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The 12th edition of the IPL is set to kick off on 23rd March and the preparations of teams are going on in full swing. The world's toughest T20 league requires preparations well in advance and the coaching staff spent a lot of time thinking about retention choices and negotiating player trades with other teams. Also, they were planning a watchlist of players they wanted to get in the auction though all things didn't go according to plan.
Though minuscule when compared with the previous year's auction, IPL Auction 2019 had its fair share of surprises, anticipation, and shock as the teams battled it out with the batons to secure the services of the players they wanted in their squads.
Few of the major signings were Varun Chakravarthy( KXIP - 8.4 Crore), Jaydev Unadkat (RR - 8.4 Crore), Sam Curran (KXIP -7.2 Crore) and Colin Ingram (DC - 6.4 Crore). Also, Quinton De Kock moved to Mumbai Indians from RCB, Marcus Stoinis was traded for Mandeep Singh and Shikhar Dhawan moved to Delhi in exchange for Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Abhishek Sharma.
Though the team sheets have been filled, there will always be regrets for teams that they didn't buy certain players. There were certain options who they opted out from buying when they should have gone for.
These unsold players can come back as replacements and let's take a look at one unsold player who each team should have bought.
Chennai Super Kings - Rajneesh Gurbani
The Chennai Super Kings made only two signings at the auction and the one of Mohit Sharma for INR 5 Crore seems to be overpriced. They also signed batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad. Of the unsold players, one of the most unlucky players was Rajneesh Gurbani for who this a second successive snub at the auction.
Gurbani has been one of the best bowlers in the Ranji Trophy and has impressed everyone with his amazing control and swing. He was a key part of Vidarbha's triumph last season and played a key role in this season's double.
He has picked up 85 wickets from just 25 matches and has also played a lot of T20 cricket in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. CSK have a dearth of good Indian fast bowlers and though they have talented front-line bowlers, there seems to be no seasoned backup for them and Gurbani would've been a cut-price option for the Super Kings.
Delhi Capitals - JP Duminy
JP Duminy is one of the best and most consistent players to have ever played for the Delhi Capitals. His great performances though went unnoticed due to the side's overall failure and he received little recognition. He is quite handy with his off-spin and is a great middle order batsman.
Though the Capitals have a great top order, their middle order seems to be inexperienced and the underused Duminy should have been bought instead of someone like Keemo Paul. With almost no one bidding for him, it would've been a steal if Delhi managed to grab him for that price. He brings stability to the middle order and to the entire side and will be available for the entire tournament and doesn't have the pressure of the WC weighing down on him.
He didn't have such a great time at the Mumbai Indians last season but could've done the star turn for the Capitals.
Kings XI Punjab - Kane Richardson
The Kings XI Punjab finished seventh last season after topping the table at the halfway mark. This was because they weren't able to finish off games and had to rely on KL Rahul most of the time and in the death overs, there was no one to turn to except for Andrew Tye.
The Aussie pacer won the Purple Cap and was easily their best bowler but this season, they could've learned from their mistakes and bought a backup pacer for Tye. Hardus Viljoen is a seasoned player but he doesn't have much T20 experience and someone like Kane Richardson would've been the perfect pick.
He finished off as the highest wicket-taker in the Big Bash League and though the teams didn't know that until too late, his reputation as a T20 specialist must have earned him his spot. Tye can be in Australia's WC squad and so can Sam Curran and if the double happens, the KXIP side will be seriously understaffed and they could've gone for Richardson at the auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders - Dale Steyn
The only area which KKR lacked last season was their pace bowling department and this season too, Lockie Ferguson and Harry Gurney don't seem to fit the bill completely for the Knight Riders. They have lacked a pace bowling spearhead ever since Umesh Yadav left and Mitchell Johnson performed poorly last season. There were a lot of options to choose from and frankly, it was a surprise that they didn't go for Dale Steyn.
When no teams showed interest in him, he would've been a steal at 1.5 crores and though it seems like he won't be available for the entire tournament, he can make a lot of impact while he's there. Steyn has great IPL stats and has been a consistent performer in the league. He brings immense character and energy to the side and his experience would've made a valuable contribution to the side.
Mumbai Indians - Adam Zampa
Mumbai Indians seem to be seriously understaffed in their spin department. With no overseas spinners in their team and no known Indian spinner, they should've done better at the auction and signed a quality spinner. Though Markande performed well initially, his decline clearly showed the lack of options as players like Akila Dananjaya tried and failed. They must have gone for Adam Zampa who is a very good T20 bowler.
Zampa has got the better of the best of Indian batsmen at the international stage and is a very accomplished T20 bowler. He's very economical and hardly leaks runs and is very difficult to get runs off.
He bowls tight lines and uses the flipper to great effect. He doesn't turn the ball much but toys with the mind of the batsmen and is a clever bowler. Though he might be part of Australia's WC plans, he should've been bought based on his IPL experience playing for RPSG.
Rajasthan Royals - Jimmy Neesham
The Rajasthan Royals look the weakest side on paper and with the injury of Steve Smith which dampens his chances of joining the side this season, they have a huge problem on their hands. They clearly overspent on Jaydev Unadkat who failed miserably for them last season and this usage of their budget meant that they couldn't buy quality all-rounders for the side.
Though they have Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, the duo is almost certain to leave for England to take part in World Cup preparations and the backups they have are totally not enough. Liam Livingstone and Ashton Turner aren't the backups which a quality IPL team will have and their overseas combination seems to be a really weak one. Though players like Corey Anderson and Angelo Matthews were overpriced, they should have gone for someone like Jimmy Neesham who's a proven limited-overs all-rounder with great international pedigree.
They can sign him as an injury replacement player and should do so if they get a chance.
Royal Challengers Bangalore - Luke Ronchi
Luke Ronchi is one of the most sought after T20 batsman and has a lot of experience playing in various T20 leagues post-retirement. He has great attacking intent along with a wealth of experience and is a good quality wicket-keeper but was snubbed at the auction. RCB should've gone for someone with experience like Luke Ronchi rather than opting for Heinrich Klaasen who hasn't shined much after that innings against India and is wasting opportunities for the national team.
Klaasen will leave for South Africa's World Cup preparations and that will leave Parthiv Patel to don the keeping gloves. Ronchi, who led Islamabad United to the PSL title last season, is in great form this season too as both batsman and keeper. A player of such caliber could've helped any side win the IPL and at a price of 1 crore, RCB should've bought him.
Sunrisers Hyderabad - Eoin Morgan
The only area where the Sunrisers Hyderabad seemed to lack last season was their misfiring middle order. They bought Jonny Bairstow, Martin Guptill, and Wriddhiman Saha at the auction and beefed up their middle order by acquiring Vijay Shankar but they still seem to lack international pedigree there. They could've gone for England skipper Eoin Morgan despite the fact that he will leave halfway through the tournament.
Morgan is one of the best T20 batsmen in the world and possesses a wide range of shots and experience. Morgan can add great power to the SRH middle order and carry on the momentum created by the top order. His presence will also allow David Warner and Kane Williamson to express themselves freely. He has been snubbed in the past and at the price of 2 crores seemed costly, but he is a worthy buy and SRH should consider him if an injury occurs.
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