The Indian Premier League is set to be back this April and there is already an immense amount of hysteria and excitement surrounding the same. Cricket fans and lovers are gearing up for some uninterrupted action, excitement and loads of off-field events and drama. However, the IPL auction is slated to be held on the 12th and 13th of February and this is generating immense interest on part of cricket followers and fans. There is a pressing curiosity to know about final team composition which will finally be determined by the eventual results of the auction. However, we give you the low-down on all the events and people who matter at the same.
A total of 233 players have been listed for the auction. They will be available to eight IPL franchises to choose from, with about 46 Indian players being listed in the top bracket, i.e. 20 million/2 crore rupees. Alongside, many international stars have been listed in the top bracket as well. Some of these Indian and international stars include Pragyan Ojha, Virender Sehwag, Yusuf Pathan, Mitchell Johnson, Brad Haddin, Dinesh Karthik, Steven Smith and Yuvraj Singh. The top base price for any player has been fixed at 2 crore rupees for this edition. Also, franchises that retain players will have a minimum amount of cash to splurge at the auctions. This will put teams like Mumbai and Chennai in a tight spot, as they have retained five players each. Delhi has not retained any players and will be going all out in the 2014 IPL auction with a full purse.
England players Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are missing from the auction list though Kevin Pieterson will certainly attract multiple top bids from franchises. There is immense franchise interest centering on Twenty20 star Alex Hales, who is currently ranked No.1 in the world in the format and hard hitting all rounder Corey Anderson who dazzled the world with his 36 ball ODI century against West Indies, the fastest ever in the world. However, Alex Hales can only join the IPL if he receives the most lucrative deal from any franchise, as per his contract with Nottinghamshire. This will surely act as a spur for franchises with regard to spending a huge amount to snap up this exciting player. Alongside, Sri Lanka’s influential Kumar Sangakkara has chosen to drop out of this IPL even though Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Matthews have been listed for the auction.
However, the Sri Lankan players will have to leave for international commitments towards the end of the IPL season and this is one factor that team owners will definitely keep in mind. Australian captain Michael Clarke has also withdrawn from the auctions. Jacques Kallis will be a top draw at the IPL owing to his stupendous record for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the past. Alongside, Muttiah Muralitharan and Brad Hogg have also entered the IPL auctions. Witness all the action with your favorite team merchandise and sporting gear. The IPL auction will be keenly followed and cricket enthusiasts will wait with bated breath for the final teams to be announced.
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