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A total of 333 players are set to go under the hammer at the IPL 2024 player auction, with the IPL Governing Council announcing the final list of players for the event set to be held in Dubai on December 19. Out of the lot, 119 are overseas players, including one each from Namibia and the Netherlands. Altogether, 23 players have put in their names with a base price of Rs 2 crore, among them three Indians – Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Harshal Patel.
As expected, it is the Australian players who recently won the 50-over World Cup who are dominating this list. Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis and Sean Abbott are listed at a base price of Rs 2 crore. Seven English players, including the promising Harry Brook, are part of this list. Among the other big names expected to provoke interest is South Africa pacer Gerald Coetzee, who has also kept a base price of Rs 2 crore.
Given this is a mini auction, only 77 slots are up for grabs among the 10 teams.
Foreign flavour dominates Set 1
The 2024 IPL player auction has all the potential for a fiery start, as two of world’s brightest big-hitting prospects — Harry Brook and Travis Head — with a base price of Rs 2 crore will be the first two names to go under the hammer. Brook, who was with Sunrisers Hyderabad last season, has been released after just one campaign, but given his potential, a lot of franchises have their eyes on him. As far as Head is concerned, expect him to walk away with a big pay cheque as he not only scored a century in the World Cup final against India, but also comes across as a very powerful T20 opener. West Indian Rovman Powell is also on the list, but could be a hit or a miss. The only two Indians included are Manish Pandey and Karun Nair, who could generate interest as back-up options. Expect Chennai Super Kings to go for one of them.
Smith and South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw are also in the fray, at a base price of Rs 2 crore, but the question is whether teams will go for them straight away or wait for a later stage.
Suspense around all-rounders
With the arrival of the Impact Player rule, teams are reluctant to spend big on all-rounders. But with the IPL auction, one can always expect the unexpected. With the likes of Cummins, Rachin Ravindra, Coetzee, Daryll Mitchell, Wanindu Hasaranga and Azmatullah Omarzai – all capable of turning things around with both bat and ball, franchises would definitely be tempted to go big at least on a couple of them. With most teams having a limited purse to work with, one has to wait and see whether the auction dynamics allow the space for all-rounders to hit paydirt like in previous seasons.
A lull in the middle
Barring Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, the rest of the teams have their wicketkeeping bases covered. Although the likes of Inglis, Phillip Salt, KS Bharat and Tristan Stubbs are available at the auction, they may not attract fierce bidding straightaway. With eight teams having their eyes elsewhere, Delhi and Kolkata could pick their targets at a cheaper price if they are smart enough. But the issue with the names available here is that none of them are certain starters when it comes to the playing XI.
Pace battery
If one goes by the auction trends over the last couple of years, it is the fast bowlers who have been in demand the most. This could well continue this time as well, particularly because Starc has thrown his hat in the ring. At least three franchises have shown interest in the pacer, who can be an MVP given the X-factor he brings in. If he commits to playing a full season, Starc could even walk away with a jackpot. Other than him, there is Lockie Ferguson, Josh Hazlewood, Alzarri Joseph as well as Indians Shivam Mavi, Chetan Sakariya and Umesh Yadav who will attract bidding. Another interesting pick here is Jaydev Unadkat, who usually goes for a big sum.
Surprise packages
An IPL auction is incomplete without a surprise element as franchises prefer going big on players who can be role-specific. Even though this is only a mini-auction, there is no shortage when it comes to this variety as Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi and Ibrahim Zadran, South Africans Tabraiz Shamsi and Rassie van de Dussen, Kiwis Michael Bracewell and Kyle Jamieson, Englishman David Willey and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman are all available. The three Afghans could once again be the talk of the town.
Uncapped Indians
With most IPL teams having a robust scouting system in place, uncapped Indians players have often managed to hit the jackpot at the auction. This edition will be no different with Shahrukh Khan being at the top of the pecking order. Beyond him, there is Sameer Rizvi, Rasikh Dar, Kartik Tyagi, M Siddharth, Manav Suthar, Dinesh Bana, G Ajitesh and Jhathavedh Subramanyan who have done well on the domestic circuit and have attended trials with various IPL franchises in the past month.
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