Proven Indian performers will be in demand as the 10 IPL franchises look to rebuild their team structures at the mega auction, beginning at noon on Saturday in Bangalore.
The dynamics of an auction, which involves intense strategy and planning, will be put to the test once 377 Indians and 223 overseas cricketers go under the hammer during the two-day affair.
Teams have generally built their core group focusing on five or six Indians. It is assumed that most franchises will follow this established template. Indian players have walked away with the riches in the four previous mega auctions (2008, 2011, 2014, 2018) while foreigners have generally been in demand in mini auctions.
Teams like Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders have relied on a solid core of Indian players. It is only expected that the young brigade comprising Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Devdutt Padikkal, Shahrukh Khan and Harshal Patel could have most franchises chasing them. U-19 World Cup-winning members Yash Dhull, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Harnoor Singh and Raj Bawa will also attract attention. Another seven members were added to the pool on Friday.
It would be prudent for franchises to invest in the youngsters who could be available at a comparatively low price. The Knight Riders had benefited from picking Shubman Gill, Prasidh Krishna and Kamlesh Nagarkoti at the 2018 mega auction.
How the franchises distribute their available purse could determine their strength since some of the star Indian names have pushed themselves down the auction order. All-rounders such as Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar have raised quite a few eyebrows by signing themselves as bowlers. If this is part of a well thought-out move to give some franchises an advantage is not clear since most would have by then exhausted a significant chunk of their purse on marquee players, batters and all-rounders.
With no right-to-match card available this time, most franchises will be keen to buy back some of their old players. Mumbai Indians will be interested in regaining the likes of Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan and Trent Boult while Chennai Super Kings is expected to invest heavily in Shardul and Deepak Chahar.
It would come as no surprise if Kishan ends up as the IPL’s most expensive buy, outclassing Chris Morris who went for Rs 16.25 crore at the last auction in 2020.
The franchises with the maximum purse will enjoy a distinct advantage. Punjab Kings (Rs 72 crore) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rs 68 crore) could bid aggressively in such circumstances.
On the flip side, this could also mean the franchises with a hefty purse spending illogically on certain players only to exhaust their salary cap quickly. The trick could lie in judicious and sensible thinking.
Spinners could also benefit since the 15th edition will be held in India. The likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin will attract interest. There is talk of holding matches elsewhere, besides Mumbai and Pune, because of improving Covid-19 situation.
Not spending much upfront to ensure some bargain buys as back-ups could provide the ideal gameplan. But such strategies are often at the mercy of unforeseen dynamics at play at such events.
(Auction starts: 12 noon at ITC Gardenia, Bangalore, live on Star Sports Network