Officials from the ten IPL teams are set to take their place in the auction hall in Dubai for the IPL 2024 players' auction, and they have their respective wishlists ready according to the requirements of the team in sync with the purse left to spend.
Here's a lowdown from TOI on all that, with a wishlist prediction for the ten franchises going into a bidding war. :
ALSO SEE: IPL Auction 2024 Live Updates
GUJARAT TITANS
Purse left: Rs 38.1 cr
Slots left: 8
Overseas slots left: 2
GT have just lost captain Hardik Pandya, necessitating a big change in strategy since he is virtually irreplaceable in terms of skill sets. Could eye an overseas seamer who is handy with the bat. GT may also need an Indian wicketkeeper to replace the ageing Wriddhiman Saha.
COULD BID FOR: Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Shardul Thakur, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Azmatullah Omarzai, Wayne Parnell, Harvik Desai
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
Purse left: Rs 32.7 cr
Slots left: 12
Overseas slots left: 4
First and foremost, they need some quality pacers, some allrounders will be handy too. KKR could do with an overseas 'keeper and a more consistent opening pair.
COULD BID FOR: Mitchell Starc, KS Bharat, Chris Woakes, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Rachin Ravindra
PUNJAB KINGS
Purse left: Rs 29.1 cr
Slots left: 8
Overseas slots left: 2
Rachin Ravindra could be high on their wishlist. They also need an experienced Indian fast bowler and a wrist spinner to back up Rahul Chahar.
COULD BID FOR: Shivam Mavi, Harry Brook, Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Umesh Yadav
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
Purse left: Rs 31.4 cr
Slots left: 6
Overseas slots left: 3
Letting go of Ben Stokes has boosted their purse, so they could eye a pace-bowling allrounder. Having lost Shardul Thakur, will they bid aggressively for him again? CSK also need a replacement for middle-order batter Ambati Rayudu and there aren’t many experienced Indians in the auction roster.
COULD BID FOR: Shardul Thakur, Manish Pandey, Josh Hazlewood, Gerald Coetzee, Daryl Mitchell
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
Purse left: Rs 34 cr
Slots left: 6
Overseas slots left: 3
They lack the all-important factor of top Indian players, specifically a top-order Indian batter. Also need a quality foreign pacer and a spinner. They have the purse to go big.
COULD BID FOR: Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Harshal Patel, Gerald Coetzee, Wanindu Hasaranga
DELHI CAPITALS
Purse left: Rs 28.9 cr
Slots left: 9
Overseas slots left: 4
DC will be keen to replace their rag-tag bunch of players. Doubts remain over Rishabh Pant’s availability, so they need a backup ’keeper who can hold his own and nee an overseas seamer too. Delhi could look at youngsters like Delhi state team opener Priyansh Arya, who played well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20. The problem is tweaking their auction gameplan keeping the vagaries of the Kotla pitch in mind. Could Harshal Patel come in handy?
COULD BID FOR: Josh Inglis, Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur, Wanindu Hasaranga, Gerald Coetzee
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
Purse left: Rs 23.2 cr
Slots left: 6
Overseas slots left: 3
They need an overseas pacer and an overseas spinner. No Harshal Patel and no Josh Hazlewood is a problem. Mo Bobat, RCB’s new director of cricket, has talked about strengthening the middle order and bringing in more overseas pacers.
COULD BID FOR: Mitchell Starc, Gerald Coetzee, Pat Cummins, Manav Suthar, Gus Atkinson, Dilshan Madushanka, Adil Rashid
MUMBAI INDIANS
Purse left: Rs 17.7 cr
Slots left: 8
Overseas slots left: 4
They have already conducted the biggest overhaul by replacing long-time captain Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya. A limited purse means MI could target bargain buys and uncapped Indians. They need to bolster the spin department too.
COULD BID FOR: Wanindu Hasaranga, Manav Suthar, Pat Cummins, Alzarri Joseph
RAJASTHAN ROYALS
Purse left: Rs 14.5 cr
Slots left: 8
Overseas slots left: 3
Rajasthan need a backup for Jos Buttler. They have always leaned towards promising youngsters who bring value for money. All those who have performed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali, TNPL and UP Premier League could get a look-in.
COULD BID FOR: Rachin Ravindra, Travis Head, mainly domestic Indian batters
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS
Purse left: Rs 13.1 cr
Slots left: 6
Overseas slots left: 2
LSG need another fast bowler to back up Mark Wood. Jaydev Unadkat and Avesh Khan are gone. Starc, Hazlewood and Coetzee could all be on their wishlist. Chasing some left-arm pacers like Nandre Burger and Dilshan Madushanka could also be a tempting option. Lucknow need an Indian batter too. Their problem is their limited purse.
COULD BID FOR: Gerald Coetzee, Harshal Patel, Chetan Sakariya, Dilshan Madushanka, Sarfaraz
