinning all-rounder was man of the match in the final for Mumbai Indians last year.

    Krunal Pandya is expected to be highly sought after in the auction.

    Krunal Pandya is expected to be highly sought after in the auction.

    LEG-SPINNERS WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD

    Leggies can be unpredictable and it is that unpredictability in line and degree of turn that makes them the most difficult to attack. Not only have regulars like Amit Mishra (134 wickets from 126 games at an economy of 7.4), Rashid Khan (17 wickets from 14 games at 6.6) and Yuzvendra Chahal (70 wickets from 56 matches at 7.9) delivered in the tournament consistently, less heralded names like Rahul Sharma (40 wickets from 44 matches at 7.02) and Karn Sharma (49 from 55 at 7.6) too have proved to be highly valuable.

    Rashid Khan's frugal leg-spin will invite many takers.

    Rashid Khan’s frugal leg-spin will invite many takers.

    SOFT SPOT FOR INDIAN ‘ICONS’

    When it comes to Indian star players, fitness and recent record don’t always come first. Over the years, quite a few Indian players were bought at the auction despite lukewarm performances, sometimes at exorbitant rates like Yuvraj Singh’s 2014 bid of $2.3m despite not scoring more than 400 runs in any season.

    Even at this year’s auction, expect players like Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh to find takers simply because of the connect they have with the local fans, franchise brands and decision makers in the team management.

    The likes of Yuvraj Singh will probably find a few takers once again.

    The likes of Yuvraj Singh will probably find a few takers once again.

    EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

    Franchises have a habit of springing a surprise even after fine-tuning their game over the years. Not only do they spend mind-boggling amounts on ‘star’ names, they also make some stupefying omissions. Last year, the No1 T20 bowler in the world – Imran Tahir – went unsold in the auction.

    He was later brought in as replacement by Pune for the injured Mitchell Marsh. He ended up with 18 wickets from 12 games in 2017 at the economy of 7.8. Most likely, we will witness something similar this month as well.

    Players like Imran Tahir have previously gone unsold at the auctions.

    Players like Imran Tahir have previously gone unsold at the auctions.

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