IPL Auction 2022: A new beginning from old ends

Deepak Chahar. Credit: PTI Photo

All-rounder Jason Holder. Credit: PTI Photo

The cricketing world will take a break this weekend and watch with great anticipation the two-day mega Indian Premier League auction that gets underway here on Saturday, where some unheralded cricketers could become millionaires and superstar players could be laughing their way to the bank as 10 franchises crunch grey cells to piece together their desired squads.

A total of 590 cricketers - 370 Indians and 220 overseas - will go under the hammer where some seasoned performers will be jostling for spots with upcoming youngsters in what promises to be a cracking auction with teams apparently not only focussed on the immediate present but the future as well.

In many ways this auction wears the look of the inaugural one in 2008 where the franchises were built from scratch. Yes, the eight existing ones were given a choice to retain a maximum of four players while the two newcomers were allowed a maximum of three but then they
still have to complete the squad which is going to be a gargantuan exercise.

Successful franchises like record five-time champions Mumbai Indians and four-time winners and defending champions Chennai Super Kings were forced to let go of some of their core players and their actions will be keenly watched over the next two days as they have the uncanny knack of unearthing hidden gems.

A host of Indians, some of them prized assets, are up for sale but the one expected to draw maximum attention is the captain of the Indian Under-19 World Cup-winning team Yash Dhull.

The youngster gave an ample demonstration of his talent and steel by overcoming a severe bout of Covid-19 during the mega event and scoring a match-winning century in the semifinal, a knock filled with character that elicited comparisons with the talismanic Virat Kohli. However, it remains to be seen if franchises break the bank on a budding young talent or go with the tried and tested.

Amongst the seasoned pros who are expected to command a rich price are Shreyas Iyer, R Ashwin, Krunal Pandya, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal.

There are at least three franchises in need of a skipper, and Iyer and Ashwin fit the bill. While Iyer is young and led Delhi Capitals previously, Ashwin, former Punjab Kings skipper, has made a stellar comeback in white-ball cricket for India and could be the seasoned brain a franchise wants.

Young Indians tipped to elicit a strong bidding war are Devdutt Padikkal, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Chahar, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Deepak Hooda and Shah Rukh Khan. It was a surprise the Royal Challengers Bangalore let go of Padikkal, the opener who has mesmerised all with his wonderful batting and brilliant fielding.

Sundar too was let go by RCB but the 22-year-old, having successfully recovered from a finger injury, looks to have regained his mojo as seen in the West Indies series.

Prasidh is slowly developing into a fine young pacer while Chahar is a talented all-rounder who has genuine match-winning capabilities. Hooda is a dangerous middle-order player, so is the upcoming Khan who had a brilliant outings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy last year.

Plenty of internationals are also expected to steal the spotlight with the trio of David Warner, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Holder generating a lot of pre-auction buzz. Warner has been a champion performer in the IPL, scoring 5449 runs in 150 games with 4 centuries.

Warner even led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden title triumph in 2016 but after a poor 2021, he was benched and subsequently released by them. But Warner showed he’s still a marauder with the bat with a brilliant performance in the T20 World Cup last year, playing a key role in his country’s coronation.

The availability of Bairstow, much like many of the English players whose home summer clashes with the latter part of IPL, for the full tournament is uncertain but given his destructive abilities with the bat, plenty of franchises could be queuing up for his services.

Holder hasn’t necessarily set the IPL on fire, having played just 26 games with mediocre returns, but a couple of teams have sent out feelers through their ‘sources’ about going the extra mile to procure the West Indian. Whether it’s a bluff or genuine interest, the weekend will reveal.

Teams over the years have gotten wiser. They know exactly what players they want and have become smarter in picking them. Some even practiced by conducting mock auctions to leave no stone unturned in their preparations. The real test starts on Saturday.

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