Tag: IPL Auction

IPL auction 2023: Why Rajasthan Royals bid almost their full purse of Rs 13 crore on this young English all-rounder

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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English batsman Harry Brook was picked up for Rs 13.25 crore by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL mini auction 2023. The 23-year-old will be making his debut in the Indian Premier League after a solid year and staggering performance. Brook was sold for 9 times his base price of Rs 1.5 crore after a bidding war between Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad. While SunRisers could afford the hefty price tag, entering the auction with the largest purse, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have a different story to tell.

With just Rs 13.2 crore in their kitty and needing at least three other players to fill their squad with the mandatory 19 players, Rajasthan could scarcely afford to spend Rs 13 crore on a single player. If Rajasthan Royals had managed to secure Brook for Rs 13 crore, they would have just Rs 20 lakh left to secure two more players— a strenuous task considering that the lowest base price for players in the mini auction is set at Rs 20 lakh.

As RR’s social media account itself highlighted, they definitely couldn’t afford Brook for Rs 13 crore.

phew! pic.twitter.com/E6QufLPPd7

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 23, 2022

So what was the strategy in trying to bid for a player they couldn’t afford? The positioning could be to make other teams spend more. By engaging in the bidding war, Rajasthan Royals was possibly trying to jack up the price of key players that other teams are interested in. This way Rajasthan can better leverage their small purse to snatch up other players that they really want in their squad.

The 2008 champions used the same trick to raise the price for 24-year-old English all-rounder Sam Curran. Despite knowing that they most likely wouldn’t be able to secure Curran, an apt prediction considering that Punjab Kings bought the player for a record-breaking Rs 18.5 crore. Rajasthan still put in bids in what seemed to make the bidding between Chennai Super Kings, SunRisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians aggressive.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2023 mini-auction: At Rs 18.50 crore English all-rounder Sam Curran becomes the most expensive player ever

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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England all-rounder Sam Curran became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after he was signed by Punjab Kings for Rs 18.50 crore at the mini-auction on Friday.

Curran is a specialist in death over bowling. He was phenomenal in England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign this year. Curran was declared the Man of the Series in Australia after he grabbed 13 wickets with an astounding economy of 6.52.

Curran had made his debut in IPL 2019 while representing Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) against Rajasthan Royals.

Record Alert 🚨

Sam Curran 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙋𝙇!

He goes BIG 🤯- INR 18.50 Crore & will now play for Punjab Kings 👏 👏#TATAIPLAuction | @TataCompanies pic.twitter.com/VlKRCcwv05

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 23, 2022

The Punjab franchise had signed Curran in 2019 for Rs 7.2 Crore. This was also the third-highest in the IPL auctions prior to the 2019 season. Curran was released by the Punjab franchise ahead of the 2020 season of IPL. The Northampton-born all-rounder was signed by Chennai Super Kings at the IPL 2020 auction. Curran had entered the auction with a base price of Rs 1 crore. The Chennai-based franchise had eventually decided to shell out Rs 5.5 Crore to acquire the services of Curran.

Also Read: England batsman Harry Brook sold to SunRisers Hyderabad for Rs 13.25 crore

Curran has so far played 32 matches in the IPL. Curran has picked up 32 wickets and scored 337 runs at a strike rate of 149.78. Curran has two half-centuries under his belt in the cash-rich T20 tournament. Curran kicked off his IPL career on a prolific note and exhibited a brilliant all-round show in 2019.

The Englishman registered his highest IPL score of 55 in the 2019 season. Curran achieved his best bowling figures of 4/11 that season. In the very next season of IPL, Curran scalped 13 wickets. The 2020 season still remains his most successful one, in terms of claiming wickets.

A stunning show in the domestic cricket league in his country helped him earn a spot in England’s U-19 World Cup squad in 2019.

In international cricket, Curran made his debut against Pakistan during the second Test against Pakistan at the Headingley in Leeds. Curran had made his Test debut at the age of 19 years and 363 days. Curran had received his first Man of the Match award just one match later.

Curran made his ODI debut later that month against Australia during the fifth match of the series. Curran represented England in the shortest format of the game for the first time in 2019. He played his first T20I match against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Sam Curran T20 record

Matches played: 145

Runs scored: 1731

Highest: 72*

Batting average: 20.85

Wickets: 149

Best bowling: 5/10

Bowling average: 25.56

Economy: 8.43

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2023 Mini Auction: England batsman Harry Brook sold to SunRisers Hyderabad for Rs 13.25 crore

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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England batter Harry Brook is all set to make his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the SunRisers Hyderabad franchise. The winners of the 2016 edition of IPL roped in the 23-year-old for Rs 13.25 crore in the IPL auction on Friday.

The Yorkshire-born batter made his debut in international cricket earlier this year in January against West Indies during the third T20I. In Test cricket, Brook made his first appearance for England during the third match against South Africa in September 2022 at The Oval.

What do you make of this buy folks? 💰💰

Congratulations to Harry Brook who joins @SunRisers #IPLAuction | @TataCompanies pic.twitter.com/iNSKtYuk2C

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 23, 2022

‘In first-class cricket, he has so far played 60 matches. Brook has 10 centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name in this format.

Previously, Brook had led the England U-19 cricket team at the 2018 World Cup. He also emerged as England’s highest run scorer in the showpiece event. Brook notched 239 runs at the 2018 U-19 World Cup at an average of 119.50. Moreover, Brook claimed a century and two half-centuries in the tournament.

Brook scripted a memorable T20 season in 2020 after he managed to score runs at an average of 55 in the group stage.

It will be wrong to think that Brook’s brilliance has been limited to white-ball cricket only. Brook made his Test debut earlier this year and showcased a brilliant show to prove his mettle in the longest format of the game.

Brook recently enjoyed a sensational Test series against Pakistan. Brook bagged three centuries against Pakistan in the three-match Test series. He scored 468 runs against Pakistan to win the Man of the Series award. Brook currently has three centuries under his belt in Test cricket after playing four matches.

Brook has so far scored 480 runs after featuring in six innings in the longest format of the game. He currently has the highest number of runs after playing in the first six men’s Test innings for England. Brook broke KS Ranjitsinhji’s 125-year-old record to script the sensational feat.

Harry Brook T20 record

Matches: 99

Runs: 2432

Highest: 102*

Batting average: 33.77

Strike Rate: 148.38

100s/50s: 1/9

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

All bout IPL 2023 mini-auction: Check key players’ list, base price, date and where to watch LIVE

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Indian Premier League’s mini-auction is all set to open on December 23 in Kochi with nearly 1,000 players up for grabs at the mini-auction. The IPL mini 2023 will see 714 Indian and 277 overseas players for the franchises in the T20 league to pick from. Of these, nearly 700 players will be making their debut in the tournament if chosen.

The mini-auction is different from the earlier held mega-auction as the 10 franchises managed to retain majority of their players. Each team can have a maximum of 25 players and a minimum of 18 players. Of these, a maximum of 8 players can be from overseas. The 10 teams in total retained 163 players, including 50 overseas players. Sunrisers Hyderabad retained the least number of players with only 12 players remaining, while Delhi Capitals retained the most with 20 players from the previous season still in the team.

Where to watch LIVE

The two-day auction will begin on December 23 and continue on December 24. The mini-auction can available live on Star Sports and Voot from 6 pm onwards.

Base Price

The base price starts from Rs 20 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 2 crore per player. Uncapped players usually have a base price of Rs 20 lakh while major stars can command a Rs 2 crore base price. In this auction, a total of 21 players have set their base price as Rs 2 crore. For the first time, there is no Indian player in the auction with the base price of Rs 2 crore.

Also read: New IPL chairman Arun Dhumal speaks strategy as BCCI plans to make it ‘number one sports league in the world’

Players with a Rs 2 crore base price

Tom Banton, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Curran, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Jason Holder, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Angelo Mathews, Tymal Mills, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Rassie van der Dussen.

Players with a 1.5 crore base price

Sean Abott, Harry Brook, Shakib Al Hasan, Riley Meredith, Jhye Richardson, Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Sherfane Rutherford, Adam Zampa.

Players with a 1 crore base price

Mayank Agarwal, Kedar Jadhav, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Moises Henriques, Andrew Tye, Joe Root, Luke Wood, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Heinrich Klaasen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kusal Perera, Roston Chase, Rakheem Cornwall, Shai Hope, Akeal Hossein, David Wiese.

Also read: After three years IPL to return to its old home and away format for the 2023 season; Women’s IPL to be launched soon

Key players

Some of the key players that may be on the list of franchises to pick include opener Mayank Agarwal, batsman Jason Roy, who had suddenly pulled out of the last tournament due to personal reasons, Ajinkya Rahane, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson’ and bowler Chama Milind who has impressed many on the domestic List-A circuit.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022 squad analysis: Mumbai Indians welcome Jofra Archer, ‘baby ABD’; Ishan Kishan under the spotlight

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians are the most successful Indian Premier League team for a reason and though their choices in the IPL auctions might seem strange, it is important to remember that great franchises in sports thrive on a set of their own well-defined philosophy and mostly succeed when they stick to it.

The team that the fans lovingly call ‘Paltan’, it seems, has focused on building talent and not buying it.

First, let’s look at the final squad post the auction:

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Ishan Kishan, Dewald Brevis, Basil Thampi, Murugan Ashwin, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, N Tilak Varma, Sanjay Yadav, Jofra Archer, Daniel Sams, Tymal Mills, Tim David, Riley Meredith, Mohammad Arshad Khan, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Rahul Buddhi, Hrithik Shokeen, Arjun Tendulkar, Aryan Juyal and Fabian Allen

Also Read: IPL auction 2022: A look at the team line-up of all ten franchises

Strength

The team has one of the most potent batting sides in the league. Skipper Rohit Sharma will open with Ishan Kishan, the most expensive player of this year’s auction. With de Cock out of the team and Mumbai pulling all strings to buy the wicketkeeper batter, it is clear the southpaw is part of Mumbai’s long-term plan. Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard will be the key linchpins in the middle-order. Sanjay Yadav, who impressed many with his spin bowling and power hitting could come next followed by either Singaporean all-rounder Tim David or Dewald Brevis, whose batting stance and style have seen him nicknamed,  ‘baby AB De Villiers’.

Jofra Archer’s selection seems to be made with the future in mind rather than the near future, given the fitness concern surrounding the speedster. Even if we leave Archer, the pace attack is top-notch with the likes of Bumrah, Tymal Mills, Daniel Sams, and Riley Meredith. The question will only be about choosing between the three overseas quickies and adding one local talent likely Jayadev Unadkat or Basil Thampi. For spin, the choice will be between Mayank Markande and Murugan Ashwin, with the former possibly emerging as the first option.

Weakness

While the side is blessed with pacers, the lack of a real local talent to replace or support Bumrah may come to hurt the side. While Basil Thampi and Jayadev Unadkat are experienced campaigners, they have not been splendid.

The side also seems to have been made with the future decade in mind and carries a number of inexperienced youngsters who may not exactly find their rhythm in the very first season.

X-factor

The team has a large pool of talent that, once settled down can make for a great backup system, making up for a dynamic squad where anyone can be replaced or brought in based on the demands of the situation. The team has done this in the past and the likes of Bumrah, Chahal, and Pandya brothers are examples of the effectiveness of the system

In conclusion, one can say that the champion side has created a team with the long-term future in mind. However this will in turn mean that for the side to perform well in the upcoming season, the senior players will not only have to mentor the youngsters but also perform at their best.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022 squad analysis: Lucknow Super Giants grab Jason Holder, Avesh Khan; depth a concern

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The newly formed Lucknow based franchise ‘Super Giants,’ did impress many of the IPL fans by the way they handled the auction process. The team is owned by Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG-group, which has Gautam Gambhir as its mentor and at first glance seems to have hit jackpot in the auctions with what seems to be a pretty formidable side.

First, the squad post the IPL 2022 auction:

LSG team: KL Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi, Quinton de Kock, Manish Pandey, Jason Holder, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, Ankit Rajpoot, K Gowtham, Dushmanta Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Manan Vohra, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Karan Sharma, Evin Lewis, Mayank Yadav and Marcus Stoinis

Let us take an objective look at the strengths and weaknesses of the side:

 Strengths

The Lucknow franchise has without any doubt bought a squad that can be the basis of an impressive playing eleven. The team can be more than a match to any side irrespective of the situation. Openers Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul are not just excellent stroke-makers but also give you the right-left combination at the top. Manish Pandey will be a brilliant choice at no. 3 followed by a middle-order that has names like Vohra, Holder, Hooda, and Stoinis.

Also Read: IPL auction 2022: A look at the team line-up of all ten franchises

On the bowling front, the side looks even more intimidating. Speedster Mark Wood with airspeed can trouble any batter at the top. He will most possibly be paired with local boy Ankit Rajpoot who is impressive with his right and medium pace style. On the spin front, there will be a toss-up between, veteran Shahbaz Nadeem and youngster Ravi Bishnoi, with the latter likely making the cut thanks to his potent wrist spin. But for the side, the biggest advantage in the bowling front will be Avesh Khan, who could strangle any batting lineup in the latter half of the innings. Khan, who represented Delhi last season was the second-highest wicket-taker of the season and did that with an impressive economy of just above 7.

Weakness

This is where the focus on creating a potent playing eleven may harm the side. As good as their first choice players might be questions remain on the backup players. Given the risk of injuries, pandemics, and national duties, concerns remain about finding quality replacements for the playing eleven.

There are also questions about the wicket-taking capability of their all-rounders, with the likes of Pandya and Holder not necessarily lighting the pitch with their ability with the ball. Also, KL Rahul, irrespective of his batting prowess failed to flatter anyone with his captaincy skills, be it in IPL or in international cricket.

X-factor

 Quinton de Kock bought for Rs 6.5 crore is a real catch for the new side. The southpaw is not just a brilliant opening batter but quite handy behind the wicket. Also with his retirement from test cricket, he will have fewer obligations and will be fresher to start with. His vast experience with Mumbai Indians will also be an added advantage.

Overall the side looks good to make it to the top four without much trouble but may find it tough at the second stage and end up finishing painfully close to the IPL trophy.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022 squad analysis: Gujarat Titans rope in Roy, Shami, Tewatia; few chinks remain

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Gujrat Titans had a mixed two days at the auction. While we saw some smart buys, there were certainly a lot of missed opportunities. Here is how their squad has shaped up after two hectic days of IPL auctions which concluded this weekend.

Let’s quickly break down the team as per departments:

The top order

This is perhaps the place where the Titans made a fortune. Jason Roy is one of the best hitters of the white ball, and to bag him for his base price of Rs 2 crore was certainly a sweet deal.

He, along with Shubhman Gill, forms a formidable opening pair. Moreover, they’ll complement each other. Gill can play the anchor, and Roy, on the other hand, can attack.

Also read | Team line-up of all ten franchises

Abhinav Manohar was a surprising but good pick on day one of the auction. He made his debut last year. Not a lot of numbers are available about him, and analyzing them at such a nascent stage wouldn’t be fair. But still, in the four T20 matches played for Karnataka he has scored 162 runs with the highest score of 70 not out. Not to forget, he can bowl an occasional left-arm spin too.

The middle-order & all-rounders

This is where the Titans find themselves in a tough spot. Going by the picks they made at the very last round, it seems David Miller or Matthew Wade coupled with Vijay Shankar, Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Dominic Drakes will form the middle order.

Also Read: IPL Mega Auction 2022: Shreyas Iyer commands Rs 12.25 crore from KKR; here’s how the other marquee players did

Hardik Pandya will essay the role of a finisher along with Rahul Tewatia. They missed out on two key players here in Krunal Pandya and Washington Sundar.

They bought Rahul Tewatia for Rs 9 crore but backed out of Krunal’s bidding who ultimately went to Lucknow for 8.25 crores. The same happened with Washington Sundar as Sunrisers bagged him for 8.75 crores.

Bowling department

Coming out of the auction, the bowling for Titans looks like their strong point. The pace trio of Mohammed Shami, Alzaari Joseph, and Lockie Ferguson, coupled with the abilities of Rashid Khan, makes them a formidable attack. Add Hardik, Noor Ahmed, Rahul Tewatia, and Sai Kishore to the mix, and you have got variety as well. They also got Yash Dayal for Rs 3.2 crore. Dayal is a new ball bowler capable of swinging the ball both ways. He has played just 15 T20 matches and picked up 15 wickets at an economy of 7.21.

Notable misses

Considering their fragile middle order, it is surprising to see why the Titans didn’t go all the way for Mitchell Marsh. The Australian all-rounder was coming into the auction on the back of an incredible performance in the T20 World Cup. He is also a quality option with the ball in hand.

What’s even more surprising is that they did not even bid for Devon Conway. They were clearly in need of an international hard-hitting wicketkeeper. Srikar Bharat, an Indian wicket-keeping option, too, was let go off, without bidding.

All in all, there were a few hits but some miss too for Gujrat Titans at the IPL auction. On paper, Gujarat looks it needs more work but then in the past, such teams have rallied and done well too.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022 squad analysis: Rajasthan Royals top-four promising; Ashwin-Chahal duo reunited

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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It is tough to remember that Rajasthan Royals were the first Indian Premier League champions. That was the class of 2008 and no one would have given that team any chance at the start of the first edition. Since then every season the pressure has been on the team to repeat the feat but the showing, despite having some stalwart T20 names, has been sub-par.

The Royals have been poor in the previous three years. In 2019 they were seventh. In the next season, they finished last on the points table. Last year team bettered its 2020 performance to finish above Sunrisers Hyderabad at the seventh place.

Also read | Team line-up of all ten franchises

Clearly, the team needed an overhaul and so RR went into the IPL auction retaining a long-term captain, a young opener and an international T20 superstar, leaving its past behind.

Here is how RR’s retention and their auction panned out.

Players Retained before IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal

Players bought in IPL 2022 Mega Auction:

Batters: Shimron Hetmyer (Rs 8.50 cr.), Devdutt Padikkal (Rs 7.75 cr.), Karun Nair (Rs 1.50 cr.), Rassie van der Dussen (Rs 1 cr.)

Wicketkeeper: Dhruv Jruel (20 lakhs)

All Rounders: Ravichandran Ashwin ( Rs 5 cr.), Riyan Parag (Rs 3.80 cr.), James Neesham (Rs 1.50 cr.), Daryl Mitchell (Rs 75 lakhs), Anunay Singh (20 lakhs),

Bowlers: Prasidh Krishna (Rs 10 cr.), Trent Boult (Rs. 8 cr.), Yuzvendra Chahal (Rs 6.50 cr.), Navdeep Saini (Rs 2.60 cr.), Nathan Coulter-Nile (Rs 2 cr.), Obed McCoy (Rs 75 lakhs), KC Carriapa (Rs 30 lakhs), Kuldeep Sen (20 lakhs), Shubham Garhwal (Rs 20 lakhs), Tejas Baroka (Rs 20 lakhs), Kuldip Yadav (Rs 20 lakhs),

RR have a problem of plenty right at the top of the order and their squad has left the best of the cricket minds scratching their heads.

So RR retained Sanju Samson, Yashavi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler. All three are openers. If three openers were not enough, the team spent a cool Rs. 7.75 cr. to rope in Devdutt Padikall.

With Padikall in the mix, RR have two keeper batters who can open and two young left-hand openers. Pushing any of these four batters lower down the order could affect their natural game. So it is tough to predict even for the smartest cricket analysts to guess what would be RR’s opening combo.

But it is safe to assume that Samson and Buttler with a bit of their experience could take the risk of moving lower down the order to let Jaiswal and Padikkal open the innings.

So, that sorts the team’s top four. On second thought though if the move works out then it could be a fascinating top-four in the whole of the IPL. Depending on the form and match situation Samson and Buttler can shuffle between no.3 and no.4.  That gives the team with explosive batters in top-four with a chance to have a left-right batting combo.

Shimron Hetmyer became richer by Rs 8.50 cr. and for that sum RR would want the West Indian to provide sparks lower down the order. Again with Hetmyer, RR will have the left-right batting going to annoy the bowlers. Rassie van der Dussen can come in if Hetmyer is not available for the selection.

Riyan Parag has been a regular for the RR since 2019. Parag should nail his spot in the playing XI as he is a powerful hitter lower down the order, a handy off-spinner and a top-class fielder. The team added Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham to its squad in the last round of auction. The two players are almost of the same mould.  If Buttler is unavailable, then either of the players could be picked, which could add depth to the batting as well as bowling.

Although Ravichandran Ashwin was classified as an allrounder in the IPL auction, it is tough to expect Ashwin to deliver with the bat. But Ashwin solves a major problem for the team. He is an experienced spinner in the RR squad and will be tagged along with Yuzvendra Chahal. The off-spin of Ashwin and leg-spin of Chahal is a massive upgrade for the team over the spin offered by Rahul Tewatia and Shreyas Gopal.

That leaves the team to pick three fast bowlers. RR have continued with their recent tradition to have a left-arm pacer in the squad by bringing in Trent Boult. The New Zealand pacers IPL experience and his ability to pick wickets in the powerplay makes him a definite starter. Giving Boult company will be Prasidh Krishna. The young Indian pacer has impressed with his fast bowling in recent times. He can bowl nasty bouncers too. Krishna’s stocks are rising rapidly and he is sure to be the second pacer in the team.

The spot for the third pacer will be taken by either Obed McCoy or Navdeep Saini. McCoy can swing the ball at a good pace, occasionally bowls a good slower delivery and adds value as an effective death bowler.

Likely starters for Rajasthan Royals:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c/wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, Obed McCoy

The players in bold represent overseas players.

RR’s likely XI looks promising however the players who would be on the bench are untested.  RR would have to go through most of the season with these players, hoping that they are not forced to look to bench for backups.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022 auction squad analysis: Delhi Capitals rope in allrounders Shardul, Axar, Marsh; Warner comes back

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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It has been a case of consistent improvement yet near missies for Delhi Capitals in the last three seasons of the Indian Premier League. The team finished third, second, and first on the points tally at the end of the league phase in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively.

However, DC lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator in 2019. In 2020 the team lost to Mumbai Indians in the final. Last year, DC was beaten by Kolkata Knight Riders in the Qualifier-2.

DC has likely figured out how to boss the league phase but not how to hold their nerves in the do-or-die matches.

So when DC entered the fray in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction they aimed to cover a few bases and get a few clutch players.

Also read | IPL auction: From MS Dhoni to Ishan Kishan, a look at most valued player of every season

Here is all that you need to know about the players DC bought in the auction and the likely starters for the team over the course of the season.

Players Retained before IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, and Anrich Nortje

Players bought in IPL 2022 Mega Auction:

Batters: David Warner (Rs 6.25 cr. ), Rovman Powell (Rs 2.80 cr.), Mandeep Singh (Rs 1.10 cr.), Yash Dhull ( Rs 50 lakhs), Ashwin Hebbar ( Rs20 lakhs)

Wicketkeepers:  KS Bharat ( Rs 2 cr.), Tim Seifert ( Rs 50 laks)

All Rounders: Mitchell Marsh ( Rs 6.50 cr.), Kamlesh Nagarkoti ( Rs 1.10 cr.), Lalit Yadav (Rs 65 lakhs), Ripal Patel (Rs 20 lakhs), Sarfaraz Khan  (Rs 20 lakhs), Vicky Ostwal (Rs 20 lakhs)

Bowlers: Shardul Thakur (Rs 10.75 cr.), Khaleel Ahmed (Rs 5.25 cr.), Chetan Sakariya (Rs 4.20 cr.), Kuldeep Yadav ( Rs 2 cr.), Mustafizur Rahman (Rs 2 cr.), Praveen Dubey (Rs 50 lakhs), Lungi Ngidi (50 lakhs)

When DC takes the field, all eyes will be on the batting pair of Prithvi Shaw and David Warner. With Shikhar Dhawan gone, DC wanted an experienced opener to pair with Shaw. Warner is almost a like-for-like replacement for Dhawan.

At No.3 DC has plenty of options. The team could have either KS Bharat, Mandeep Singh, Yash Dhull, or Ashwin Hebbar. Bharat is likely to be a frequent batter at three. He did bat at that position for Royal Challengers Bangalore last season and came up with a match-winning knock of 78 against Delhi Capitals including a last-ball six.

Skipper Rishabh Pant should bat at four. Any position higher or lower would be a surprise.

The three players who should follow Pant have to be Mitchell Marsh, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur.

Marsh enjoyed a phenomenal T20 World Cup 2021 where he hammered a 77 not out in the final against New Zealand to help Australia lift the cup. Recently, Marsh’s show with the bat took Perth Scorchers to a title win in Australia’s Big Bash League. He has also bowled at fairly regular intervals and chipped with wickets. If Marsh can remain injury-free right through the season, then he is surely DC’s x-factor player.

Axar Patel did enough in the previous seasons for DC to convince the management to make him part of the core group retained by the team. He was the team’s second-highest wicket-taker last season with 15 scalps. If need be, Axar can produce handy cameos with the bat.

DC’s most expensive buy at the auction, Shardul Thakur should follow Axar in the batting order. Thakur has a knack for picking wickets for his teams when things are getting a bit desperate. He bowls seam and swing and can use his bat to play big shots and come up with match-winning innings lower down the order.

DC has got brilliant all-rounders in Marsh, Axar, and Thakur.

Also, catch all the highlights from the IPL auction here

DC’s bowling was getting a bit unidimensional with Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. So in the auction, they picked up as many as three left-arm pacers in Mustafizur Rahman, Khaleel Ahmed, and Chetan Sakariya.  Mustafizur will very likely be paired with Sakariya. In absence of Sakariya, Khaleel is a decent enough replacement. And if Pant feels to play an Indian pacer then Kamlesh Nagarkoti is a good option.

DC has taken a big bet by going for Kuldeep Yadav. The skills of Kuldeep are unquestionable but form wise Kuldeep has been off-color for some time now.  But given the team has spent Rs 2 crore. on the spinner,  the team is expecting big things from him. He should be the team’s second spinner.

Likely starters for Delhi Capitals:

Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, KS Bharat, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Mitchell Marsh, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Chetan Sakariya, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman

The players from the bench are healthy enough options to fit in the playing XI and be good backups for the likely starters.

DC has done well to cover almost all the bases. The team has been one of the most dangerous and consistent teams in the past three seasons. With the fresh set of players, DC would hope that they are able to clinch their first IPL title.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow