IPL 2023 auction: 3 players from the ₹2 crore bracket who might be sold at their base price

The player list for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auction was released on Thursday, December 1. As many as 991 players have registered to compete for 87 spots at the auction, which will be held for the first time in Kochi on December 23.

Of the 991 players who have registered their names, 185 are capped players, 786 are uncapped players and 20 belong to the Associate Nations.

If we look at the country-wise division, 714 Indian players and 277 overseas cricketers will be up for grabs at the IPL mini-auction. Among the foreign nations, 57 players are from Australia, followed by 52 from South Africa and the West Indies (33).

21 cricketers have registered their names in the ₹2 crore price bracket, which is also the maximum base price for a player in this year's auction. While players including Ben Stokes, Cameron Green and Sam Curran, are expected to go for the big bucks, there are certain players who might not garner interest from more than one or two franchises.

With a number of superstars with a base of ₹2 crore expecting to gain huge demand, we take a look at three players from the list who might end up being purchased at their base price.

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#3 Nathan Coulter-Nile

BBL - Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars.

While all-rounders are always considered hot properties in IPL auctions, Nathan Coulter-Nile isn't expected to start a bidding war at the event. Listing himself in the ₹2 crore bracket, Coulter-Nile last played for his national side Australia back in 2019.

The 35-year-old went unsold in the first round of the IPL 2022 before the Rajasthan Royals (RR) bagged him for his base price (₹2 crore) during the accelerated round. However, Coulter-Nile featured in just a single game for the IPL 2022 finalists before he was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.

RR released him ahead of the IPL 2023 auction.

Typically a bowling all-rounder, Coulter-Nile has fared reasonably in the IPL, picking up 48 wickets in 39 matches at an economy of under eight. However, given his age (35) and proneness to injuries, franchises might not garner much interest in the Australian international.

Mumbai Indians (MI) are the only franchise that might bag him, as the five-time champions have a dearth of all-rounders on their roster.

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#2 Chris Jordan

Pakistan v England - ICC Men's T20 World Cup: Final New Zealand v India - 1st ODI. New Zealand v India - 1st ODI

T20 specialist Chris Jordan has been among England’s most effective pacers in the format in recent years. His record speaks for itself - 95 wickets in 84 matches at a strike rate of 18.6.

In fact, he is England’s highest wicket-taker in the format. Apart from being a smart operator with the ball, Jordan is also one of the best fielders in the world.

However, the 33-year-old’s effectiveness seems to be on the wane. It's no secret that Jordan tends to leak runs with his T20I economy hovering around ten per over in 13 matches.

The English international was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) setup in IPL 2022. He featured in only four games, in which he claimed only two scalps at an alarming economy rate of 10.52.

Despite his underwhelming figures, franchises might be open to buying Jordan due to his versatility. However, it would be surprising if he initiates a bidding war.

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#1 Kane Williamson

New Zealand v Pakistan - ICC Men's T20 World Cup: Semi Final

As surprising as it may sound, Kane Williamson is unlikely to bag hefty sums at the upcoming auction. The 32-year-old, who was on a ₹14 crore contract, was recently released by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Williamson, who is one of the world's most technically sound batters, has had his moments in T20 cricket.

The Kiwi skipper was the Orange cap winner in 2018, scoring 735 runs at an average of 52.50 and at a strike rate of 142.44 for the Hyderabad-based franchise. He even displayed a masterful innings of 85 off 48 balls against Australia in the ultimate finals of the T20 World Cup 2021.

However, since then, Williamson's form has taken a dip. During IPL 2022, the former SRH skipper was one of the flops of the season. He accumulated just 216 runs at an average of 19.8 and a horrid strike rate of 93.5 across 13 innings.

A player who likes to bide his time before accelerating, Williamson can be an ideal anchor in a T20 side. However, the majority of the IPL teams already have their top-order slots filled.

Perhaps the only franchise that might fancy investing in the right-hander will be Hyderabad, who have some shopping to do as far as its batting department is concerned.

Moreover, they are also the only team with no official skipper yet, and it might turn out to be a frugal move to acquire Williamson on a much lower wage compared to last year.