(Cricket News) In the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 player auctions, a notable presence is expected with seven esteemed Australian Cricket World Cup champions, namely Travis Head, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Josh Inglis, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Sean Abbott, who have each established their starting point at an impressive Rs 2 crore. Adding to the IPL auction’s intrigue is New Zealand’s cricket sensation Rachin Ravindra, distinguished for his exceptional performance in the recent Cricket World Cup in India, where he amassed a staggering 578 runs at an impressive average of 64.22. Ravindra has opted to enter the auction with a modest yet noteworthy price tag of Rs 50 lakh.
The IPL auction roster extends its global reach, featuring players not only from Australia but also from cricket powerhouses like New Zealand, South Africa, and England, all of whom have set their base prices at Rs 2 crore. Further elevating the bidding stakes are the inclusion of high-profile talents such as Afghanistan’s Mujeeb ur Rahman and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, commanding a premium in the auction, while the versatile Mohammad Nabi has placed himself in the Rs 1.5 crore bracket. Interestingly, Travis Head and Mitchell, who went unsold in the previous year’s auctions, add an element of anticipation to this year’s proceedings.
A total of 23 players, featuring prominent Indian names like Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, and Umesh Yadav, are poised to enter the IPL 2024 auction, each with a base price of Rs 2 crore. The auction, set to unfold at Dubai’s prestigious Coca-Cola Arena on December 19, promises a grand spectacle with 333 cricketers going under the gavel, including 13 tagged with a base price of INR 1.5 crore. The player pool comprises 214 Indian cricketers and 119 overseas players, with two representatives from associate nations. The breakdown encompasses 116 capped players, 215 uncapped players, and two players from associate nations. A maximum of 77 slots are up for grabs, with a cap of 30 allocated for overseas players.
As teams strategize for the upcoming season, Kolkata Knight Riders face the challenge of filling the most slots, totaling 12, while the likes of Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Lucknow Super Giants, and Sunrisers Hyderabad have a more modest task with only six slots to be filled each. Financially, the Gujarat Titans emerge with the highest salary cap at an impressive Rs 38.15 crore, followed closely by SRH (Rs 34 crore), Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 32.7 crore), and CSK (Rs 31.4 crore).
With the stage set for a thrilling auction, the IPL 2024 Auction is scheduled to kick off at 1 PM local time in Dubai (2:30 PM IST), promising cricket enthusiasts an eventful and impactful prelude to the upcoming season.
