by: Syed Athar Abbas (Athar G) TN Sports News.
Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was picked up by Punjab Kings for 18.5 crores while Cameron Green, Ben Stokes, Brook and Nicholas Pooran were the other big winner Sam Curran and Harry Brook were among the big winners of the 2023 Indian Premier League auction, which was held in Kochi on December 23.
Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was picked up by Punjab Kings for 18.5 crores (£1.85m) while Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians, 17.5 crores) and Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings, 16.25) also matched or exceeded the previous record bid, which was set by Chris Morris (Rajasthan Royals, 16.25) in 2021.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, splashed 13.25 crore (£1.35m ) on Yorkshire and England batter Harry Brook. Four-hundred-and-five players went under the hammer, competing for 87 contracts, with the team-by-team selections listed below. One crore is approximately £100,000.
Chennai Super Kings
Retained: Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway*, Dwaine Pretorius*, Maheesh Theekshana*, Matheesha Pathirana*, Mitchell Santner*, Moeen Ali*, MS Dhoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Simarjeet Singh, Subhranshu Senapati, Tushar Deshpande
Signed: Ajinkya Rahane (50 lakh), Ben Stokes* (16.25 crore), Shaik Rasheed (20 lakh), Nishant Sidhu (60 lakh), Kyle Jamieson* (1 crore), Ajay Mandal (20 lakh), Bhagath Verma (20 lakh) Filling the hole left by Dwayne Bravo, who called time on his 12-year IPL career earlier in the year, was a priority and while Ben Stokes doesn’t quite have the same wicket-taking pedigree as the West Indian, he is a star allrounder in his own right.
With Ajinkya Rahane (a solid replacement for Robin Uthappa), Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dwaine Pretorius, Devon Conway, and MS Dhoni all top six options as well, there’s a lot of batting power in this squad. Kyle Jamieson is a solid addition to the pace arsenal – nine wickets in nine matches for RCB – but they may regret not finding a quality home backup for Deepak Chahar.
Dehli Capitals
Retained: Aman Khan (T), Anrich Nortje*, Axar Patel, Chetan Sakariya, David Warner*, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lalit Yadav, Lungisani Ngidi*, Mitchell Marsh*, Mustafizur Rahman*, Pravin Dubey, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Rishabh Pant, Rovman Powell*, Sarfaraz Khan, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Vicky Ostwal, Yash Dhull
Signed: Phil Salt* (2 crore), Ishant Sharma (50 lakh), Mukesh Kumar (5.5 crore), Manish Pandey (2.4 crore), Rilee Rossouw* (4.6 crore)
Batting was evidently a priority area for Delhi Capitals, with Phil Salt, Manish Pandey and Rilee Rossouw among their five purchases. Salt is perhaps the most versatile of the three players, serving as a back-up to Rishabh Pant with the gloves (a gap which needed filling following the departure of KS Bharat) and offering both opener or middle-order finisher potential.
Mukesh Kumar and Ishant Sharma bolster the pace attack, with the latter boasting over 140 career appearances in the format and a healthy economy of 7.77. You wouldn’t expect either player to be a regular starter, however.
Gujarat Titans
Retained: Abhinav Sadarangani, Alzarri Joseph*, B. Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, David Miller*, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Matthew Wade*, Mohammad Shami, Noor Ahmad*, Pradeep Sangwan, R. Sai Kishore, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan*, Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Yash Dayal
Signed: Kane Williamson* (2 crore), Odean Smith* (50 lakh), KS Bharat (1.2 crore), Shivam Mavi (6 crore), Urvil Patel (20 lakh), Josh Little* (4.4 crore), Mohit Sharma (50 lakh) The Titans won the battle to secure swing bowler Shivam Mavi and though injury-plagued, he can hopefully assist with Hardik Pandya’s workload management.
Overseas pair Odean Smith and Josh Little have been recruited to bolster the pace department following the departure of Lockie Ferguson, with the latter – a hit in The Hundred as a replacement signing for Manchester Originals – in line to become the first Irish player to play in the IPL. Smith, however, is perhaps not the pace-bowling allrounder they had in mind.
Kane Williamson is a possible opening partner or No.3 to fill the gap left by Jason Roy and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Williamson has scored 2,101 runs at a strike rate of 126.03 in 76 IPL appearances, all of which came for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ireland’s Josh Little has been signed by Gujarat Titans [Darrian Traynor/Getty Images]
Kolkata Knight Riders
Retained: Andre Russell*, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Lockie Ferguson (T), Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (T), Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur (T), Shreyas Iyer, Sunil Narine*, Tim Southee*, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer
Signed: N Jagadeesan (90 lakh), Vaibhav Arora (60 lakh), Suyash Sharma (20 lakh), David Wiese* (1 crore), Kulwant Khejroliya (20 lakh), Litton Das (50 lakh), Mandeep Singh (50 lakh), Shakib Al Hasan* (1.5 crore)
KKR were late starters in the auction and with a small purse, didn’t set the room alight. David Wiese is perhaps their best buy, with the veteran allrounder offering a back-up option to Andre Russell. Bangladesh internationals Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan were late overseas selections, with the former possibly plugging a hole in the wicketkeeping department.
Of their Indian picks, N Jadadeesan is probably the most exciting prospect. The 27-year-old did not enjoy much game time at CSK but as a wicketkeeper and ever-improving batter – he’s coming into 2023 off the back of a strong domestic season – he is versatile player who it might be worth taking a punt on in the XI.
Lucknow Super Giants
Retained: Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, K. Gowtham, Karan Sharma, KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya, Kyle Mayers*, Manan Vohra, Marcus Stoinis*, Mark Wood*, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Quinton De Kock*, Ravi Bishnoi
Signed: Nicholas Pooran* (16 crore), Jaydev Unadkat (50 lakh), Yash Thakur (45 lakh), Romario Shepherd* (50 lakh), Daniel Sams* (75 lakh), Amit Mishra (50 lakh), Prerak Mankad (20 lakh), Swapnil Singh (20 lakh), Naveen-ul-Haq* (50 lakh), Yudhvir Charak (20 lakh)
With 210 wickets and an economy of 7.95 from 170 T20 appearances, Jaydev Unadkat will be a player LSG are very happy to have got their hands on. The pacer can certainly cover for (or challenge) Mohsin Khan. Indeed, pace depth was clearly a priority, with Romario Shepherd, Daniel Sams, Naveen-ul-Haq and Yash Thakur (a young Indian death specialist) also heading to Lucknow – something which will please England selectors with one eye on Mark Wood’s workload.
An allrounder to replace Jason Holder will have been on their shopping list and while they missed on the big guns (Cameron Green, Stokes, Sam Curran etc)., Sams is a fine alternative without breaking the bank. Though really a bowling allrounder, he has a strike rate in excess of 150 with the bat.
Nicholas Pooran adds further international quality with the bat alongside the likes of KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, and Quinton de Kock. 40-year-old spinner Amit Mishra was something of a curveball selection. Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das will reunite at Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians
Retained: Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Dewald Brevis*, Hrithik Shokeen, Ishan Kishan, Jason Behrendorff (T), Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Mohd. Arshad Khan, N. Tilak Varma, Ramandeep Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David*, Tristan Stubbs*
Signed: Cameron Green* (17.5 crore), Jhye Richardson* (1.5 crore), Piyush Chawla (50 lakh), Duan Jansen* (20 lakh), Vishnu Vinod (20 lakh), Shams Mulani (20 lakh), Nehal Wadhera (20 lakh), Raghav Goyal (20 lakh)
Mumbai Indians won the race to buy Cameron Green, paying a whopping 17.5 crore to secure his services – second only in price to Sam Curran. It’s a lot of money to pay for an allrounder with just 21 T20 appearances to his name and puts the 23-year-old under a lot of pressure to perform as a replacement for Kieron Pollard.
Fellow Australian Jhye Richardson has likely been bought with one eye on Jofra Archer’s fitness while Duan Jansen, a left-arm pacer and twin brother of Marco, also adds depth to the bowling department. Vishnu Vinod, who has played 50 T20s (1191 runs at a strike rate of 138.81), has been recruited as cover for Ishan Kishan.
Punjab Kings
Retained: Shikhar Dhawan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Raj Angad Bawa, Prabhsimran Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Jitesh Sharma, Baltej Singh Dhanda, Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone*, Kagiso Rabada*, Jonny Bairstow*, Nathan Ellis*, Bhanuka Rajapakse*
Signed: Sam Curran* (18.5 crore), Sikandar Raza* (50 lakh), Harpreet Bhatia (40 lakh), Vidwath Kaverappa (20 lakh), Mohit Rathee (20 lakh), Shivam Singh (20 lakh)
Replacing Odean Smith as Punjab Kings’ marquee overseas allrounder is Sam Curran, who became the most expensive player in IPL history at the 2023 auction as a result of his performances during the T20 World Cup. In Australia, he emerged as a fine death bowler while his IPL strike rate (from 23 innings) is an impressive 149.77 – a big player.
Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza adds further all-around depth. Like Curran, he is coming in hot from the T20 World Cup and as a spin bowler could play back-up to Liam Livingstone. Bowler Vidwath Kaverappa, who impressed in this season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, could be a shrewd buy for 20 lakh. Another top-order batting option to replace Mayank Agarwal wouldn’t have gone amiss, however, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza was picked up Punjab Kings
Rajasthan Royals
Retained: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer*, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler*, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult*, Obed McCoy*, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Kuldip Yadav, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, KC Cariappa Signed: Jason Holder* (5.75 crore), Donavon Ferreira* (50 lakh), Kunal Rathore (20 lakh), Adam Zampa* (1.5 crore), KM Asif (30 lakh), M Ashwin (20 lakh), Akash Vashisht (20 lakh), Abdul PA (20 lakh), Joe Root* (1 crore)
Rajasthan Royals needed an allrounder to support their star-studded top-order and opted to secure the services of Jason Holder. The West Indian, however, has only scored 247 runs at a not exactly pulse-racing strike rate of 123.50. Instead, Akash Vashist could be the best option in this department. He’s not an allrounder but a developing finisher, recently striking 76 runs off 42 balls in the quarter-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Joe Root, earning his first IPL gig, and spinner Adam Zampa were late selections. The former hasn’t played a T20I since 2019 but has featured for Yorkshire and Trent Rockets – his career stats read 2,083 runs at a strike rate of 126.70; Zampa, a spinner, can support Chahal. Donavon Ferreira is perhaps the most fun selection of the auction. A backup wicketkeeper for Jos Buttler, the South African has a strike rate of 153.56 from 26 T20 outings.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Retained: Akash Deep, Anuj Rawat, David Willey*, Dinesh Karthik, Faf Du Plessis*, Finn Allen*, Glenn Maxwell*, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood*, Karn Sharma, Mahipal Lomror, Mohammed Siraj, Rajat Patidar, Shahbaz Ahamad, Siddharth Kaul, Suyash Prabhudessai, Virat Kohli, Wanindu Hasaranga*
Signed: Reece Topley* (1.9 crore), Himanshu Sharma (20 lakh), Will Jacks* (3.2 crore), Manoj Bhandage (20 lakh), Rajan Kumar (70 lakh), Avinash Singh (60 lakh), R Sonu Yadav (20 lakh)
Not too many new faces at RCB after finishing third in 2022.
Reece Topley and Will Jacks are the overseas additions, with the former plugging the hole left by Jason Behrendorff (traded to Mumbai Indians) and Jacks possibly a new opening partner for Faf du Plessis. He occupies this role for both Surrey and Oval Invincibles and boasts a T20 strike rate in excess of 150. Such a partnership would then allow Virat Kohli to return to No.3.
Rajan Kumar is something of an emerging pace bowler, taking 10 wickets and maintaining an economy of 5.88 in seven outings for Uttarakhand since making his debut in October 2022 while Manoj Bhandage’s strike rate of 154.66 (16 matches) and medium-pace bowling means there is another Indian allrounder to potentially throw into the mix.
Reece Topley (RCB) and Joe Root (Rajasthan Royals) are among the English players signed up for the IPL [Stu Forster/Matthew Lewis
Sunrisers Hyderabad Retained: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram*, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fazalhaq Farooqi*, Glenn Phillips*, Kartik Tyagi, Marco Jansen*, Rahul Tripathi, T. Natarajan, Umran Malik, Washington Sundar
Signed: Harry Brook* (13.25 crore), Mayank Agarwal (8.25 crore), Heinrich Klaasen* (5.25 crore), Adil Rashid* (2 crore), Mayank Markande (50 lakh), Vivrant Sharma (2.6 crore), Samarth Vyas (20 lakh), Sanvir Singh (20 lakh), Upendra Yadav (25 lakh), Mayank Dagar (1.8 crore), Nitish Kumar Reddy (20 lakh), Anmolpreet Singh (20 lakh), Akeal Hosein* (1 crore)
Sunrisers needed a wicketkeeper and secured the services of South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen. They needed a top-order batter with captaincy potential to replace Kane Williamson. Enter Mayank Agarwal (a veteran of new fewer than 113 IPL appearances, scoring 2,327 runs at a strike rate of 134.27). They needed a spinner and gained the services of both Adil Rashid and Akeal Hosein, the latter also offering extra firepower with the bat.
And then there’s Harry Brook, whose 148.38 strike rate and 33.77 average made his the first millionaire of this year’s auction. They’ve plugged a lot of gaps with international talent but the challenge now will be deciding who makes it into the XI.
In Sanvir Singh (a seam-bowling allrounder from Punjab) they have bagged a bright up-and-coming talent while leg-spinner Mayank Markande offers additional bowling depth.
