RCB, Punjab, KKR’s captaincy hunt could spice up IPL auctions

MUMBAI: The expanded IPL set up of 10 teams will have 590 players to choose from and fill a maximum 217 vacant slots, including 70 foreigners, in the mega auction to be held on February 12-13 in Bengaluru.

The new teams from Lucknow and Ahmedabad have named KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya respectively as captains. But the two underperforming outfits, RCB and Punjab Kings, and KKR (Eoin Morgan is past his prime) may be getting ready for bidding wars to pick their captain.

Ishan Kishan, the explosive MI batter with past India U-19 captaincy experience and ex-DC skipper Shreyas Iyer are two candidates. Other contenders are not so straightforward, but come with experience. There’s Australia Test skipper Pat Cummins, India spin ace R Ashwin, opener Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner. All these players have confidently gone ahead with the highest ₹2cr base price.

Punjab will be best placed with the highest remaining purse of ₹72cr, having retained only two players. SRH (₹68 cr) and RR (₹62 cr) come in next with a sizeable kitty.

A total of 33 players have been signed up by the teams pre-auction, six of them by the new franchises.

Teams could break bank over the likes of Harshal Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohd Shami, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Deepak Chahar and Umesh Yadav. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav and Krunal Pandya could also end up very rich. Batter Deepak Hooda and powerhitter Shah Rukh Khan will also have high hopes.

Fast bowling stocks will be in high demand. Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada, Lockie Ferguson and Josh Hazlewood will find many takers. Quinton de Kock, Shimron Hetmeyer, Jason Roy, Shakib Al Hasan and Nicolas Pooran amongst the batters and Jason Holder and Mitchell Marsh among the all-rounders will attract a lot of interest.