Before the IPL mega auction, The Telegraph looks at the points and personnel who may or may not make the headlines
Three points to remember
Homework: Coming out triumphant from an IPL auction does not totally depend on what you do at the auction table, it’s more about what has been done before that. And here comes in the scouts and coaches. Basically, research and talent-spotting give a franchise the foundation to place the right bets. That is how you can land an uncut diamond Jasprit Bumrah or a made-for-T20s Venkatesh Iyer. The most precious player is not the one who attracts the most cash, it is the one whom the franchise plucks out of nowhere, maybe for a nominal sum, and yet he turns out to be a match-winner.
Assessment: The teams need to know how to rate a player before they open their purse for him, especially the big overseas names. Only reputation doesn’t work. Often, a player who has rocked the BBL or the Caribbean Premier League falls face first in the IPL. Similarly, a player who has done well for his national team recently may not necessarily find success in the IPL galaxy. For example, Rajasthan Royals spent Rs 16.25 crore on Chris Morris last time, but did he give them the service that was expected of him? Franchises have to scrutinise the players thoroughly based on their game, strength and weaknesses to assess them properly.
Budget: Fund management is very important this time. Splurging abnormal amounts from the very beginning may lead to an imbalanced squad, because this time the franchises have to build an almost entire team, unlike the auctions from the recent past. This particular factor is set to trigger a fascinating battle of strategies on the opening day of the auction. So while a Shreyas Iyer is touted as hot property given he is considered a captaincy candidate, it will be difficult for teams to place wild bets for him. In fact, there’s a chance that this time few players will be able to attract big bucks. But then, no one knows what will happen once they go under the hammer.