What to expect from the IPL 2020 auction?
What's the story
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 auction is set to be held in Kolkata on Thursday. All the focus will be on the strategies of teams, players who can get the big bucks, players who might go unsold and what could happen with the 73 slots on offer. With 338 players set to undergo the hammer, we look at what to expect.
Big bucks
Players who can rake in the moolah
West Indian stars Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Sheldon Cottrell and Evin Lewis are the ideal candidates. The first three players have set their base prices at Rs. 50 lakh each. Australian cricketers will be in focus as well. Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins have Rs. 2 crore each set Chris Lynn, who was released by KKR, also has Rs. 2 crore base price set.
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Purse remaining with the eight IPL teams
Here are the funds left with franchises: CSK: Rs. 14.60 crore, Delhi Capitals: Rs. 27.85 crore, KXIP: Rs. 42.70 crore, KKR: Rs. 35.65 crore, MI: Rs. 13.05 crore, RR: Rs. 28.90 crore, RCB: Rs. 27.90 crore, SRH: Rs. 17 crore.
Misses
Foreign players likely to get the snub
There are several high-profile foreigners who could get snubbed. Veteran Sri Lankan ace Angelo Mathews leads the list at Rs. 2 crore. Dale Steyn, who also has a Rs. 2 crore base price, could be ignored after being released by RCB. West Indies' Carlos Brathwaite, who was released by KKR, is another player in the list. Shaun Marsh and Josh Hazlewood are the others.
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Other foreigners, who can draw plenty of attention
Other star international players that can draw plenty of attention are the likes of England's Jason Roy, Eoin Morgan, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran. Meanwhile, Aaron Finch (Australia), Chris Morris (South Africa), Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand) and Colin de Grandhomme (New Zealand) are also attractive.
Indians
What about the star Indian players?
There are several star Indian names available in the auction pool. The likes of Yusuf Pathan (Rs. 1 crore), Robin Uthappa (Rs. 1.5 crore) and Jaydev Unadkat (Rs. 1 crore) could get ignored today. Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari are also in fray with a price tag of Rs. 50 lakh. Veteran Piyush Chawla (Rs. 1 crore) could get attention.
Strategies
Strategies of teams in focus
Chennai Super Kings are the most sorted side and they do not need much business. DC and MI are set as well. However, these teams need certain influx of foreign players in the mix. SRH need some bargain deals and some Indian names to power them in the middle will help. The rest of the teams need powerful assets and have money to spend.
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IPL 2020 auction timing and TV listing
The IPL 2020 auction is scheduled to start at 3:30 PM IST. The auction will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network. Hugh Edmeades will be the IPL auctioneer.