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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auction concluded recently in Kochi. The event saw plenty of excitement, a few bidding wars, and a number of players walking away with enviable deals.
Out of the 405 players who had registered to go under the hammer, 80 cricketers were sold, with 29 of them being overseas players. In total, the franchises spent ₹167 crore at the auction table.
On rather expected lines, all-rounders got mega-pay packages. England’s Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history after he was purchased by his former franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS) for ₹18.50 crore.
Australian batting all-rounder Cameron Green was sold to the Mumbai Indians (MI) for a whopping ₹17.50 crore, while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spent ₹16.25 crore for talismanic England all-rounder Ben Stokes.
How do the bowling attacks of IPL franchises stack up after the auction?
While T20 is considered a batters game, bowlers cannot be completely shut out. This is evident from the impressive amounts some of the bowlers were sold for at the IPL 2023 auction.
On that note, we rank the bowling attacks of all 10 franchises for IPL 2023.
Rajasthan Royals (8/10)
Rajasthan Royals (RR) have retained their core bowling unit from IPL 2022. Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal formed an impressive quartet last year. They are expected to do the job for the franchise once again, with Obed McCoy and Kuldeep Sen also chipping in.
At the auction, RR went for West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder. He could give them some good overs at the death and is a wicket-taker as well. Although Australian leggie Adam Zampa has not quite set the IPL on fire, there is no reason why he cannot impress next season.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (8/10)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have a pretty settled bowling attack. Mohammed Siraj and Josh Hazlewood will start off proceedings, leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will once again be expected to do the job in the middle overs, with Shahbaz Ahmed also chipping in with his left-arm spin.
Harshal Patel remains in the squad as the designated death bowler. Reece Topley's addition gives RCB another left-arm seam option for IPL 2023 apart from David Willey.
Akash Deep also did a decent job in the 2022 season, while Glenn Maxwell is a handy off-spinner who can also open the bowling. Some all-round help from across the Tasman Sea in Michael Bracewell adds further depth to the RCB bowling arsenal, giving captain Faf du Plessis more options than he had in the last season.
Gujarat Titans (7.5/10)
Being defending champions, Gujarat Titans (GT) are likely to go in with pretty much the same bowling attack as IPL 2022. On paper, their bowling looks versatile.
However, Mohammed Shami has been down with injury for the last few months, so his effectiveness will be monitored. Alzarri Joseph and Yash Dayal did a fine job as backup pacers last season.
While skipper Hardik Pandya is expected to deliver again, it remains to be seen how his bowling comes along. Having said that, Ireland pacer Joshua Little’s addition has strengthened the bowling.
Rashid Khan is expected to do what he does every year - pick up plenty of wickets and keep things extremely tight.
Chennai Super Kings (7/10)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have a good mix when it comes to variety. With the addition of Ben Stokes, they now have two quality all-rounders who can win matches for the franchise with both the bat and ball, with Ravindra Jadeja being the other.
Kyle Jamieson, who was also purchased at the IPL 2023 auction, is a good bowling all-rounder. In Dwaine Pretorius, they have a canny death bowler, while Mitchell Santner can chip in with economical overs if needed. The impressive Maheesh Theekshana will once again lead their spin attack.
One big issue with CSK, though, is the absence of a tried and tested performer in the fast bowling department, who can open the bowling with Deepak Chahar.
In the absence of Chahar, CSK tried out Mukesh Chowdhary last season. He has performed commendably, but he is still pretty raw on the big stage.
Kolkata Knight Riders (7/10)
Spin it to win it could remain Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) mantra at IPL 2023 as well. They have retained Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who can bowl at any point of the innings and deliver eight quality overs most times. Shakib Al Hasan can also chip in with his left-arm spin and make an impact on his day.
Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee did well as opening pacers in the 2022 season. They have traded in Lockie Ferguson and all-rounder Shardul Thakur from Gujarat Titans (GT) and Delhi Capitals (DC), respectively. While consistency isn’t their forte, they have the ability to win games.
Andre Russell, meanwhile, is often used as a death-overs specialist. The inclusion of Namibian all-rounder David Wiese is a smart move. He is a shrewd T20 operator.
Delhi Capitals (7/10)
Delhi Capitals (DC) had a disappointing IPL 2022 season, failing to qualify for the playoffs. They possess a more than decent bowling attack and will be hoping to do better in the upcoming edition. DC’s pace attack will be led by Anrich Nortje, who can blow away opponents with his pace, although he can also be expensive.
Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, and Khaleel Ahmed could all make a difference in the pace-bowling department. The addition of experienced Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar could also prove handy, even as Ishant Sharma’s purchase at ₹50 lakh has drawn mixed reactions.
Kuldeep Yadav will be the X-factor in the spin department, while Axar Patel is expected to keep things tight.
Mumbai Indians (6.5/10)
On paper, Mumbai Indians (MI) have probably the most lethal opening combination in Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. However, both have been battling fitness and injury issues over the last year. It remains to be seen how effective they will prove to be.
Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya made an impact for MI in IPL 2022 and has been exceptional in domestic cricket. There will be high hopes from the 25-year-old. The Aussie pair of Jhye Richardson and Jason Behrendorff can make an impact if they get it right.
Cameron Green is there as well. Purchased for ₹17.50 crore at the IPL 2023 auction, he is more of a batting all-rounder. Picking experienced leggie Piyush Chawla for ₹50 lakh is a debatable move.
SunRisers Hyderabad (6/10)
Fast bowler Umran Malik was SunRisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) standout performer in IPL 2022. There will be greater hopes for him, having played international cricket.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan remain with the team, but it has to be seen whether they are still as effective as they were a few seasons ago.
Marco Jansen, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Kartik Tyagi are SRH’s other pace options. Despite their choices, SunRisers look slightly thin in the department.
Among spinners, offie Washington Sundar is a versatile bowler to have in the squad. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid should be able to make his mark, while Akeal Hosein is a decent left-arm spin option.
Lucknow Super Giants (5.5/10)
Compared to other IPL franchises, the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) bowling department doesn’t look all that strong on paper. Mohsin Khan was their surprise star with the ball in IPL 2022, while Avesh Khan also did well.
If fit, Mark Wood can make a great impact. But the likes of Daniel Sams, Jaydev Unadkat, and Marcus Stoinis can blow hot and cold. Naveen-ul-Haq has talent but can be wayward.
The spin department will once again be banking on Ravi Bishnoi. Krunal Pandya can keep things tight but is not a wicket-taker. LSG have placed their faith in veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra. It remains to be seen whether the punt will pay off.
Punjab Kings (5.5/10)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) have a good fast-bowling combination for IPL 2023. Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh were bowling heroes of their respective teams during the T20 World Cup 2022.
South African speedster Kagiso Rabada is a proven performer. However, there is not a lot of meat in the bowling overall.
Nathan Ellis and Rishi Dhawan are some of the other pace-bowling options. They look thin in the spin department as well.
Rahul Chahar hasn’t been consistent, while Harpreet Brar hasn’t got too many games. The addition of Sikandar Raza could help PBKS with a few overs of off-spin.
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