The stage is set for the players to go under the hammer as the 219 capped players that includes 169 Indians and 50 overseas players, 292 uncapped players in which 255 are Indians and 37 overseas will set the ball rolling for the IPL 7 auction.
The stage is set for the players to go under the hammer as the 219 capped players that includes 169 Indians and 50 overseas players, 292 uncapped players in which 255 are Indians and 37 overseas will set the ball rolling for the IPL 7 auction. There is also a list 16 marquee players who will be the first set of players to go under the hammer in the auctions. The marquee players have been split into two sets of eight names each. Amongst those list of players, we highlight very few that can attract a heavy price tag:
Virender Sehwag:
Indian discard Virender Sehwag might hope that some IPL franchise go for him in the auction. A disastrous Ranji season and to top that, ‘the Nawab of Najafgarh’ is out of retention for the Indian cap. After Delhi Daredevils scrapped the entire team, ‘Viru’ still hopes to play for his hometeam. Sehwag who starts with a base price of Rs. 2 crore can attract hosts of IPL bidders including Delhi themselves.
Kevin Pietersen
Another notable player available at a base price of Rs. 2 crore is Englishman Kevin Pietersen. After being left out of the England side which ends his cricketing career, Pietersen has made himself available for the IPL and other world reknowned leagues. ‘KP’ is another star attraction in this year’s auction and with his full-time availability, expect a host of bids.
Yuvraj Singh
A poor ODI form might have cost southpaw Yuvraj Singh his place in the squad, but he still remains a fantastic player in the T20s. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, Yuvraj has a point to prove to the selectors. ‘Yuvi’ is set in the base price of Rs. 2 crore and if Virat Kohli has his ‘wish’, don’t be surprised if Royal Challengers Bangalore go for it!
Corey Anderson
Ever since his record breaking ton against West Indies (36-ball 100), Corey Anderson has claimed unanimous fame. A good outing followed in the ODI series against India and now with the IPL auction calling, Anderson could be ‘key player’ for the franchises. Corey lowered his base price to Rs. 1 crore but that won’t stop from IPL sides battling to sign him.
Mitchell Johnson
He won the IPL and then followed it up with a Ashes scoop as speedster Mitchell Johnson swept away the English cricketers at his feet. Former skipper Ricky Ponting said that it was the IPL performance that led to his re-emergence and by doing so, Mitchell Johnson is once again amongst the ‘hottest property’ in the auction.
Alex Hales
England cricket team’s number one T20 player, Alex Hales will make his debut in the IPL if bought by the franchises. Known to be a hard-hitter of the ball, Hales could easily acclimatise to the Indian conditions (if IPL is staged in India). Besides Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright, Eoin Morgan, Paul Collingwood and Ravi Bopara, no top English player has been in the IPL reckoning. With a base price of Rs. 2 crore, Hales could be the ‘real deal’in the auction.
The likes of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Kevin Pietersen etc. might have been shown the ‘exit door’ by their respective boards but with the riches of IPL, their careers can take a U-turn. The cash-stripped Indian Premier League has shown us before, that if, the bat does the talking, the player’s career is revived, if not, wait for another season.
Photo: BCCI
