IPL 2019: 4 Indian players with the highest base price at the auction

A total of 1,003 players have registered for the 2019 IPL auctions to be held at Jaipur on December 18 (Tuesday). Out of these 1,003 players, 232 are overseas players and 800 are uncapped players (of which 746 are Indians).

A total of 70 slots are available across all the eight franchises, of which 50 will be for Indians and 20 for overseas players. South Africa are the leading overseas nation with the most number of players - 59.

Aussie stars Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell have opted out of the auctions, citing the tight schedule (World Cup and Ashes).

As many as nine capped overseas players have a base price of INR 2 crore (the highest among the layers participating at the auctions). These include Corey Anderson, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Colin Ingram, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Shaun Marsh, Brendon McCullum and D'Arcy Short.

Let us now look at four Indian players with the highest base price.

---

Jaydev Unadkat (Base price: INR 1.5 crore)

Jaydev Unadkat (second from right)

Jaydev Unadkat, who has so far played for played for five different IPL franchises, has been priced at INR 1.5 crores ahead of the 2019 IPL auctions.

Unakdat has represented the Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils, the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant and Rajasthan Royals. The Porbandar pacer's 24 wickets for the Rising Pune Supergiant side during the 2017 IPL were pivotal in his side's runner-up finish (they lost to the Mumbai Indians by just one run).

After an intense tussle during the bidding process at the 2018 auction, Unadkat was eventually bought by the Rajasthan Royals for a whopping price of INR 11.5 crore. But in the 15 matches he played for Ajinkya Rahane's men, Unadkat managed 11 just wickets at an economy of 9.65.

A clever left-arm pacer, Unadkat is good at bowling right into the blockhole and also at the back-of-the-hand slow deliveries. With 67 IPL wickets in 62 matches and an astronomical base price of INR 1.5 crore, watch out for the 27-year-old pacer at the 2019 auctions in Jaipur.

---

Axar Patel (Base price: INR 1 crore)

Axar Patel

Axar Patel, who scored just 80 runs and picked up three wickets in the nine matches he played for Kings XI Punjab at the 2018 IPL, was released by the Mohali-based franchise ahead of the 2019 auctions. Though he has been a pivotal member of the KXIP team since the 2014 edition of the IPL, the slow-left-arm orthodox bowler failed to recreate his performance last season, which led to his release.

Axar was the only player to be retained by Punjab ahead of last season's auctions, for INR 12.5 crore (he received a salary of INR 6.75 crore last season). A talented spinner, Axar has 1765 runs and 61 wickets in 68 IPL matches and can contribute with the bat down the order too.

Ahead of the 2019 auctions, Axar has a base price of INR 1 crore. So we can expect him to go make and several crores at this year's auctions.

Yuvraj Singh (Base price: INR 1 crore)

Yuvraj Singh

The most expensive player of the 2014 and 2015 IPL auctions, Yuvraj Singh has so far played for five different franchises in the IPL - the Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors India, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Yuvi, who won his first and only IPL title with the Sunrisers in 2016, returned to his 'home' franchise Kings XI Punjab last season after being bought at his base price of INR 2 crore. But after his poor outing in the 2018 IPL where he managed just 65 runs in eight matches, he was released ahead of the 2019 auctions.

Now with a base price of INR 1 crore, Yuvraj will be looking for a change of franchise as well as fortunes in the 2019 IPL auctions.

---

Mohammed Shami (Base price: INR 1 crore)

Mohammed Shami

The Indian pacer has so far played for only two franchises - the Kolkata Knight Riders (2012 and 2013) and the Delhi Daredevils (2014-2018). Having been released by Delhi ahead of the 2019 auctions, his five-year association with the franchise has come to an end.

Shami's IPL career hasn't been as successful as his Test career, and that is one of the main reasons for his release. Nevertheless, the Bengal pacer who has 21 IPL wickets in 43 matches, has set his base price at INR 1 crore ahead of the 2019 auctions.

With teams like Mumbai Indians needing a quality Indian pacer, Shami might find turn out to be one of the hottest Indian prospects at the auctions.