Equality is not a strong suit of the Indian Premier League (IPL), as evidenced by a mini auction. These auctions are more unpredictable than the stock market, and they frequently favor international players over locals.
The general tendency has been too much money chasing too few players. Last year, if Sam Curran (INR 18.5 crore), Cameron Green (17.5 crore), Ben Stokes (16.25 crore), Nicholas Pooran (16 crore), and Harry Brook (13.25 crore) hit the jackpot, it was because franchises were hoping to get a few players with a large budget.
It could be a little different this time. According to a team representative, “sanity should be restored this time.” With a plethora of alternatives open to franchises and many stars from the recent 50-over World Cup entering the auction, demand appears to be meeting supply this time around.
Australian players such as Pat Cummins (base price INR 2 cr), Mitchell Starc (2 cr), Travis Head (2 cr), New Zealanders Daryl Mitchell (1 cr), Rachin Ravindra (50 lakh), England’s Harry Brook (2 cr), Phil Salt (1.5 cr), and Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga (1.5 cr), South Africa’s Gerald Coetzee (2 cr), and Indians such as Shardul Thakur (2 cr) and Harshal Patel may attract franchise interest. Money might be dispersed more equally than ever before, with 77 spots open and over 260 crore (262.95 cr) available.
The absence of a marquee player list, which would have consumed a substantial amount of the 262.95 crore by the conclusion of the first lot, is a key element of this auction. So, if Starc is ranked 28th in the auction roster order, ahead of players like KS Bharat, Rilee Rossouw, Chetan Sakariya, Dilshan Madushanka, Karun Nair, and Manish Pandey, it’s because auction dynamics are inexplicable.
Surprisingly, Starc’s instance is unique. Despite considering himself an all-rounder, he is classified as a fast bowler, and his name is listed alongside players such as Shivam Mavi, Alzarri Joseph, Harshal, Shardul, Ravindra, and even his captain Cummins. He will be selected at random after the first round of hitters, wicketkeepers, and all-rounders.
Starc is being pursued by a number of teams, and despite previous instances of withdrawing from the league after being acquired at auction, he is likely to command a premium price. There was even a demand that the Australian be barred from playing in the IPL for breaking his commitment, but as is frequently the case, memories seem to be short in the IPL as well.
The absence of Starc, a well-known figure in world cricket, from the list has not been explained. It is just speculation that it was a planned measure. The Australian may have chosen to go under the hammer when franchises have plenty of cash on hand rather than after they’ve exhausted a section of their pay limit. However, not everything in the IPL can be explained, or perhaps everything comes under what is now known as auction dynamics.
