One position each franchise should prioritize in IPL Auction 2019

Indian Premier League fever has begun as the franchises announced their retained and released list for the upcoming season. The event is said to happen a little earlier owing to the World Cup and the venue is still not confirmed too. The auction is set to happen in December and most of the teams will be involved in filling the gaps in the team.

With most teams having areas that they need to address, let us take a look at one spot in the team that each franchise should focus on in the IPL Auction 2019 and the options available for the same.

Chennai Super Kings

Position - Fast Bowler

CSK had a fairytale comeback in 2018 when they won the trophy after a two-year hiatus from the IPL. CSK's strong batting line-up helped the MS Dhoni-led franchise to eliminate any concerns about their fast bowling. Next season though, they will need one more bowler to complement their existing pace bowling line-up of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, and David Willey.

Options - Jaydev Unadkat, Mohit Sharma

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be without one half of their dynamic opening duo

Position - Opener

SRH's highly successful opening partnership of Warner and Dhawan was discontinued last season due to David Warner's ban. It will not happen in the upcoming edition too as Shikhar Dhawan has been traded to Delhi Daredevils. Warner's match fitness and form is still a concern and hence, Hyderabad would need alternative opening options to repeat the heroics of the previous two seasons.

Options - Gautam Gambhir, Jason Roy

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Position - Middle-Order Batsman

RCB's struggles in recent past can be narrowed down to the lack of quality middle-order batsman in the squad to support Virat Kohli and ABD. They have failed to chase scores after the big wickets fell and could not sustain the momentum after their top order has gotten off to a good start. They have released Mandeep Singh and Sarfraz Khan this year and hence they should prioritize on reinforcements in the middle.

Options - Glenn Maxwell, Hanuma Vihari

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking for some reinforcements

Position - Fast Bowler

KKR failed to get an experienced fast bowler in the previous auction who was fully fit and available for the entire season. They signed young fast bowlers in Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti before Prasidh Krishna joined them midway through the season. Vinay Kumar and Johnson were not at their best last year and they have released Mitchel Starc for the upcoming season. As a result, KKR will look to improve their fast bowling department in the upcoming auction.

Options - Mohammed Shami, Oshane Thomas

Kings XI Punjab

Kings XI Punjab had KL Rahul fighting a lone battle

Position - WicketKeeper

KXIP relied on KL Rahul in the previous season for the wicketkeeping duties. Aside from KL, Akshdeep Nath was the only other wicketkeeper option in the squad. He has been released too and KXIP will look to buy a genuine wicketkeeper to relieve KL of the responsibilities as he will be their go-to batsman next year. Chris Gayle's form has been inconsistent in the past few seasons and hence, KXIP should focus on an overseas wicketkeeping option who can also open the innings

Options - Wriddhiman Saha, Jonny Bairstow

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians will have to make some big decisions

Position - Fast Bowler

Mumbai Indians have released their overseas fast-bowling duo of Pat Cummins and Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the upcoming auction. Jasprit Bumrah may not be available for all the 14 matches due to his World Cup duties. Hence, Mumbai Indians will have to get at least 2 more fast bowlers, who can not only contribute but will also be available for the entire duration of the tournament.

Options - Sam Curran, Jaydev Unadkat

Delhi Daredevils

Delhi Daredevils have a strong squad that still has a couple of glaring holes

Position - Middle-Order Batsman

Delhi Daredevils addressing a major concern courtesy of the inclusion of Shikhar Dhawan. They have a strong top-four, which will now need the support of a reliable middle-order batsman. They have released Glenn Maxwell and hence will need a reinforcement in the middle. Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma and Dan Christian have also been released and Delhi will need to find someone to fill in for them if they are to compete for their maiden title next year.

Options - Shimron Hetmyer, Hanuma Vihari

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals need a wicket-taking option with the new ball

Position - Fast Bowler

Rajasthan Royals have released Jaydev Unadkat despite going all out to sign him ahead of IPL 2018. Ben Laughlin has also been released which increases the need for some fast bowling reinforcements for the Jaipur-based franchise. Joffra Archer and Ben Stokes are the only available fast bowling options now and the team would want to focus on getting some quality fast bowlers in the team, who will also be available for the duration of the tournament.

Options - Oshane Thomas, Mohit Sharma