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Team India might been facing a nightmare in the last couple of months but as the summer arrives, Pepsi IPL 2014 will ensure that all that pain is quickly forgotten. The player auctions for the seventh edition of the league are slated on the 12th and the 13th of February and because of the changed rules it promises to be an interesting one.
Here is what you need to know and watch out for
The purse & the changed rules
Franchises allotted a budget of Rs 60 crore
Auctions to be held in Indian rupees and not US dollars which will be a first
Teams allowed to retain maximum 5 players
Chennai Superkings, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals have retained the full quota
Uncapped players (295 in total) will be part of the auction
The rule of 7 Indian players + 4 international players in the starting lineup has been maintained
The Joker’s card:
This card gives a franchisee the option of first right of refusal during the auction. The team can make use of it and buy back a player in the auction by matching the bid that has been placed on him.
Teams and their trusted
The 2014 edition will see only 8 teams participate as Pune Warriors were terminated from the competition.Remember, Chennai ,Mumbai and Rajasthan have retained 5 players each and in doing so they have used up around Rs 39 crore from their Rs 60 crore purse. (List of the retained)
The big boys in the fray
Kevin Pietersen: Recently forced-to-retire English cricketer is expected to be a top draw. As Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Rajasthan have retained their middle order more or less, expect Kolkata, Delhi and Punjab to fight it out for him.
Mitchell Johnson: The last IPL resurrected him and since then there has been no looking back. He routed the English and won the Man of the Series in the Ashes. Expect Mumbai to use the Joker card to win him back.
Indian Biggies- Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh: Have been out of favour with the national selectors but their game changing abilities are well known.
The class acts - Michael Hussey & Jacques Kallis: One is arguably the best finisher the game has seen and another the best allrounder in modern cricket. Need one say more?
Corey Anderson: The big hitting Kiwi allrounder is the current hot pick. He recently broke Shahid Afridi’s fastest century record by smashing a 36-ball century against the West Indies and has done well against India in the current series.
Glen Maxwell: He was last IPL’s biggest signing. His strengths are that he is a floating big-hitter who can be pushed at any spot from 1 to 7. Part-time off spin and exceptional fielding add stars in his resume.
Others to watch out for: Proven performers like Davis Warner, Mahela Jayawardene, Eoin Morgan, Faf Du Plessis, Zaheer Khan, Brendon McCullum, Brad Haddin, Angelo Matthews, Albie Morkel, Muttiah Murlidharan and George Bailey will go under the hammer.
The dark horse - Alex Hales: Hales is currently the No.1-ranked batsman in Twenty20 internationals and would be searching for a top-bracket deal. His reserve price though is quite high at Rs. 2 crore.
Along with this, expect the scouts of all the teams to pickup talented local uncapped players.
Click here for the list of all the players featured in the auction and their reserve price
Click here for the list of all the players featured in the auction and their reserve price
