IPL Auction 2019: What to expect?

On 18th December when most of the eyes will be on the second Test between India and Australia at Perth, there will be a few eyes popping towards Jaipur to see who gets how much money. Apart from the money, there will be some other things to look out for as well in this year’s auction. The IPL 2019 Auction has been scheduled on 18th December at Jaipur.

A total of 346 players are going to go under the hammer on 18th December. But, out of those 346, only a maximum of 70 players can be sold and only 20 overseas slots are available. These numbers clearly give an indication that this year’s auction is going to be a low-key affair. So, what are the few things which we can expect in this low-key affair?

Uncertainty over Availability of Players

The biggest question of this IPL is about the availability of overseas players. There is a lot of uncertainty over the availability of overseas players due to the World Cup, which starts right after the IPL season. Maxwell and Finch, two IPL regulars haven’t registered their name due to the same reasons.

Due to these uncertainties, franchises will look to get players who are available for the whole season. Expect a huge bid war for some of the Windies and New Zealand players as they are available for the whole season or the players who will not be part of the World Cup.

Who are the marquee players?

Sam Curran might be a hot pick among the marquee players

There are nine players who have set their base price at 2 Crore. Interestingly, there are no Indians in the marquee list for the first time in 11 years. Out of these nine players, there are only a few who would attract high bids. Somebody like a Sam Curran could interest the franchises after his exploits at the international level. The fact that he will be available for the whole season will go in his favour. Brendon McCullum, who was released by RCB too is in the marquee list. To be honest, McCullum at 2 Crore might not be the best option. There are a few youngsters who are better and cheaper.

Marquee Players in the Auction

Lasith Malinga as a package of player and mentor might be just good enough to find a franchise. Over the years, the auction dynamics tell us that there are quite a few players in this list who might go unsold.

Indians with High Base Prices

Indians with High Base Prices

Axar Patel, being a rare commodity should get a good deal

It wouldn’t be surprising if RR pick Unadkat once again but this time for a cheaper price. That is a strategy which has worked in the auction quite a few times before as well. Axar Patel, being a left-arm spinner who can bat is a rare commodity and should attract high bids. The others might find some buyers but won’t fetch a lot of money.

Who can be the hot picks?

This West-Indian duo will attract franchises

Among the overseas players, it seems like the West-Indian duo of Shimron Hetmyer (50 lakhs) and Nicholas Pooran (75 lakhs) will attract the franchises. They are the typical T20 stars which you want in your team. Reeza Hendricks from South Africa who has a base price of just 50 lakhs is a player to watch out for. He was phenomenal in the Mzansi Super League. Carlos Braithwaite (75 lakhs), who was released by SRH, will attract a few bidders due to his all-round skills. There aren’t many Indians who can get high bids. Few of the experienced guys might get some good deals.

Will there be any surprises?

In each and every auction there is a surprise for us. Always there are few players who aren’t known much but still get a lot of money and some of them repay the faith as well. We can’t rule out the possibility of another surprise. There are a few young Afghan spinners who have their name on the list. The franchises have a very systematic scouting process which leads to the finding of new talent. It will be interesting to see on the 18th of December if there is any new talent up for buys.