IPL Auction 2019: An area of concern for each team

The IPL 2019 auction now just days away. Unlike the last auction, this won't be a long affair but it will still be interesting to watch as teams like the Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab are again going for a revamp of their squads and can treat us to a few bidding wars.

Some new talents have also been unearthed from the various T20 leagues around the world and franchises have earmarked them. It may happen that one of the more settled teams might also go all in for those players.

So before we get ready to watch all the franchises battle it out for the players, here are the areas of major concern for each franchise and which players can help them solve it:

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#1 Kolkata Knight Riders - Experienced Fast Bowlers

Dale Steyn(bowling)

Contrary to everyone's belief last season, Kolkata Knight Riders made it to the playoffs where they lost to eventual runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second qualifier. KKR came into the tournament with the smallest roster consisting of just 20 players of which 8 had never played in an IPL match before.

They would consider themselves extremely lucky to have got away with any major injuries to their core group of players. But now coming into this auction before the 2019 IPL season, they can bolster their squad with some good buys.

Kolkata seems to be set on the batting front but on the bowling side as they seem to be devoid of experience. Their spin bowling department consisting of Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla is one of the best in the league but their pace bowling arsenal of Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti is devoid of any international experience and has just over 50 List-A matches under its belt. So buying an experienced pacer upfront can bring balance to the attack

Chris Woakes and Dale Steyn are players with both international and IPL experience and can be great additions to the attack while South African Hardus Viljoen who is coming off a great T10 tournament where he grabbed 18 wickets in 9 games, can also be pondered about. Mohit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Shami and Anureet Singh are strong experienced IPL campaigners to be considered on the Indian front.

#2 Rajasthan Royals - Indian Fast Bowlers

Mohammed Shami

Bucking their previous auction trends of buying low, RR went all in for marquee players the last auction shelling out 12.5 crores for Ben Stokes, 11.5 crores for Jaydev Unadkat and 8 crores for Sanju Samson to name a few. Being loose on the purse did help them as they made it to the playoffs before losing to the Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator.

RR seems to be set on their foreign players' quota with Jos Butler, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer occupying the 4 given spots. Their batting and spin department also look set but they have nobody on their pace bowling arsenal after the release of Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Laughlin and Anureet Singh.

With the playing 11 overseas spots all filled up, acquiring quality Indian pace bowlers will be the main agenda on auction day for the Royals.

Experienced Indian internationals Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma and Barinder Sran can be picked from the capped lot while in the uncapped region, Ranji Trophy's second highest wicket-taker from last season, Rajneesh Gurbani, Rajasthan's Nathu Singh and Aniket Chaudhary are strong considerations.

#3 Mumbai Indians - Middle Order Batsman

Manoj Tiwary

Mumbai Indians are one of the most prolific sides in the IPL with 3 titles to their name. They are what they are today because of their think tank which over the years has unearthed gems in the auction and nurtured them into world beaters.

Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Mayank Markande have made it big after becoming a part of the Mumbai outfit. They failed to live up to their standards in the last season as they failed to qualify for the playoffs. They would be looking to add the missing pieces to mount a serious title challenge in 2019.

Their squad is all but set for the 2019 IPL season but one area where they are seriously lacking is a quality middle order batsman. Siddhesh Lad and Aditya Tare are current options after the obvious starters. Getting a middle-order batsman would be premier in MI think tank's auction strategy.

Shimron Hetmyer who played really well in the recently concluded series in India and scored at a strike rate in the excess of 140 is one to look out for. Mushfiqur Rahim is a reliable player with tons of experience under his belt. Nicholas Pooran is another explosive talent who shone well in the recently concluded T10 league. These are some overseas options who are extremely experienced and reliable when it comes to the shortest format of the game.

Manoj Tiwary and Yuvraj Singh are experienced IPL campaigners who can boost MI's middle order. Local lad Shivam Dubey who is coming off a fantastic first-class season is a homegrown option to ponder upon.

#4 Royal Challengers Bangalore - Middle Order Batsman

Fabian Allen(batting)

One the most loved teams in the IPL, the Royal Challengers Bangalore on paper have always been considered pre-tournament favourites boasting players of the calibre of AB De Villiers, Virat Kohli and Yuzvendra Chahal to name a few. However, the coveted trophy has always eluded them.

In the last IPL auction, they bolstered their weakest link, their bowling attack but they did not prepare a fail-safe option in case of a failure by Kohli and ABD, which clearly came to the fore as they ended at the bottom half of the table in the 2018 season with just 6 wins to their name.

Getting a couple of proven middle order batsman will be the priority for the Bangalore outfit in this year's IPL auction.

West Indian all-rounder Fabian Allen is coming off a great CPL tournament where he displayed his hitting ability boasting a strike rate of 180+. Englishman Sam Curran who terrorized the Indians with his all-round abilities can also be a great addition to the squad. New Zealander James Neesham has had his fair share of IPL cricket and can be brought in for his ability to use the long handle and bowl tidy overs.

Seasoned campaigners like Manoj Tiwary, Saurabh Tiwary, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Axar Patel are an enticing group to bid for while youngsters like Shivam Dubey, Milind Kumar are the players to consider from the domestic cricket.

#5 Chennai Super Kings - Indian Fast Bowlers

Mohit Sharma

There isn't much you can add to a team that has just won one of the most heavily contested tournaments in cricket without breaking a sweat. The Chennai Super Kings nearly have the most complete team in the IPL covering all the bases except one and that is of the fast bowling department.

CSK have a very destructive opening pair of Watson with either of Du Plessis or Rayudu, followed by highest run-getter in the IPL Suresh Raina, captain cool MS Dhoni, calm and composed Kedar Jadhav and one of the best all-rounders in T20, Dwayne Bravo. However, their pace bowling arsenal of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Lungi Ngidi is something they can't rely upon game after game.

A lot of capped fast bowlers are going under the hammer on 18th December and some that CSK would love to bid on are, Mohammed Shami who we all know can generate insane amounts of pace consistently, Mohit Sharma who has represented CSK in the past and knows the Chepauk pitch like the back of his hand and left arm pacers Barinder Sran and Jaydev Unadkat the type of bowlers Dhoni loves to have around him in matches.

#6 Sunrisers Hyderabad - Finisher/Hard-Hitting All Rounder

Nicholas Pooran

"Defence is the best form of offence", this is the mantra the Sunrisers Hyderabad rode on to the finals of the 2018 IPL season. The SRH bowling attack was so good that they defended sub-150 scores 3 times last season but they could have escaped getting into such tight spots if they had someone reliable and explosive all-rounders down the order.

SRH have tried to get a finisher to complement their heavy top order but their efforts have failed to bore fruit each and every time. In the last auction, they picked Yusuf Pathan and Carlos Brathwaite for the role of a finisher, but apart from a few matches, neither of them showed any promise to cement the spot.

Kiwi all-rounders Corey Anderson and James Neesham who have the reputation of using the long handle well when called upon, are a good option to think about. West Indian all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford and batsman Nicholas Pooran have also garnered interest after some strong displays in the recently concluded CPL and T10 league respectively. Englishmen Chris Woakes and Sam Curran are some reliable candidates to consider come auction day.

From the homegrown side, Axar Patel and Sarfaraz Khan have shown promise as finishers in the past few seasons.

#7 Delhi Capitals - Experienced Middle Order Batsman

Mushfiqur Rahim

Delhi will hope that a change in name brings a change fortunes for them in a tournament where they are the only ones who have failed to make it to the final even once in its 10 years of existence.

The Capitals made a major statement in the off-season by bringing in local lad Shikhar Dhawan back to the franchise after 9 years in exchange for Shahbaz Nadeem, Abhishek Sharma and Vijay Shankar.

Dhawan will slot in alongside young sensation Prithvi Shaw to solidify the opening spot. The third and fourth spots are occupied by Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant. The potential of all these guys is unquestionable but they are still taking baby steps in a league full of superstars. Hence, an experienced hand along with Dhawan is required.

Players like Manoj Tiwary, Sourabh Tiwary and Yuvraj Singh who have played in the IPL since its inception and have tons of experience under their belt, can provide the balance in the middle.

As far as overseas players are considered, South Africans Reeza Hendricks and Heinrich Klassen who are solid middle order batsmen can be earmarked. Bangladeshi veteran Mushfiqur Rahim is as good as they get at the international level, can also be considered. Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques can be a handy addition to the middle order with all the IPL experience he has under his belt.

#8 Kings XI Punjab - All-Rounder

Sam Curran

Kings XI Punjab disappointed again last season finishing second from last to mark another losing season for the franchise in the tournament. They have failed to make it to the playoffs since their run to finals in the 2014 IPL season.

Kings XI Punjab have gone bold with their releases letting off Axar Patel, local boy Yuvraj Singh and traded away one of their most efficient performers in Marcus Stoinis to RCB for Mandeep Singh.

Their current group fill in almost all the positions in playing XI except for one, and that is of the position of an all-rounder. By letting go of Axar Patel and Marcus Stoinis, KXIP are devoid of quality all-rounders.

Some all-rounders they can consider are Englishmen Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, West Indian Fabian Allen who set the stage alight in the CPL. New Zealander James Neesham and Australian James Faulkner are also high calibre players with plenty of IPL experience under their belt.

From an Indian perspective, old warhorse Irfan Pathan has had a good season with J&K and should provide support with both bat and ball.