Black Caps stars chasing IPL contracts
Prolific opening pair Martin Guptill and Colin Munro are among 18 current or former Black Caps hoping to leap back aboard cricket’s cash-laden Indian Premier League express train at tonight’s auction in Kolkata.
And they need to impress, among others, former New Zealand captains Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum, and former coach Mike Hesson, who will all be sitting at the top tables of their respective franchises.
Guptill, Munro and stand-in Black Caps Twenty20 skipper Tim Southee went the highest of the New Zealanders, listing their reserve prices at 100 lakh rupees (NZ$214,000) for when bidding gets under way at 11pm (NZ time).
All three, plus Colin de Grandhomme, legspinner Ish Sodhi and fast bowlers Adam Milne and Scott Kuggeleijn were released by their franchises last month and re-entered the auction in the hope of returning to next year’s tournament.
De Grandhomme, Sodhi and Corey Anderson are the next highest-priced Kiwis, setting their respective reserves at $160,000, with the other 12, including test squad members Tom Latham and Matt Henry, starting the bidding process at $107,000.
As it stands just five New Zealand players are on the books of IPL sides: Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Lockie Ferguson (Kolkata Knight Riders), Trent Boult and Mitchell McClenaghan from the defending champion Mumbai Indians, and Mitchell Santner (Chennai Super Kings).
All were retained last month, with Boult traded from Delhi Capitals to Mumbai.
As many as 332 players made the final list for the auction including 143 overseas players. The eight teams have a combined 29 slots still free for overseas players which will make it a tight race for some Black Caps.
So who makes the cut? Predictions are always a fraught business in the IPL and apparent certainties in the form of their lives have been snubbed at auction. It can depend on who is waving the paddle, and who wields the most influence in preauction discussions between team owners, coaching staff and other assorted hangers-on.
Guptill hasn’t always found favour with IPL sides and had a disappointing year in international cricket by his high standards. Munro’s had a patchy year, too, but on reputation as one of T20 cricket’s most devastating top-order hitters may have a better chance.
Another Auckland top-order power hitter, Glenn Phillips, was excellent in the Caribbean
Premier League and, in form, may be a bargain buy.
Allrounders de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham are expected to be sought after, if the statement issued by Delhi Capitals and their coach, Ricky Ponting, is anything to go by.
‘‘There’s going to be a lot of focus and attention on fast bowlers, overseas ones in particular. Pat Cummins could go for big money, as could Chris Woakes,’’ Ponting said.
‘‘Allrounders are always interesting in my opinion.
Players like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh, Jimmy Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme could all be big picks.’’
Seven players listed their reserve price the highest at $427,000: Australians Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn and Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews.
Fleming is back as coach of Chennai Super Kings, this year’s beaten finalists, while McCullum makes his debut as coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. Before he retired, McCullum went unsold at last year’s auction along with the likes of Anderson, Neesham, Henry and Phillips.
Hesson, who parted ways with Kings XI Punjab this year, returns as director of cricket operations at Royal Challengers Bangalore who are coached by Australian Simon Katich and captained by Indian megastar Virat Kohli.
Other New Zealanders in prominent roles are Shane Bond (bowling coach at Mumbai) and Kyle Mills who joins McCullum as bowling coach for the Knight Riders.